Cool off this summer with a cold soup.

potato salad These recipes appeared in the Herald-Leader in the early ‘80s.

Gazpacho
4 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and quartered
1⁄2 small onion, chopped
1⁄2 green pepper, seeded and quartered
1⁄2 cucumber, sliced
4 parsley sprigs
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
1⁄2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1⁄2 cup ice water
1⁄2 cup red wine
Dash hot sauce
Put all ingredients into blender or food processor. Process until all ingredients are finely chopped, but do not over blend. Serve chilled. Makes 6 servings.

Avocado soup
1 can (13 3⁄4 ounces) chicken broth
3 ripe avocados, peeled, cut in chunks
1⁄4 cup chopped green onion
1⁄4 teaspoon chili powder
1⁄4 teaspoon ground coriander
1⁄8 teaspoon white pepper
1 cup half-and-half
In blender container, place chicken broth, avocado chunks, green onion, chili powder, coriander and white pepper. Cover and process until smooth. Pour mixture into a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture just begins to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in half-and-half. Cover and refrigerate. Serve cold.

Cold fruit soup
1 can (16 ounces) sliced peaches in heavy syrup, chilled
1 can (16 ounces) sliced pears, chilled and drained
1 cup strawberries
1 cup chilled apple juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Remove and reserve 4 slices each peaches and pears and 4 unhulled strawberries. Hull and halve the remaining strawberries. In food processor or blender, whirl rest of strawberries, remaining peaches with syrup, the pears, apple juice and lemon juice until smooth. Pour into 4 individual serving dishes; garnish with reserved fruits and berries. Makes 4 servings.

Pimiento soup
1⁄2 cup roasted red pepper or pimientos, cut-up
1⁄4 cup sliced green onions, white part only
1 1⁄2 cups each chicken broth and milk, chilled
Salt to taste
Dash hot pepper sauce
Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Chill. Makes 4 servings.

Iced tomato soup
2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and quartered
1 small clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups tomato juice
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
Place quartered tomatoes in blender or food processor. Add garlic, sugar, salt, pepper, and tomato juice. Blend. Cover and refrigerate. If mixture is too thick, stir in additional tomato juice. Just before serving, stir in sour cream until blended and smooth. Makes 6 servings.

Chilled shrimp and cucumber soup
2 large cucumbers, peeled and coarsely chopped
1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound raw shrimp, (the smallest you can find, peeled and deveined)
2 tablespoons sweet butter
1⁄4 cup dry white vermouth
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 1⁄2 cups buttermilk, chilled
3⁄4 cup chopped fresh dill, plus additional dill for garnish
Toss chopped cucumbers with the vinegar, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt and let stand 30 minutes. Rinse the shrimp and pat them dry. Melt the butter in a small skillet. Add shrimp, raise the heat and toss until they turn pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon and reserve.
Add vermouth to the skillet and boil until it is reduced to a few spoonfuls. Pour over the shrimp and season them with the salt and pepper. Drain the cucumbers and transfer them to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process briefly, then add the buttermilk and continue to process until smooth. Add fresh dill to taste and process briefly, about 1 second.
Pour the soup into a bowl, add the shrimp and their liquid and refrigerate, covered until very cold. Garnish with additional chopped dill and serve in chilled bowls. Makes 4 to 6 portions.

Honeyed yogurt fruit soup
4 cups pureed fruit (cantaloupe, honeydew, strawberries or papaya)
1 cup dry white wine
3⁄4 cup plain yogurt
1⁄4 cup honey
1⁄4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
In a blender, or food processor, blend all ingredients until smooth. Cover; chill 6 hours or until very cold. Makes about 5 cups.