13 Cold Soup Recipes for Hot and Humid Days

Keep these flavor-packed recipes on hand for when summer produce (and temperatures) hit their peak.

Published August 17, 2024

A bowl of Andalusian gazpacho in a ceramic bowl set on a plate. On the right hand periphery are another bowl of soup and a couple of pieces of torn bread. — Serious Eats / Qi Ai

Perhaps it's sizzling outside and you can only muster the energy to turn on the blender. Perhaps there's an overwhelming amount of late summer produce packed into your fridge, taunting you daily. Or, perhaps even in the dead of winter, you just prefer your soups a little left of warm. Whatever your reason for rejecting a hot bowl, please consider making any/all of these cold soup recipes, each famous for their chill.

Andalusian Gazpacho
Serious Eats / Qi Ai
We’ll start with one of the most iconic of all cold soups: Spanish gazpacho. This summer classic takes advantage of ripe, raw tomatoes that we salt and cryo-blanch in order to break down their cell structures and draw out flavorful juices; in turn, those help soften the bread before it’s all puréed with a healthy amount of olive oil.
Andalusian Gazpacho
Chilled Beet and Cherry Soup
Serious Eats / Hannah Hufham
The soup is made with fresh beets and sweet cherries—which are in season at the same time during peak summer—sour cream or yogurt, star anise, and cinnamon. It's a bit sweet but leans more to the savory side.
Chilled Beet and Cherry Summer Soup
Bukkake Udon (Japanese Cold Noodles With Broth)
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
Here, soy, mirin, and sugar are blended with dashi to create a layered broth that’s chilled and poured over tender udon. Even better? A variety of toppings that allow everyone to have a bowl exactly to their liking.
Bukkake Udon (Japanese Cold Noodles With Broth)
Easy Gazpacho
Serious Eats / Mariel De La Cruz
If you're not in the mood for salting and cryo-blanching your way to the perfect gazpacho, Kenji's simpler, more traditional recipe delivers delicious results in half the time.
Easy Gazpacho
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Easy, Summery Zucchini-Basil Soup
Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt
This delicious, pesto-adjacent zucchini soup is perfect for a late-summer lunch or light dinner, comes together quickly, and can be served hot or cold. (It’s also a great alternative to making yet another batch of zucchini bread with all that beautiful squash you’ve grown.)
Easy, Summery Zucchini-Basil Soup
Watermelon Gazpacho With Calabrian-Chili Crema
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
The addition of bright and juicy watermelon to the classic gazpacho mix of tomato, cucumber, and onion add complexity to this refreshing summer soup. We balance the added sweetness of the melon with a Calabrian chile–spiked crema topping, and lighten it all up by swapping out the traditional bread for a handful of toasted almonds.
Watermelon Gazpacho With Calabrian-Chili Crema
Chilled Minty Carrot Soup With Dukkah Yogurt
Serious Eats/ Vicky Wasik
Fresh mint adds a bright herbal note to this chilled carrot soup, which is smooth and creamy despite having no dairy in its base. We recommend finishing it with a dollop of spiced yogurt, or garnishing solely with dukkah—the Egyptian spice-and-seed blend—to keep it vegan.
Chilled Minty Carrot Soup With Dukkah Yogurt
Ajo Blanco (Spanish Chilled "White Gazpacho" Bread and Almond Soup)
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
We’re back to Spain with yet another hot weather staple: ajo blanco. Sometimes called "white gazpacho," this elegant cold soup is thickened with almonds and bread, lifted with a splash of sherry vinegar, and topped with sweet-sour green grapes.
Ajo Blanco (Spanish Chilled "White Gazpacho" Bread and Almond Soup)
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Icy-Cold Korean Cucumber Soup (Oi Naengguk)
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
There may be nothing better for hot weather than this (literally) icy, savory cucumber soup. Thin strips of fresh cucumber infuse the water with a cooling, fresh flavor, while soy sauce and vinegar add sour, savory, and salty notes to the broth.
Icy-Cold Korean Cucumber Soup (Oi Naengguk)
Hiyashi Chuka (Cold Ramen) With Shrimp, Ham, and Vegetables
Serious Eats / Shao Z.
Okay okay, hiyashi chuka may be slightly more noodle salad than noodle soup, but it’s still ramen! Not to mention incredibly refreshing. This dish lets you choose your own adventure with a variety of toppings served over chilled noodles, all of which are tossed in a simple, sesame-ginger dressing.
Hiyashi Chuka (Cold Ramen) With Shrimp, Ham, and Vegetables
Hot or Cold Creamy Lettuce Soup
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
Lettuce isn't just good for salads; believe it or not, it can also be transformed into an incredibly good bowl of soup. With a fresh, clean vegetal flavor and sweetness that tames any pepperiness, this dark horse of a dish is perfect for a sweltering summer day.
Hot or Cold Creamy Lettuce Soup
Mul Naengmyun (Korean Cold Noodle Soup With Asian Pear and Cucumber)
Serious Eats / Daniel Gritzer
With a refreshing, lightly sweet-tart broth, slick, chewy noodles, and crisp toppings like cucumber and pickled radish, this Korean soup is ideal for beating the summer heat.
Mul Naengmyun (Korean Cold Noodle Soup With Asian Pear and Cucumber)
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Minty Garlic Scape Soup
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
This simple, fresh, and herbal soup makes the most of garlic's green shoots, proving how little you need to put something delicious on the table.
Minty Garlic Scape Soup
Shchavleviy Borsch (Ukrainian Green Borsch)
Serious Eats / Larisa Niedle
Made with a rich pork broth, tart sorrel, spring onions, and green garlic, this green borsch celebrates the abundance of spring and early summer. Served at room temperature, it is both fortifying and refreshing.
Shchavleviy Borsch (Ukrainian Green Borsch)

13 Cold Soup Recipes for Hot and Humid Days

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