A cooling summer lunch dish or a dinner starter, this ultra creamy fruit soup is a welcome hot-weather treat. Though it's thick and appears quite solid, the soup is actually feather light and rests softly on the tongue. For this recipe I used unsweetened soy yogurt, but you can substitute with a flavored yogurt of your choice. I found that when summer fruits are fully ripened, there is usually no need for sweetening. If you substitute with other fruits that have forgotten to be sweet, you may have to give the soup a little sweet nudge.

Yield: 5 cups (1.25 liters) or 4 to 5 servings

1 1/2 cups (360 ml) plain, unsweetened soy yogurt
2 ripe mangos, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 ripe peaches, coarsely chopped
1 ripe nectarine, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice
1/4 teaspoon raspberry, or strawberry extract

2 to 3 tablespoons coarsely ground walnuts, pecans, or macadamias
12 to 20 black or red seedless grapes

1. Combine the yogurt, mangos, peaches, nectarine, lemon juice, and raspberry extract in the blender and start the machine on low speed. When the machine starts to puree the ingredients, switch to high speed and blend until smooth. Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve chilled.
2. To serve, spoon the soup into serving bowls and garnish each bowl with a light sprinkle of ground nuts in the center. Artfully place 3 to 5 grapes in the center or randomly over the top and serve.

Note:
After processing, taste the soup for sweetness. If you desire a sweeter soup, add a few dates and process to thoroughly incorporate them. The dates will darken the golden color. Alternatively, you can add agave nectar or maple syrup, starting with 1 or 2 teaspoons, until you achieve the desired sweetness.