Chill out with these tasty, cold summer soups

Time: 10 minutes, plus time to chill

This lovely, celadon-colored soup is about as simple as it gets; the subtle, rich flavors of avocado and milk benefit from a hit of acidity, so I add orange or lime juice at the end, but that’s about it. You can, however, dress it up for company in a hurry: A couple of brightly colored cherry tomatoes tossed with oil, salt, and pepper and nestled in the middle of the soup are handsome additions. Even a few cilantro leaves arranged in the middle of the bowl would take this soup from everyday to elegant.

1. Put the chopped avocado in a blender. Add half the milk, a large pinch of salt, and a small pinch of cayenne, and process to a purée. Beat in the remaining milk, then chill for up to 6 hours if you have time (press a piece of plastic wrap to the surface of the soup so it doesn’t discolor).

2. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, add the citrus juice if you’re using it, and serve — in chilled bowls if you want to be precise.

TIME: 20 minutes
-Add more rum and turn this into a cocktail
-Add feta and make it savory

See variations below.

1. Put the sugar in a small pot with 1/2 cup water over medium-high heat. When the sugar dissolves add the rosemary stems, bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and steep for about 10 minutes. Discard the stems and let the mint syrup cool to room temperature.

2. Cut enough of the watermelon into 1/2-inch cubes to measure 2 cups and set aside. Put the remaining watermelon in a blender; add the lemon juice, the rum if you’re using it, and the mint syrup. Purée until liquefied, adding a little water if needed to keep the machine running. Set a fine-meshed sieve over a large bowl; strain the watermelon purée, pressing on the pulp to squeeze as much juice out as you can.

3. Divide the watermelon soup among 4 bowls, add the watermelon cubes and zest.

Peach Soup with Lime and Chile: Substitute a couple dried or one fresh hot chile for the rosemary and use peaches instead of watermelon.

Sparkling Wine with Berries: Omit the rum and use lemon juice and zest. Substitute 3 cups mixed berries (whole or sliced as necessary) for the watermelon and add 3 1/2 cups sparkling white wine; increase the sugar syrup to 1 cup. Skip Step 2. Proceed with the recipe. Pour the mint syrup over the fruit in the bowls, then pour on the sparkling wine.

Time: 15 minutes, plus time to chill

Since having this soup in England, where rhubarb is much more popular than in the United States, I can’t help making it at the first sight of rhubarb in the market.

1. Zest the orange and mince the zest; juice the orange. String the rhubarb, then cut it into roughly 2-inch lengths.

2. Combine the rhubarb, sugar, 1 quart water, the orange juice, and half the zest in a saucepan and bring to a boil. (Wrap and refrigerate the remaining zest.) Turn the heat down to medium and cook until the rhubarb begins to fall apart, 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Chill (if you’re in a hurry, pour the mixture into a large bowl and set that bowl in an even larger bowl filled with ice water). When cool, whisk briefly to break up the rhubarb, adding the reserved zest at the same time. Serve cold, garnished with whipped cream if you like.