I’m always taken aback when people talk about soup season as finite because it can be enjoyed year-round.
Soup fits any time of year, adapting to the weather and whatever produce is plentiful, from hot, hearty bowls built on roots and squash in the winter to chilled purées of ripe tomatoes or zucchini in the summer.
This recipe is spring in a bowl — joyful, green, fresh, bright and warm. It’s made with early-harvest vegetables — leeks, peas, new potatoes, spinach and herbs — and is simply seasoned so their delicate flavors come through clearly. The leeks and potatoes are simmered until tender in chicken or vegetable broth, but the rest of the vegetables and herbs are added shortly before serving so they cook just long enough to yield to the warmth of the broth but still remain fresh and bright.
Feel free to vary the vegetables based on what you have on hand, swapping onion for the leeks, parsnips or carrots for the potato, or using snow peas, baby kale, and basil for the green vegetables and herbs, for example.
Scale and get a printer-friendly version of the recipe here.
This recipe has such a garden-to-plate vibe, I think of it as the soup version of a salad and I serve it that way, alongside a sandwich or omelet, or before a main course. Each spoonful is a delightful reminder that spring, like other times of year, is also soup season.
Storage notes: Leftover soup can be refrigerated for up to three days. The spinach and herbs will lose their vibrant color, but the soup will still taste delicious.
In a soup pot over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the leek and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the potatoes, salt and pepper. Add the broth and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender, about 8 minutes.
Stir in the peas and continue to simmer until they turn bright green and just tender, 2 to 5 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted but still bright green, 30 seconds. Stir in the herbs, then ladle into bowls and serve hot.
Calories: 175; Total Fat: 6 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 189 mg; Carbohydrates: 23 g; Dietary Fiber: 5 g; Sugar: 4 g; Protein: 9 g.
Tested by Olga Massov; email questions to voraciously@washpost.com.
Scale and get a printer-friendly version of the recipe here.
Did you make this recipe? Take a photo and tag us on Instagram with #eatvoraciously.
Browse our Recipe Finder for more than 9,300 Post-tested recipes at washingtonpost.com/recipes.
More Nourish recipes from Voraciously:
Creamy skillet chicken with biscuits gets a healthful upgrade without losing flavor
This one-bowl cheesecake is light as a cloud, but still rich and creamy
Horseradish and matzoh-crusted cod is an ideal sheet pan dinner to use up leftover Passover ingredients
Correction: An earlier version of this story asked for peeled potatoes. They can be peeled or unpeeled.
Never ask what's for dinner again. Get one quick, adaptable and creative recipe in your inbox every Monday through Thursday to inspire delicious meals.
By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
Proof spring is soup season, too: This bright bowl packed with peas, leeks, spinach and herbs – The Washington Post
