Winter is soup’s signature season, but we’ve never been ones to let the weather dictate our culinary calendar. Case in point: the following 30 spring soup recipes, all of which work for warmer spring days and those in-between moments when you still need to bundle up. Even better, none of them will take you all afternoon to make.
30 Spring Soup Recipes That Are Fresh, Light and Ideal for In-Between Weather
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Published Mar 14, 2023
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <500 calories, gluten free
The only way to eat fresh peas that’s better than popping them in your mouth at the farmers market is to gently simmer them with aromatics and blend them with every herb you can find.
2. Vegan Slow Cooker Detox Coconut Soup
- Time Commitment: 7 hours, 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <500 calories, vegan, slow cooker recipe
Winter, we love your hearty, comforting meals, but it’s time for a change of pace. This slow cooker number is gluten and dairy free yet still satisfying.
3. Restorative Miso Noodle Soup
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, low sugar
Restrictive diets are out and taking care of your body with nourishing, filling ingredients is in. Here, miso soup gets an upgrade with soba noodles and mushrooms.
4. Anything-You-Have Coconut Curry Soup
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes, dairy free
No vegetables are off limits, so toss whatever you have in your crisper drawer into the pot. Think soup meets salad in the best way possible.
5. Thai Curry With Udon Noodles
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, <30 minutes
Thanks to tofu and chewy udon noodles, no one will miss the meat. It’s light, bright and a total delight—not to mention loaded with eight types of veggies.
6. Springtime Chicken and Dumplings with Fresh Herbs
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <500 calories
Equal parts cozy and fresh, save this one for a day when it’s still chilly enough to wear your puffer coat. The dumplings are as easy to make as mixing biscuit dough.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
Is it just us, or do people go wild for asparagus season? Prepare for the madness with this green bowl. It’s fortified with Greek yogurt instead of heavy cream for a lighter take.
8. Posole Verde
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian
Pozole is a hominy-based soup of pre-Hispanic origins in Mexico, typically reserved for special occasions. FYI, the toppings aren’t optional: They add flavor, texture and color that make the meal.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, <500 calories
It’s heartier than canned chicken noodle yet not quite as heavy as a stew. Basically, it’s our ideal spring dinner (and don’t even get us started on the tortilla strips).
10. Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, <500 calories
This soup has a secret: It’s made with rotisserie chicken, so you only need 45 minutes to pull it off.
11. Salmon Chowder
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: <500 calories, gluten free, low carb
The trick to making chowder spring-ready is to keep the texture silky, not gloppy. The easiest way to achieve that effect is to thicken the soup as minimally as possible—here, it’s corn starch, but you could also swap in flour if you’re not gluten free.
12. Lemon Chicken Meatball Soup
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, beginner-friendly
Tender meatballs, bright citrus and plenty of spinach make for a spring soup that’s equal parts comforting and refreshing. Pass the crusty bread for dipping, please.
- Time Commitment: 2 hours, 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian,
The charred poblano crema takes this meal from “good” to “Are there seconds? This is amazing.”
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
Bring on the fresh herbs, mushrooms and—most importantly—spice. Making your own curry paste will add so much more flavor that using store-bought.
15. Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Fennel Soup
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: dairy free, gluten free
Adding sweet red peppers and fennel to an otherwise standard tomato soup takes it out of winter and into the light. (And we love how it tastes like romesco sauce.)
16. Creamy Potato Green Split Pea Soup
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, vegan, Instant Pot recipe
It’s not easy being green…unless you’re this plant-based take on split pea soup, which is made in the Instant Pot and tastes like a garlicky dream.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, dairy free, vegetarian
Forget what you know about creamy soups. This one is made without a single drop of dairy, yet still has a velvety texture and rich flavor.
18. Clam Chowder
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, kid friendly
It’s not quite warm enough for a clam bake, but we can dream. This soup, which can be made with fresh or canned clams, will satisfying our craving just fine.
19. Jalapeño Lime Chicken Soup
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
Simple, healthy and a little bit spicy, this spring soup will clear out your lingering head cold without weighing you down.
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, vegan
The key to brightening up any dish is to add a ton of fresh citrus, and this protein-packed lentil soup is no exception. (Bonus, you can make it in your Instant Pot or slow cooker.)
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, dairy free
This is the equivalent of if a baked potato shed its winter jacket and put on a cute, short sleeve top for spring. It’s brothy and herby, but bacon is still coming to the party.
22. Easy Parmesan Chickpea Soup
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, <30 minutes
There’s pasta for coziness and chickpeas for #health. What more could you ask for?
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes (plus chilling)
- Why I Love It: no cook, make ahead
It’s never too early to think about chilled soup, especially when false summer rears its head. Use cherry tomatoes if your store’s produce selection isn’t ideal.
24. Spicy Lemon-Ginger Chicken Soup
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
We love how simple this spring soup recipe is precisely because it allows for tons of customization. Use leeks instead of onion, Swiss chard instead of spinach, you get the idea.
25. 15-Minute Cucumber-Avocado Blender Soup
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, <15 minutes
Is there a sweet spot between dumping out a can of soup and spending the entire day babysitting a simmering pot? Yes, and it’s this blender beauty that’s ready in 15 minutes.
26. Potato Leek Soup
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, vegetarian
Serve this fan favorite with tons of crusty bread and a big, fresh salad for the ultimate dinner. Psst: The leftovers freeze beautifully.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly
’Tis the season for fresh artichokes, but you can totally use jarred for convenience.
28. Creamy Broccoli Pesto Soup
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, vegetarian
You had us at pesto, and again at vegan-optional. Try adding miso paste or a Parmesan rind for more depth of flavor.
- Time Commitment: 28 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, <30 minutes
Minestrone is the perfect specimen for spring, since you can dump any and all veggies in your pot and call it a day.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
We’re longing for summer but can settle for so-so tomatoes, as long as they take a quick trip in the oven to concentrate the flavor.
Katherine Gillen is PureWow’s senior food editor. She’s a writer, recipe developer and food stylist with a degree in culinary arts and professional experience in New York City restaurants. She used to sling sugary desserts in a pastry kitchen, but now she’s an avid home cook and fanatic baker.
