No stove required: Refreshing cold peach soup just right on a hot day

OK, so soup probably isn’t at the top of your dinner menu when temperatures are pushing past 90 degrees. I get it.

But hear me out.

What if I told you there’s a soup that’s cool, refreshing and doesn’t require you to fire up the stove? One that’s creamy, sweet and just tangy enough to keep things interesting — with ripe summer peaches as the star of the show?

Now we’re talking.

This chilled peach soup with goat cheese might be the most summery soup you’ll ever make.

And while it’s simple, it does require a bit of patience. The soup mixture needs an overnight stay in the fridge to marinate and let the flavors meld. Trust me, it’s worth the wait.

That time in the fridge softens firm peaches and enhances the overall flavor. Once it’s properly chilled and blended, you’ll be rewarded with a velvety, peachy bowl of goodness that tastes like sunshine.

The recipe calls for ¼ cup of white balsamic vinegar, but that might be a bit too sharp for some. I recommend starting with ⅛ cup, then adding more to taste after blending.

To finish, garnish with leftover bits of cucumber and yellow bell pepper, a sprinkle of goat cheese, fresh basil, and croutons. Homemade croutons are great — just remember they involve turning on the oven, which you may want to avoid on a sweltering day.

So yes, it’s hot outside. But this soup is cool in every sense of the word — summer in a bowl, no sweat required.

• M. Eileen Brown is a longtime suburban Chicago journalist and media executive, and an incurable soup-a-holic.

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Cold Peach Soup

3 cups sliced peeled peaches (about 4 peaches)

¼ cup finely diced peeled seedless cucumber (plus thin slices for garnish)

¼ cup finely diced yellow bell pepper (plus thin slices for garnish)

¼ cup diced dried apricots

2 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons crumbled fresh goat cheese (plus more for garnish)

¼ cup white balsamic vinegar (plus more for seasoning)

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for drizzling)

Kosher salt

Bread croutons (for garnish)

Basil leaves (for garnish)

Freshly ground black pepper

In a bowl, toss the peaches, diced cucumber, yellow pepper and apricots. Add the honey, 3 tablespoons of goat cheese, ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Stir in 1½ teaspoons of salt. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Transfer the contents of the bowl to a blender and puree. Add ¼ cup of water and puree until smooth and creamy; add more water if the soup seems too thick. Season with salt and vinegar as desired. Refrigerate the soup until very cold.

Garnish each serving with sliced cucumber, sliced bell pepper, goat cheese, croutons and basil. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, season with black pepper and serve.

Makes 4 small portions.

— Adapted from a recipe from foodandwine.com.