Who says soup is only for winter? These light and easy recipes prove that you can have your soup and eat it – all summer long.

1. Cucumber gazpacho with black olives

Blend 5 trimmed and diced English cucumbers in a food processor with water and half a cup of vinegar until smooth and thin enough to pour. Season to taste, then add juice of one lemon, a bunch of chopped mint and 10 ice cubes. Chill for three hours before serving. Serve topped with pitted olives and sprigs of mint.

2. Chilled fennel-and-potato soup with grilled salmon trout and dill pesto

Soften 1 large fennel bulb in heated oil. Stir in 500g peeled and cubed potatoes and cook gently for 5 minutes. Pour in 1 litre veg stock and simmer until pototoes are soft, about 15 minutes. Season to taste, then blend until smooth (add more stock if it’s too thick). Cool and chill. Before serving, cut 200g fresh salmon trout (with skin) into 4 pieces. Oil and season. Thread a soaked bamboo skewer through the flesh side of each piece of fish. Slide under a hot grill, skin side up, until the skin crisps. Remove – the fish will be cooked through. Slip a piece of fish into each bowl of cold soup and serve with a dab of pesto.

3. Iced beetroot soup

Finely chop 3 shallots, 2 celery stalks and 500g cooked and peeled beetroot. Mix with 2 cloves crushed garlic, 30ml red wine vinegar and 30ml olive oil. Cover and marinate for 2 hours or overnight. Whizz to a smooth puree in a blender. Add 315ml veg stock, sea salt and pepper and blend again. Chill until serving time. Pour into 6 or 8 small, chilled glasses. Stir 15ml horseradish cream into 125ml Greek yoghurt. Dollop on top of each glass of soup. Grind over some pepper and spear each dollop with a chive. (Recipe from Lighten Up by Jill Duplex.)

Photos by Diane Heierli, Malcolm Dare, Petrina Tinslay

Woolies new range of summer soup flavours makes getting your soup fix quick, easy – and tasty. Find the new flavours here.