In a heat wave, a light summer soup can be more appealing than a thick steak.
"I think it's a refreshing way to start a meal," says Ben Puchowitz, chef at the much-honored Rittenhouse Square BYOB Matyson.
He says a chilled soup tastes fresher than a hot soup.
"The cold makes it easier for the palate to understand that it's fresh," he says. "It's much harder to make hot things taste light and fresh."
Puchowitz is one of three local chefs we invited to contribute recipes for this article. Since most everyone already has a favorite recipe for gazpacho, we asked for something different.
Puchowitz offered his recipe for Chilled Avocado-Cucumber Soup With Jumbo Lump Crabmeat and Cherry Tomatoes.
Fred Kellermann, chef-owner of Elements Cafe, a BYOB in Haddon Heights where small-plate dishes are the specialty, and chef-partner at Lyons Den, the new Queen Village gastro-pub, contributed Sweet Corn Vichyssoise and Snap Pea Soup With Cucumber Salsa.
And Alex Capasso, chef-owner of Blackbird Dining Establishment in Collingswood, sent us directions for making his Chilled Melon Soup.
In their restaurants, all these chefs top their soups with garnishes - and some of those toppings require more time and energy than it takes to make the soup itself. So in the comfort of your own kitchen, feel free to use a simpler garnish - think parsley, chives, slivers of almonds, or nectarines.
And, as with any recipe, feel free to adapt these recipes to your dietary needs or tastes instead of rejecting them out of hand as too gut-busting or otherwise unappealing.
If whole milk, half-and-half or light cream are more caloric than your doctor prescribes, for example, experiment - perhaps vegetable broth or white wine will work.
"I like to have a chilled savory soup on the menu in summer," says Kellermann, who turned a Mobil two-star restaurant, Krazy Kat's in Wilmington, into a four-star gem.
