5 Fresh & Delicious Soups To Make for Spring

The weather is finally beginning to warm up, and many people are eager to get outside again. One way to enjoy the outdoors more is by using the power of nature in your cooking with spring-themed dishes.
Spring is the perfect time for bright, fresh flavors. Many people enjoy cooking and serving light spring soups full of beautiful colors and are very healthy. Light soups are also a great way to serve more guests during the warm season. This article will look at some recipes for amazing soups that include seasonal ingredients.

Spinach and Artichoke Soup

This is a great recipe for serving at a spring luncheon or around the dinner table with friends. The ingredients include fresh spinach, cream cheese, artichokes, and more. The next time you head to the grocery store, keep this recipe in mind and pick up the necessary items on your list.

Ingredients

• Cream cheese – 4 oz.
• Celery – 1 stalk
• Garlic – 1 clove, minced
• Vegetable broth – 2 cups
• Parmesan cheese – ¼ cup, freshly grated

Sour cream – ¼ cup, low-fat or fat-free, *optional* *You can also use plain yogurt.* *If you want to include more veggies, please feel free to add your vegetables. For example, you could add yellow squash or zucchini. Please remember that you should use the same amount as the other vegetables listed.

*Spinach – 2 cups, fresh spinach

Artichoke hearts – 6 pieces, canned, sliced into quarters *If you choose to use a different artichoke heart, please make sure you know the preparation, which usually consists of boiling water for thirty minutes. This can be done ahead of time and saved for later. Therefore, to prepare the artichoke hearts, you will only need to slice them into quarters*

**Optional** Freshly grated Parmesan cheese – for garnish

Directions:
In a large saucepan over medium heat, add spinach and cook until wilted—Transfer spinach mixture to a blender or food processor and puree.
Add cream cheese, artichokes, garlic, salt, and puree until smooth.
Over medium-low heat, add vegetable broth and chopped celery in a medium pot.
Add vegetable puree and heat until heated through.
Pour into a large bowl, garnish with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Cucumber Soup with Yogurt Dill Sauce

This light yet flavorful soup will give you the refreshing taste of summer in late spring or early summer months. This recipe is also very healthy because it includes only fresh ingredients such as yogurt, cucumbers, and dill.

Ingredients:

Yogurt Dill Sauce Ingredients: Yogurt – 1 cup *You can use fat-free yogurt, plain or lemon-flavored.* *If you are a vegan, then you can substitute the yogurt for “Tofutti Sour Supreme.” This product is available in most grocery stores. It tastes very similar to regular yogurt. Please be aware that the Tofutti sour product is not fat-free.* *For lactose-intolerant people, you can use the substitute of ¾ cup fat-free plain yogurt* Dill – 2 tablespoons ¼ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground (optional) Cucumber – 1

Directions:

In a large bowl, add all the sauce ingredients and whisk well. Place Cucumber in a blender with ¼ cup water and puree until smooth. Pour this mixture into a large bowl and whisk in yogurt and black pepper (if desired). Place cucumber puree in refrigerate for at least 1 hour. To serve, crack an egg on top of the cucumber soup for an instant egg sandwich!

Green Goddess Soup

This recipe includes herbs, lemon juice, spinach, and light cream cheese. It is perfect for spring or summer dinner parties or luncheons.

• Ingredients
• Lemon juice – 3 tablespoons
• Spinach – 1 cup cooked, chopped, fresh or frozen, thawed and drained well
• Light cream cheese – ½ cup, room temperature

Herbs are finely chopped mild ones such as chives or dill, but some of your favorite herbs will work. (garnish) *You can also use fresh scallions. (garnish)

Directions:

Add spinach, cream cheese, and lemon juice to a medium pot. Over medium heat, melt the cream cheese until it starts to bubble. Add in the spinach and let it simmer for 3 minutes. Stirring evenly with a wooden spoon will help your dish not burn. Remove pan from heat and remove lid leaving just an inch of headspace. Pour into a serving bowl or individual bowls (there will be some liquid left in the pan). Garnish with herbs.

Parsley Flower Soup

This soup has different flavors and is perfect for summer. This recipe is also very easy to make as it doesn’t require much time and uses pre-made ingredients. It is also a very healthy recipe made with fresh ingredients.

