Cold Soup Season

The recent news that Gold’s is trying to make its old-school jars of borscht cool again got me thinking about my fierce love for cold soups. When the heat and humidity rise in the summer, there’s nothing I'd rather eat. And although I do not include jarred borscht among my loves, having been terrified by the sight of it on my parents’ pantry shelves as a child, fresh borscht varieties, like the luscious, kiefer-based Lithuanian saltibarsciai are a major summer favorite.

A recent survey of Park Slope’s restaurant scene did not turn up any evidence that the cold borscht revival has set in yet, but there were a few other, more easily loveable chilled soups to choose from.

Here are a few that stood out:

Gazpacho at Perch

As one of its warm weather specials, (Fifth Avenue near Fifth Street) offers a gazpacho that it claims to be from Ernest Hemingway’s own recipe. Vibrant and robust, with a base of freshly crushed tomatoes and tomato puree touched with a little vinegar, the soup is also unusually chunky for gazpacho, with big fat slices of cucumber, red and green pepper, tomato, and scallions bobbing in the crimson tide. Just $6 will get you a huge bowl of it, plus some nice toast for dunking.

Vichyssoise at Belleville

Just across the street, classic vichyssoise ($8) is a decadent, creamy dream. Dotted with chives and tiny croutons, this milky-white potato and leek puree makes for a perfect little dinner, accompanied by a basket of warm bread and a glass of prosecco. According to a 1950 New Yorker Talk of the Town piece, Vichyssoise did not originate in France—it was invented in the summer of 1917 by Louis Diat, head chef of the Ritz Carlton hotel in New York.

Gazpacho at Cubana Cafe

The gazpacho at on Sixth Avenue near Flatbush is a classic 1970s garden party affair, herb-drizzled and heavy on the Worcestershire sauce, with a tangle of julienned cucumber floating in the middle. Try it with one of Cubana’s excellent $6 cocktails.

Avocado-Jalepeno Soup at Naidre's

on Seventh Avenue near 12th Street, is offering two chilled soups for the season. Along with gazpacho, there’s an intriguing avocado-jalapeno soup. Thick and creamy, zinged with the chilies and perhaps a little lime, it’s a lot like eating a bowl of guacamole—not a bad thing at all, though you might want to eat it by the cup ($3.95) rather than the bowl ($5.50). I ordered a jalapeno-cheddar biscuit on the side, a perfect match for lunch.

Zucchini Soup from Union Market

For home eating, offers a chilled zucchini soup. With a base of chicken stock and yogurt, livened with summery hints of basil and mint, this soup is light and refreshing, though (since you're at home, and you can) you may want to add a little more yogurt or crème fraiche to give it a little more body.