Cold, bright vegetable and fruit soups are a delicious and healthy way to cool off when the heat is on (and the oven is off). Enjoy these recipes as a light lunch or as an elegant starter at your next dinner party.

Chilled Cucumber-Buttermilk Soup with Dilled Shrimp

3 English cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped

4 green onions, white and tender green parts, chopped

1 large clove garlic

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cups plain whole yogurt

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 lb. cooked bay shrimp, coarsely chopped

1 Tbsp. chopped dill

Directions

Put the cucumbers, green onions and garlic into a food processor and finely chop. Add the buttermilk, yogurt and lemon juice and puree. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate for 1 hour.

To make the dilled shrimp, put the shrimp and the dill in a small bowl and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the soup topped with the dilled shrimp. Serves 4.

Other chilled soup recipes we love

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White Gazpacho with Grapes Finely ground almonds give the soup body, while green grapes impart a refreshing contrast to its vinegary tang. Leaving the crust on the bread enhances the flavor of this chilled soup.

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Curried Cauliflower with Almonds This chilled soup gets a flavor boost from Madras curry powder, a classic Indian spice blend, while Greek yogurt lends a creamy finish.

Cucumber-Avocado Soup with Tomato A cool, creamy uncooked puree of cucumber and avocado is accented by a spicy salsa.

Chilled Tomato Soup with Avocado Salsa A delicate yet flavorful soup that gets a kick from an avocado salsa made with cilantro and lime.