7 refreshing cold soups to enjoy this summer

Ah, summer—from days spent poolside to outdoor cookouts to lazy beach days, it’s all fun and games until the temperature starts to climb. After all, the heat can be a little overbearing. But luckily, summer is also the season for cold soups: delectable dishes that are chock-full of nutrients, chilled beforehand and served cool, or at room temperature. After all, steaming bowls of soup during the hottest months of the year aren’t refreshing for most.

According to Harvard Medical School, soups are healthiest when they’re homemade. Making your own soup also allows you to freeze it and save it for later, making meal prep a breeze. And, if you go the homemade route, you can go the extra mile by keeping your soups salt-free. Canned soups are often loaded with sodium and don’t have a whole lot of nutritional value. After all, decreasing your sodium intake can help lower blood pressure and even improve heart health.

So instead of giving in to the heat or the canned soup aisle, try one of these seven chilled soup recipes that harness all the mouth-watering flavors of summer, like ripe tomatoes from the garden, freshly picked basil and crisp cucumbers.