• Ingredients:
• Cornstarch – 2 tsp. Cornstarch mixed well with 1 tbsp. cold water
• Water – 1 ½ cups, boiling
• Vegetable Broth – 6 cups *Any brand will work, but one that contains no salt or sugar should be used.* *This can be substituted for low-sodium chicken broth if you prefer.* *Vegetable bouillon cubes are also another option for this recipe. Wondra flour can be used in place of cornstarch if you are gluten-free.
• Fresh Parsley stems – 2 cups, chopped.
• Lemon juice – 1 tablespoon, freshly squeezed and strained

Directions:

In a large pot (large enough to fit all of the ingredients), add parsley and water and bring to a boil. Add the vegetable bouillon cube, hot water, and cornstarch mixture for the veggie broth. When the mixture is boiling, add the veggie broth mixture and reduce heat to low. When the soup is just beginning to bubble, add lemon juice. Add vegetables and cook for another 5 minutes.

Beef and Veggie Stew

The beef and vegetable stew is a delicious soup with a big flavor that you will love. This recipe is also very healthy as it has only fresh ingredients such as carrots, onions, potatoes, celery, and garlic. You can make the soup meatless by leaving out the meat or adding some cooked chicken breast pieces to the soup if you’d like. This stew would also be great for people who don’t eat beef.

Ingredients:

• Beef stock – 1 ½ cups *You can use any brand. The best is to buy the beef stock in a carton or can. This will keep the stock from drying out, and it will be very flavorful.* *If you want to add some fresh meat to the soup, use 1 cup of canned or cooked meat such as chicken breast pieces or ground turkey. You can also use ¾ cup of cooked ground beef or three oz. of cooked chicken breast.* *For a vegan version, you can use vegetable stock or vegetable bouillon cubes.* Vegetable oil – 1 tablespoon
• Carrots – 2 large carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces.
• Onions – 4 yellow onions, quartered *These do not have to be peeled. Just rinse them well.* *If you don’t like the taste of yellow onions, then use white onions. After you remove the outer skin from the onions, you will find a layer of skin, but it should be fine to add them to your soup.*
• Garlic cloves – 3 *4 cloves, unpeeled and lightly crushed into 3-inch pieces* *You can use fresh garlic cloves. Just make sure that they are not too dry. If they are, you will not get enough flavor from them.* *Fresh garlic is also great for this recipe. Just chop the garlic and add it to the soup when you saute the onions. Then after the soup simmers for 20 minutes, remove the garlic from the soup.*
• Russet potatoes – 6 *Choose some small potatoes with firm flesh and no dark spots. If you want, you can also use sweet potatoes (yams) in place of russets.* *Make sure that the potatoes are not too large or your soup will be too thick. Also, make sure that they are cut into bite-sized pieces. For example, you can cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes.*
• Celery – 2 stalks or small celery sticks, cut into 1-inch pieces.
• Carrot greens – a handful or four stalks of fresh, green carrots (usually sold in bunches with the stems removed) *This step is optional. It is best to do this step if you want more nutrients in the soup. The carrot greens will also add more flavor to the soup. It is also a great way to use something that may otherwise go to waste.* *After you cut off the tops of the carrots, you will see the greens underneath. These are the carrot tops.* *Save these and wash them gently in cool water. You may want to lightly scrub them with a vegetable brush or your hands if they seem dirty. Then remove any debris or hard stems and chop them into small pieces. You can also remove any hard, dark green parts.* *You can use these chopped pieces in soups, stir-fries, or salads. You can also use them to wrap meatballs so that the flavor of the greens is allowed to seep into the meat when you cook it.*
• Potatoes – 3 medium-sized potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces. You can also use 12 small potatoes such as fingerlings if you like. *Use another variety of potato other than russet if you like. This can be done with sweet potatoes, red potatoes, or even Yukon gold. Do not peel the potatoes or any other type of potato. Just wash them well, chop into small squares or cubes and add them to your soup.*
• Water – 1 ½ cups *You can use either hot or cold water but keep in mind that the temperature in the soup will be different based on your choice (hot water will make it hotter while cold water will make it colder).*

Directions:

In a large pot (large enough to fit all ingredients), add water and one tablespoon of oil. Bring to a boil. After it comes to a boil, lower the heat and keep it at a simmer for 20 minutes. For adding vegetables, first, you will want to add the onions. After adding the onions, add the potatoes and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender but still firm. Then add the celery, carrots, and garlic and cook for 10 minutes. Add the celery stems and cook for another 5 minutes. Next, add the carrot greens (if you are using them) and cook for another 5 minutes or until the greens are cooked. For vegans who don’t eat animal products, substitute vegetable bouillon cubes for the beef stock in this recipe to make it vegan.

Whether you are a vegetarian or not, these soup recipes will please your taste buds. These soups are great for warming up on a cold winter’s day, and they have the added benefit of being healthy. They also make great snacks for lunch or dinner if that is what you prefer.

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