Chilled Peach Soup

I adapted this recipe from Dining ‘Neath the Pine, a cookbook published by the John Fox, Jr. House and Museum and the Blue Fox Guild. John Fox, Jr. was a Kentucky-born literary celebrity at the turn of the nineteenth century whose novels The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come and The Trail of the Lonesome Pine were among the first to sell a million copies in the U.S. Fox lived and wrote some of his most noteworthy works in my hometown (Big Stone Gap, Virginia) and though he has been embraced posthumously as a town celebrity, during most of his lifetime Fox was openly disdainful of the region, propagating if not inventing some of the most persistent pejorative stereotypes concerning Appalachia. My feelings about Fox and his work aside, however, Dining ‘Neath the Pine is a wonderful cookbook. My mom’s a member of the Blue Fox guild, so in order to escape a thorough cobbing, I should probably also add that the John Fox, Jr. House and Museum also does a great deal to foster local pride and civic spirit.


Anyway, this soup is downright amazing. It was my favorite dish of the peach-themed evening. In order to make it vegan-friendly, I just had to substitute a good soy yogurt for the sour cream called for in the original recipe. Be warned, however: not all soy yogurts are vegan and not all soy yogurts taste good. At all. So do some research and be selective. However, if you’re a veg or have soy allergies, you may substitute traditional yogurt, Greek yogurt, or sour cream—each brings a unique flavor and provides a different texture.


6 cups peeled and diced peaches (or two 14 ounce cans sliced peaches, drained)
2 tablespoons Triple Sec
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons almond extract
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup sugar
2 cups soy yogurt

In a blender, combine peaches, Triple Sec, lemon juice, almond extract, salt, and sugar. Blend on high until smooth.

Add soy yogurt and puree on low until well blended. Remove from blender, place in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate. Allow to chill completely (about 3 hours) before serving.

For added texture, you may wish to garnish each cup with a teaspoon of finely chopped peaches and a sprig of mint.

(Yields: 8-10 servings; Ready In: 15 minutes (not including chill time))