Chill with summer soups featuring seasonal veggies

If the warm, sticky weather makes you feel too hot to cook or even eat, revive yourself with a refreshing bowl of cold soup made with the ripe, sun-kissed bounties of summer: vegetables, fruits, legumes and herbs. Chilled soups also offer a nutrition-packed start or finish to any meal. Just add some crusty artisan bread and fresh salad greens.

For simple, low-cost ways to keep cool this summer, get a copy of Hawaiian Electric’s free energy-saving guide, "Cool Tips for Home and Work," available at heco.com and all eight City Mill stores on Oahu starting July 1.

FASSOULADA (GREEK BEAN SOUP)

1 pound dried white beans, soaked overnight
1 large yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 stalks celery, strings removed and sliced
3 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped or 1 (15-ounce) can peeled tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/3 cup olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 handful fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Drain beans and place in large saucepan. Cover with cold water and bring to boil, skimming off any froth. Add all other ingredients except salt and pepper.

Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 90 minutes or until tender. Season with salt and pepper. Chill before serving. Serves 8.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (not including salt to taste): 300 calories, 9 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, no cholesterol, 85 mg sodium, 43 g carbohydrate, 11 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 15 g protein

CREAMY BORSCHT (BEET SOUP)

2 (14.5 ounce) cans sliced beets, undrained
2 tablespoons butter
3 medium onions, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 medium potato, peeled and chopped (about 1 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Sour cream

Drain liquid from beets and reserve 1 cup beet juice.

In large saucepan over medium heat, heat butter. Add onions and cook until tender. Add potato and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add beets and broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 15 minutes, until potato is tender; cool slightly. Stir in reserved beet juice, dill and pepper.

Place half of mixture into blender. Cover and blend until smooth. Pour into a medium bowl.

Repeat the blending process with the remaining mixture. Serve hot or cold with sour cream. Serves 8.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (not including sour cream): 80 calories, 3 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 400 mg sodium, 13 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 7 g sugar, 2 g protein

GAZPACHO (TOMATO-BASED SOUP)

1 cucumber, unpeeled, halved and seeded
2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
4 plum tomatoes
1 red onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups tomato juice
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

In food processor, pulse each vegetable separately until each is coarsely chopped. Do not over process.

Combine in bowl and add garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well and chill. The longer gazpacho marinates, the more the flavors develop. Serves 10.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 90 calories, 6 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, no cholesterol, 500 mg sodium, 10 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 2 g protein

More Hawaiian Electric Co. recipes are available at www.heco.com.