Words right out of my mouth!!
I was looking over my notes on luncheons, preparing for one coming up in October....and a year ago I served a gazpacho with a curried chicken salad and a wedge of watermelon on the plate, with assorted rolls and corn muffins, with bread pudding with caramel sauce for dessert.

Cold Corn soup would be my choice to complement the curry flavor.

Thanks for the great ideas.

A cold fruit soup. I love seeing these served in lovely, stemmed crystal set on a doily on a small plate. So festive.

A gingered carrot soup. I've served that with a curried chicken salad. Was yum!

If you were thinking hot rather than chilled, I think something that's savory to counter the sweet curry chicken salad, and from a different category. I don't think asparagus would be a good match, but thinking about roasted tomato seems good to me.

Curried chicken salad doesn't have to be sweet. The one I make is because it has pineapple and craisins, but I have had curried chicken salad with celery, scallions and artichoke hearts.
But that's why I liked the gazpacho with my curried chicken salad....sweet and savory.

I would like gazpacho with curried chicken salad because the salad is creamy (whether sweet or savory) and I wouldn't want a cream based soup with it. Also, it's a nice color contrast; wouldn't want something close in color to the salad.

I've had this soup recipe saved on Pinterest and it would be beautiful and delicious with the curry:

Roasted Beet Soup with Ginger and Coconut

Serves: 4

500g beetroot, scrubbed

2 tbsp olive oil

2 essential Waitrose leeks, finely sliced

2 essential Waitrose celery stalks, finely sliced

30g fresh root ginger, cut into matchsticks

1 litre fresh vegetable stock

1 tbsp lemon juice

4 tbsp coconut milk yogurt (or use coconut cream), plus extra to serve

small handful dill leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 200oC, gas mark 6. Top and tail the beetroot and cut into bite-sized chunks (there’s no need to peel them). Toss with 1 tbsp oil, season, and roast for 30 minutes, tossing halfway.

2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Sauté the leeks, celery and ginger for 10-15 minutes, until softened and starting to caramelize. Stir in the cooked beetroot, then the stock and bring to the boil. Season, simmer for 5 minutes, then take off the heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes.

3. Transfer to a blender with the lemon juice, coconut milk yogurt and most of the dill. Whizz (in batches, if necessary) until smooth, adding more seasoning and lemon juice as required, and a little water to loosen, if needed. Serve in bowls with a spoonful more yogurt and a scattering of dill.

I know what leeks and celery are, but what does "essential Waitrose" mean?

I am sure it was developed by a store and that is their brand of fresh vegetables.
It does sound good....but amazingly easily half of my friends and family hate hate HATE beets....I don't understand why as they seem pretty bland to me.

Waitrose is a British grocery store chain. This recipe was developed by them so they add the items from their store into the ingredients list:-)

Lindac,

Add me to the red beet hating society:-) I think you have canned beets on salad bars to blame for most people's aversion to beets. That is my reason. Canned beets takes like a waxy pipe to me. A very metallic after taste. I can tolerate Watermelon beets and golden beets though.

I used to hate beets, too, but once people started roasting them (as for that soup) I became a fan.

Another thought would be a summer minestrone, since all the veggies are so fresh right now; kind of a salad in a bowl:

That's interesting, Linda. I've heard of beet hatred before but also don't understand it since most people like sweet. I know the main reason I hate Brussels sprouts is the sulphur, which I can't choke down if it's too present in vitamins either.

Olychick, that's a very interesting take on beet soup!

Cream of Mushroom? Or a White Gazpacho?

Posted by Colin4May (My Page) on Wed, Jul 20, 11 at 4:13
It's my first time here.. but I do like soups. Ever since I first tasted Compbell's
condensed mushroom soup in the 1960s, that's been my favourite.
I've tried my own recipes, with some degrees of success, but have to say that
I came across this one which I have tried and tasted fab!

Cream of Mushroom Soup

1/2 oz. (15g) dried porcini
2 1/2 cups (700ml) vegetable stock
1 oz. (25g) butter
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 T. (60ml) finely chopped parsley
14 oz. (400g) chestnut mushrooms, roughly chopped
1/2 c. (150 ml) dry white wine
3 T. (45 ml) double cream
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Soak dried mushrooms in 1 c. (300ml) stock for 20 mins.
Strain mushrooms and coarsely chop. Add soaking liquid to remaining stock.
Place butter, garlic and parsley in bowl. Microwave on high 1 min.
Add both mushrooms to parsley mixture. Cover, microwave on high 5 mins.or until softened; stir halfway.
Add wine and stock. Cover, microwave on med. 15 mins. stirring halfway. Allow to cool slightly.
Place in liquidiser (blender or use stick blender) and puree until smooth.
Return puree to the bowl. Stir in cream and season to taste.
Heat on med. microwave 3 mins. or until piping hot.

Also seasonal would be Pappa Al Pomodoro.

Cold cucumber soup.