SOUP can be served immediately, or you can cover and chill it so the flavours blend.

For a colder soup, replace some liquid with crushed ice, or top each soup with a little crushed ice just before serving.

COLD soups should be more heavily seasoned than hot, because the cold temperatures muffle the spice taste.

THE longer the soup sits in the refrigerator, the spicier it will taste. Four to 12 hours is optimum chilling time.

YOU can use a food processor or blender, an immersion blender, or just a chef's knife (if you have the time and patience).

YOUR food processor can determine how thick or thin the soup is. Use the pulse or chop option for a thicker soup, and don't process as long. For a thinner soup, liquefy and process longer.

IF you can find ripe, fresh produce, that's wonderful. But canned ingredients will work well too. Buy the best quality you can afford.

IF you use canned ingredients, keep the cans in the fridge and serve the soup as soon as it's made.

HAVE fun substituting ingredients. Use yellow tomatoes instead of red, use shallots instead of onions or garlic, and experiment with different stocks.

ALWAYS chill the serving bowl and each soup bowl.