Summer Soups: Hold the Meat : Recipes: Real vegetable soups with no meat stock, just good summer flavor.

As summer diversions cut into your cooking time, consider soup. A soup can be served hot or cold, as a first course in a serious dinner or the focus of an informal meal, accompanied by sandwiches, cold cuts, salads or simply crusty bread and wedges of cheese.

Of course, soups are not just versatile--they’re easy to make and practical. Soups keep at least three days in the refrigerator; many freeze successfully. You can easily double or triple a recipe. Typically they are inexpensive, especially considering the varied role they play.

The following brightly flavored soups are thickened with either vegetables or fruit, making them substantial without being rich or the least bit heavy. The carrot soup is thick and sustaining, with Asian overtones; the apple and celery soup is subtle and rather mild. The corn and potato chowder is chunky, rather than a puree, but thick nonetheless.

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Canned vegetable broth is the liquid used here; it’s much better-tasting than vegetable bouillon cubes. Even better, you can make your own vegetable stock by cooking an array of vegetables (leeks, carrots, celery, onions, tomatoes, turnips, etc.--raid the vegetable bin) with parsley and peppercorns in water to cover for 1 1/2 hours. Strain the vegetables from the liquid (discard the vegetables) and hold back from adding any salt until the soup is finished.

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Subtle and mild, this is about as light and refreshing a chilled soup as you could serve on a hot night. It’s also great hot. Use oil instead of butter to saute the garlic, celery and onion if you normally avoid dairy products in your daily diet.

ESSENCE OF CELERY SOUP

1 tablespoon butter or oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 (1-pound) bunch celery with leaves, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 apples, peeled, cored and diced

2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans vegetable broth or about 1 3/4 cups homemade vegetable broth

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup loosely packed parsley leaves

Heat butter in 3-quart pot over medium-high heat. When hot, add garlic, celery and onion. Cook until onion is tender, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add apples, broth, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Bring to boil. Simmer, covered, until vegetables are very tender, about 25 minutes.

Strain solids from liquid, reserving broth. Puree solids with parsley in blender or food processor. Add 1 cup liquid and puree mixture until very smooth, about 1 minute. Stir mixture into remaining liquid. Makes 6 cups, about 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

80 calories; 475 mg sodium; 5 mg cholesterol; 2 grams fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 1 grams protein; 1.31 grams fiber.

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Corn chowder is usually creamy. But this cream-less version highlights the flavor of the corn.

CORN CHOWDER

1 tablespoon oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 sweet onion, such as Vidalia, diced

1 sweet green pepper, diced

4 green onions, sliced

1 russet potato, peeled and diced

2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans vegetable broth or about 1 3/4 cups homemade vegetable broth

3 cups corn, preferably freshly cut from 4 large ears

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Dash cayenne pepper

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

3 tablespoons minced cilantro

Heat oil in 3-quart pot over medium-high heat. When hot, add garlic, onion, green pepper and green onions. Cook until onions are tender, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add potato, broth, corn and cumin. Bring to boil. Simmer, covered, until potato is just tender, about 20 minutes. Add cayenne. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Just before serving, whether hot or cold, stir in thinly sliced green onions and minced cilantro. Makes 7 1/2 cups, about 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

100 calories; 22 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 19 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 1.04 grams fiber.

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You have to be a fan of fresh ginger to enjoy this soup. If you prefer a milder version, decrease the ginger or omit it altogether.

ASIAN CARROT SOUP

1/2 tablespoon sesame oil

10 large green onions, sliced

2/3 pound sweet potato, peeled and chopped

1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced

2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans vegetable broth or about 1 3/4 cups homemade vegetable broth

1 1/2 cups water

1 (1- to 1 1/2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled

Salt

Snipped fresh chives

Heat oil in 3-quart pot over medium-high heat. When hot, add green onions. Cook until tender, about 3 minutes, stirring often. Add sweet potato, carrots, vegetable broth and water. Bring to boil. Simmer, covered, until vegetables are very tender, about 25 minutes.

Strain solids from liquid, reserving broth. Puree solids with ginger in blender or food processor. Add 1 cup liquid, then puree mixture until very smooth, about 1 minute. Stir mixture into remaining liquid. Season to taste with salt. To serve, garnish with snipped chives. Makes 6 cups, about 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

122 calories; 95 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 2 grams fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 1.85 grams fiber.