Most people think of a nice bowl of soup as a way to take the chill off. But in the heat of summer, soup can work equally well to put a much needed chill on.

Along with providing relief from the heat, summer soups also offer refreshment — and an out-of-the-ordinary take on the season's fresh fruits and vegetables.

When preparing chilled fruit soups, such as Simple Blueberry Soup and Chilled Red Plum Soup, cooking the fruit before puréeing it allows flavors to concentrate and blend.

The vegetables in Chilled Carrot Soup also are cooked before they are puréed and cooled. Potatoes add substance, leeks add oniony flavor and a sprinkling of ground ginger adds zip to the finish.

For an exotic blend of sweet and savory fruits and vegetables, try Chilled Tomato, Peach and Ginger Soup.

Gazpacho is a classic summer soup that requires chopping and chilling, but no cooking. Cucumber Gazpacho combines raw, fresh-from-the-garden green vegetables with fresh herbs. The resulting coarse but crunchy texture makes a lovely first course or a light lunch in a bowl.