There's Nothing Like Cold, Crappy Soup

I used to be really, really big into cooking. Now, I still like food, but the production of it has lost a lot of its mystery and joy. But since I like eating good food and don't have many options as a strict vegetarian, I want to get back into cooking more.

One of my favorite types of cuisine is Indian food. I love the complex interplay of spices and the techniques used to produce the food. So earlier this week, I decided to make a curried potato and chickpea soup. Wow...what a disappointment. It smells good, but it really tastes bland. How does that work? Usually, when you add curry to something, the flavor is just THWACK--I'm Curry!, you know? Even after a few days, it didn't happen here. So I think I need to keep my curry with thicker foods--foods with sauces or with lentils. I make a mean chana masala.

But I'm really interested in finding some fabulous soup recipes. I have my soup cookbooks, but I'd like to find a really big hit for the next time. Can anyone recommend a truly amazing soup recipe?