Chilled Raspberry Soup (Vichyssoie)

2 pints fresh raspberries, gently washed

2 cups sour cream

1 cup whole milk

1 cup ginger ale

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoons triple sec

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

In a blender or food processor, puree the raspberries until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve over a nonreactive bowl, pushing through as much of the pulp as you can, leaving the seeds behind. Whisk the remaining ingredients into the puree. Cover and refrigerate until cold.

6 servings.

Variation: for chilled blueberry soup, substitute blueberries for the raspberries and the same quantity of Champagne for the triple sec.....Chilled apple soup, chilled avocado soup, chilled cantaloupe soup, chilled watermelon, chilled mango soup, chilled peach soup. These cold soups will cool you down on a hot summer day or make a delicious and elegant starter course.