The Best Cold Soups For The Hot Summer Ahead

Our love of soups knows no bounds here at Sporked, be they canned, winter warmers, or made with hacks. But cold soups? Well, that’s a bit of a different ball game. Cold soups can be a bit of an acquired taste (cool savory liquid isn’t exactly a go-to for a lot of people, let’s be honest), but in the height of summer, they really come into their own, thanks to their ability to provide both flavor and comfort – with that comfort sounding like, “thank god my body temperature has cooled down, because I was about to faint for a second there.”

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But which cold soup should you be going for this year? We put together a few of the biggest hitters, which are also pretty easy to make at home. 

Gazpacho

Arguably the most famous of all cold soups, this Andalusian dish is typically made with raw tomato, bell peppers, garlic, cucumber, stale bread, olive oil, vinegar, water, and salt. It’s the tomatoes that give gazpacho its distinctive color, but these were a later addition to the original recipe, first included in the 19th century.

Although gazpacho is typically smooth, chunkier versions exist: The Portuguese form of the soup can also feel more like a loose salsa. If you prefer it smoother, though, you can blend it up in a couple of minutes. 

Borscht

Borscht can be both hot and cold, but we shouldn’t forget about the latter version. Cold borscht (known as chłodnik litewski in Polish) has a sprightliness and a sharpness that feels seriously refreshing on a hot summer’s day. 

Like many cold soups, cold borscht doesn’t have one specific recipe that everyone follows: Rather, it’s made according to personal taste. Boiled beetroot is by far the most common base, though, with cucumbers, green onions, herbs, and a dairy element like kefir or buttermilk also added. 

Cacık 

Turkish cacık can be either a dip or a soup, but is considered the latter when it’s looser. It’s a fairly simple, but very refreshing combination of cucumber, yogurt, dried mint, garlic, olive oil, water, and salt. In a sense, it’s similar to tzatziki sauce, but generally has a more spoonable quality. Serve it with a side of pita. 

Naengmyeon

This noodle soup originated in North Korea, and was traditionally eaten in winter: In the summer, though, mul naengmyeon is the dominant form. It generally consists of cold buckwheat noodles served in a beef and kimchi water-based broth, and can be further bulked up with eggs, potatoes, sweet potatoes, or other ingredients. Mul naengmeyon also often contains ice cubes, which keep it extra cool. 

Vichyssoise

This French soup was actually invented in the United States, and is more modern than you might think. Conceived by chef Louis Diat at the Ritz-Carlton in New York in the early 1900s, it’s made with leeks, potatoes, onions, vegetable stock, milk, white wine, and cream, with the vegetables cooked until tender before being strained or blended. Once everything’s combined, it’s chilled until cold, then served.