Soups that are super for summer

Forget warming winter broths, tuck into ...

High summer — and, to be honest, i’m a bit barbecued out. So it’s time for something a little lighter, and the answer is soup. Traditionally seen as a winter dish, soup is, in fact, the perfect summer dish — easy to prepare, light, packed with veg, and generally low on the calorie front, too. And — if you pick the right one — it’s just as good chilled as hot.

Soup sales are soaring at M&S, where they have a new collection of four summer soups, and they’re reporting a massive 15 per cent increase compared to last summer.

Matt Dawson, their soup product developer, says: ‘Soup’s usually seen as a warming food for the autumn and winter months, but it can also be great in summer if the right seasonal ingredients are used. For example, peas can make a really delicious and refreshing soup which can work served hot or cold.’

if you’re keen to pack more veg and nutrients into your diet, soup’s perfect for that — and a new wave of soups are stuffed with everything from spirulina to kale and beetroot. here are some of the most delicious and refreshing soups best enjoyed now...

Rod and Ben’s Beetroot, Spinach & Kale Soup

£2.99 for 600g, Ocado MADe in Devon with organic beetroot, onions, broccoli, spinach, kale and salt and pepper, this new soup could hardly be healthier. Sweet and earthy but light and also low in calories and fat.

Pea & Mint Soup

£2 for 600g, M&S This is a lovely summery and light soup, made with Lincolnshire peas, english fennel and mint. Just as good served chilled as warm — add a swirl of good olive oil and torn up basil leaves for indulgent feel.

Tideford Organics Watercress Soup with Spirulina, Lemon & Cracked Black Pepper

£2.89 for 600g, Ocado if So-called ‘superfoods’ are your thing, then this one is packed with them: organic British watercress and spirulina will give you a boost of vitamins and minerals. Serve it hot or chilled, it’s gluten, wheat and dairy-free.

Gazpacho Shots

£2.49 for 6 x 50g, Waitrose Gazpacho is the quintessential summer soup, but you’d never have thought of taking it on a picnic — until now. These new ‘shots’ of the chilled Spanish soup are full of chopped tomatoes, fresh garlic, red pepper and cucumber, and are cool, light and refreshing.

Specially Selected Sri Lankan Chicken Soup

£1.39 for 600g, Aldi even in summer we’re never far from a rainy day, so sometimes you do need something with a little warmth, and this spicy soup is enriched with coconut cream and tomatoes.

Chicken & Tarragon Soup

£2.50 for 600g, M&S chicken and tarragon are a perfect together, and this is made with British chicken, roast chicken stock and english tarragon. Delicious!

Soupologie Spirulina Greens

£2.99 for 600g, Ocado Filled with health-giving brassicas such as broccoli, kale and cabbage, this soup also has spirulina and chlorophyll, and contains two of your five a day in every serving.