The 10 Best summer soups

For a simple supper, give salad a swerve and sit down to an even more refreshing meal in a bowl...

1. Duchy Originals Sweet Pea with Mint

£2.99, waitrose.com

A classic summer soup done remarkably well. It's graceful, fresh and as pea-y as you'd expect. Benefits from a dash of pepper.

2. Yorkshire Provender Asparagus

£2.39, yorkshireprovender.co.uk

A lovely summer-has-arrived asparagus flavour backed up with hints of peas, spinach and celery.

3. Rod and Ben's Thai Vegetable

£2.99, rodandbens.com

A hearty winter vegetable soup, slimmed down and given an Asian makeover. A fine, slightly spiced offering.

4. Yorkshire Provender Beetroot, Parsnip, Horseradish and Ginger

£2.39, yorkshireprovender.co.uk

A symphonic combination; full-bodied, almost crunchy.

5. Heston from Waitrose Tomato Gazpacho

£3.49, waitrose.com

Airy and light, slightly on the sweeter side of things, it benefits from a glug of olive oil and pepper, but it's still a good soup.

6. Brindisa Gazpacho

£3.50, wholefoodsmarket.com

Rich tomatoes, refreshing cucumbers and a zing from the sherry vinegar. It also benefits from having no bread in the mix, so is nice and dainty.

7. New Covent Garden British Parsnip, Apple & Elderflower

£2.39, newcoventgardensoup.com

Pretty interesting, if a little on the sweet side. Quite floral and the apples give an unusual edge.

8. Tideford Carrot and Coriander

£2.89, tidefordorganics.com

You can serve this warm if the sun has deserted you, but it's best just out of the fridge. Nothing exotic, but good.

9. Glorious Thai Carrot and Lemongrass

£1.99, gloriousfoods.co.uk

Lightly spiced, pleasingly thin, and with a fresh flavour which makes it ideal as a summer lunchtime treat.

10. Daylesford Organic Tomato, Cucumber and Fennel

£3.95, daylesfordorganic.com

Cucumber chunks and a wink of fennel, a cracking chilled soup, but you pay for that high quality.