April is a month of patience here in the Midwest. Winter is more or less over, but we’re in that thumb-twiddling waiting period for the next milestone: “April showers bring May flowers,” as the old saying goes. While we cooks set aside the heavy proteins and sauces of winter, newly dreaming of leafy greens, fresh vegetables, and aromatic herbs, we slowly transition our menus to reflect a lighter, brighter composition. Browse my list of Seasonal Soups to Cook in April to see what deliciousness awaits.
Spring Fling
I’ve been dragging my feet because it’s so hard to let go, but the arrival of April means it’s time to transition away from my beloved comfort-food soups to something lighter and spring-y. Here are a few that celebrate the season while holding on to the qualities that make soup so lovable.
Tortellini Primavera Soup is brothy, bright, and full of fresh green vegetables, including broccoli, snap peas, spinach, and spring onions. Plus, some carby tortellini and savory pancetta for a little reminder of the beloved winter soups that we're almost ready to leave behind. Finished with pesto and a splash of puckery vinegar, it’s exactly what we want in a springtime bowl.
Loaded with flavor and smoothly creamy — without cheese or cream — Broccoli Cauliflower Soup is nutritious, irresistible, and glows like the sun, thanks to a generous dose of the colorful super spice, turmeric.
Plump shrimp, meaty shiitake mushrooms, and aromatic Thai red paste curry simmer to deliciousness in a lightly creamy broth with lots of rice noodles. It's one of my favorite spring soups.
I normally consider carrot soups autumn or winter fare because they're just coming off a late summer harvest, crisp and sweet. But with the wide availability of decent carrots all year around, a smooth and creamy carrot soup with a bright punch of ginger is a lovely transition between winter and spring, as we pull back from thick and hefty cold-weather soups.
If you’re ready to jump right into lighter and nourishing soups, browse my roundup of Spring Soups that will start the season off deliciously.
No Foolin’
I love the challenge of turning things that aren’t soup into soup, and making them taste great and crave-worthy. Here are a few soups that, on paper, sound like they shouldn’t work … but totally do.
At 15 years old, this is one of the oldest soups on my blog, and most enduring. It makes my year-end Top 10 list year after year. It seems so unlikely that you could make a sandwich into a soup, but it just works. So much so that I don't even crave the sandwich anymore; I crave the soup.
The source of my thinking for this unique mash-up was buffalo chicken wings with a blue cheese dipping sauce. I was bowled over (haHA, unintended soup pun) when it actually worked. I know that the name of the recipe is like “there's what in my soup?” 🔹 🧀 🤔 but just remember “chicken wings,” and it'll all make sense.
Jalapeño popper soup sounded sort of uninteresting at first, until this vision of a cream-cheesy broth got stuck in my head. And then there was just nothing to do for it other than to bring the vision to life. And the clouds parted and the birds sang and all was right in the soup world.
I can't think of a more iconic sandwich to soupify than the Philly Cheesesteak. The proteins, onions, and peppers are natural soup ingredients; top it all with lots of melty cheese and seasoned croutons, and you have a soup lover's dream.
If you’re up for more food that didn’t start out as soup, browse my collection of takeout-fakeout soups and see what sounds good!
National Mushroom Day is the 16th
April and its infamous promise of rain means lots of fun-guys popping up out of the ground (any morel hunters among you?). These soup recipes embrace these umami-packed little weirdos with delicious results.
Unlike most depressingly gray/brown mushroom soups, a generous helping of Hungarian paprika colors this soup a beautiful blushing peach tone. Its complex layers of flavor hide the fact that it's so easy to make — and make-ahead friendly. It's proof that light soups are far from being light on substance.
Cremini mushrooms get cooked down in butter until they're incredibly flavorful, then mixed with tender wild rice and a silky broth. The secret touches of balsamic vinegar and lemon juice make every bite sing. Save this one for those nights when you need something warm, satisfying, and just a little bit special.
One of my favorite mushroom-heavy soups that's huddle-over-the-bowl worthy. Creamy and cheesy and vegetarian, the tortellini guarantees it's a filling soup that's a joy to eat.
Speaking of food holidays, I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge this favorite honorary soup day, National Grilled Cheese Day (the 12th). If there were ever a better side dish to soup than an ooey-gooey grilled cheese sandwich, I can’t begin to guess what that would be.
I had someone on social media comment once that this sandwich looks disgusting. So, I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder because all I see here is the aftermath of an incredible cheese pull, with pickled onions peeking out. Three types of cheese on toasty bread is always a winner in my book.
Wonderfully big, cheesy, and messy in all the best ways, these bratwurst grilled cheese sandwiches can be prepared indoors or — now that warmer weather is here — outdoors on the grill.
The thing I love about crab salad is that it doesn't lean “fishy” the least little bit. I don't particularly care for fish, and I doubt you'll ever find a fish recipe on this site, since there hasn't been one yet in its 18 years. Crab salad is the lighter, brighter cousin to chicken salad, and it goes with everything, including melty cheese on toasty bread. Delightful.
I hope you’ll try something from this list to make your April bloom with possibilities. For more soup inspiration, please browse my entire collection of Soup Recipes.
