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Cold soup

What is cold soup?

Cold soup is served chilled and designed to provide refreshing taste, light texture, and nutritional balance. Unlike hot soups, cold soups are prepared with minimal heating or served after cooling, often featuring fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs, fermented dairy, or broth. They are popular in warm climates and summer menus, valued for hydration, vitamins, and digestive benefits. Cold soups include smooth purées, clear broths, and chunky vegetable mixes. Variations appear in European, Asian, Middle Eastern, and Latin American cuisines, where they are known for their vibrant colors, cooling effect, and healthy nutrient retention.

Popular cold soup recipes:

• Gazpacho – Spanish tomato-based soup blended with peppers, cucumber, onion, garlic, and olive oil
• Okroshka – Russian summer soup with kvass or kefir, mixed with potatoes, vegetables, eggs, and meat
• Tarator – Bulgarian yogurt-based soup with cucumber, dill, garlic, and walnuts
• Vichyssoise – French-inspired potato, leek, and cream soup served cold
• Ajoblanco – Andalusian almond and garlic soup with olive oil and bread
• Cucumber soup – light soup made from blended or sliced cucumbers with yogurt or sour cream
• Beetroot cold borscht (Chlodnik) – Eastern European soup with beets, kefir, dill, and eggs
• Avocado soup – creamy chilled soup made with blended avocado, lime juice, and herbs
• Watermelon gazpacho – fruit-based variation of gazpacho using watermelon and tomato
• Melon soup – sweet cold soup prepared with blended melon, yogurt, and mint
• Tomato cold soup – pureed tomato base with herbs, garlic, and olive oil
• Strawberry cold soup – fruit dessert-soup made with blended strawberries and cream or yogurt
• Green pea cold soup – puréed peas with herbs, yogurt, or stock
• Cold miso soup – Japanese miso-based soup chilled and served with vegetables and tofu.

Cold soup preparation technology

Preparation depends on the recipe but generally includes selecting and washing fresh vegetables, fruits, or herbs; chopping and blending to desired texture; optional cooking of base ingredients (like potatoes or beets) followed by cooling; mixing with liquid bases such as broth, kefir, yogurt, cream, or fruit juice; seasoning with herbs, garlic, salt, or spices; and chilling to 4–8°C before serving. For optimal flavor, cold soups should rest for several hours to allow blending of tastes. Serving is typically in chilled bowls or glasses, sometimes garnished with herbs, seeds, or croutons.

Average energy and nutrition value of cooled soups

Cold soups vary in energy depending on ingredients. On average, vegetable-based cold soups provide 30–60 kcal per 100 g, with 1–2 g protein, 0.5–2 g fat, and 4–8 g carbohydrates. Dairy-based cold soups (tarator, okroshka with kefir) provide 50–80 kcal per 100 g, with 2–4 g protein, 2–3 g fat, and 5–9 g carbohydrates. Fruit-based cold soups (strawberry, melon, watermelon gazpacho) are slightly higher in natural sugars, averaging 40–70 kcal per 100 g. Cold soups are a valuable source of vitamins A, C, K, folates, dietary fiber, potassium, calcium, and antioxidants, supporting hydration and light digestion during hot seasons.

You can find more information about cold soup in the articles below.