In It Starts With Food, we refer to soup as “love eaten with a spoon.” But while cold summer soups still elicit wonderful feelings of well-being, they might be better described as “a cool breeze for your insides.”

It’s nearly August, and the hottest days of summer are upon us. This time of year is also “ripe” with the largest variety of fresh, nutritious fruits and veggies you’ll see all year. So why not take a trip to your local farmers market, grab a colorful assortment of homegrown produce, pull out your blender or food processor, and whip up a gazpacho or two? Our own Erin Handley did just that last week, mixing and matching to create four delicious summer soups. (And the photography is all hers, too. Talented, isn’t she?)

Cold summer soups are simple to create, refreshing on the palate, and ensure you get a little more green in your daily meals. Our formula goes a little something like:

Chopped veggies and fruit + herbs and spices + extra liquid + blender = Eat up!

Soup’s On

Basic Farmers Market Gazpacho

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 pounds tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. Place three-quarters of the mixture in a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer contents of blender back to the bowl with the rest of the mixture. Stir. Cover. Chill. Serve.

Cold Southwest Avocado Soup

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe avocados, cubed
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1-1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• ¼ cup lime juice

Directions: Completely blend ingredients in a blender. Thin with more water if desired. Cover and chill until cold, 1 hour. Garnish with chilled mini shrimp or crumbled Whole30-approved bacon.

Pineapple Cucumber Gazpacho

Ingredients:

• 3-1/2 cups chopped pineapple
• 3-1/2 cups chopped peeled cucumber
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)
• a large handful of cilantro

Directions: Throw everything into the blender or food processor. Blend until smooth (or chunky…however you like it). Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours (or throw the blender in the freezer, let it set, then give it another whirl).

Frosty Strawberry Watermelon Gazpacho

Ingredients:

• 5 cups cut watermelon
• 2 cups cut strawberries
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 serrano pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)
• a large handful of mint

Directions: Freeze watermelon and strawberries in a single layer on a cookie sheet for 4 hours. Pull watermelon and strawberries out of the freezer and let thaw slightly. Throw everything into the blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

So Many Recipes, So Little Summer…

There are countless cold soup, gazpacho, and vichyssoise recipes available online, but many of them contain non-Whole30 ingredients like bread, cream, and butter. But that’s no problem for you savvy eaters! Once you’ve tried making a few of our recipes, you can try making many of those other “less healthy” recipes with a few minor adjustments.

Exclude the sour cream from this Chilled Beet Borscht, replace the butter with ghee and use your own homemade broth for this Cold Curried Carrot and Coconut Milk Soup, and subtract the Sriracha and use red chili flakes and Red Boat Fish Sauce to make this delectable-sounding Thai Yellow Tomato Gazpacho.

But first, a few words to the wise…

• The tastiness of your soup will depend on the tastiness of your vegetables, fruits, and herbs. Cold soups display the precise flavors of the ingredients you put in them, so make sure you are using fresh, ripe, flavorful fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
• If your veggies and fruits are super juicy, start by adding a little less liquid than the recipe calls for. You can always add more liquid later, but you can’t really take it back out once it’s in there. The palatability of your cold soup will depend on your tastes as well, so if you like a thicker or thinner soup, decrease or increase your liquid accordingly.
• Be patient. A well-chilled soup is much yummier than a semi-chilled soup.
• Don’t be afraid to mix it up and experiment a little. Think you’d prefer cilantro over basil in your Basic Farmers Market Gazpacho? Try it out. Does the idea of Frosty Blueberry Watermelon Gazpacho make your mouth water? Go for it. No one’s stopping you from getting creative and having fun!

Already have a favorite cold soup or gazpacho recipe? Do share… and stay cool out there!