Here's a great idea for something surprising and unusual to serve during Father's Day weekend. For a festive presentation, swirl hot fudge sauce across the surface of this chilled soup. Sometimes I use it as the first course to launch a meal, but it's equally delightful as a dessert.

Purée all the soup ingredients, except the garnish, in a blender until smooth. Taste and adjust the sweetening.

Refrigerate in a covered container until chilled, at least 3 hours, before serving.

Garnish the servings with mint sprigs.

Paulette Mitchell, a culinary instructor, television personality, spokesperson, freelance food writer, and the award-winning author of 13 cookbooks, is known internationally for her quick-to-prepare recipes with gourmet flair. Paulette's most recently published cookbook is "The Complete 15-Minute Gourmet: Creative Cuisine Made Fast and Fresh." She is also the author of "A Beautiful Bowl of Soup" and "The Spirited Vegetarian," which was voted "Best Book in the World on Cooking with Wine" at the 2005 Gourmand World Media Awards. Paulette says that international travel is her favorite source of culinary inspiration.