Seasonal Soups and a Garden Update

Spring soups for the win! Plus a look at how our gardens are going this year

Happy Monday! Today, in honor of National Gardening Day tomorrow, April 14th, we want to share an update on our gardens! What we’re planting this year/have already planted, and what we’re looking forward to.

We’re also serving up some seasonal soup recipes. These soups are refreshing and light, but still filling, and all made with in-season fruits and vegetables. Read on for some of our favorite soup recipes, prep tips, a shopping list, and some simple swaps to make your soups even healthier.

Coming up this week, Diana talks about easy snacks for breastfeeding moms; we share our takes on green tea and whether or not it can cause iron deficiency; and on Friday, we look at how to make a “bowl” even healthier.

Garden Updates

Dr. Weil:

I had a wonderful gardening season in Tucson this year and am now getting ready for my garden in Santa Fe.

Tucson had an unusually warm winter this year, along with much of the West. I was able to plant earlier than usual, which was great, but the season also ended sooner than normal due to the heat.

I had a huge quantity of peas this year. One of my favorite ways to prepare them is to simply sauté them with shiitake mushrooms, a bit of salt and pepper, and a splash of mirin. I also had great success with napa cabbage, which I made my own kimchi with.

I feel fortunate to be able to garden nearly year-round between my gardens in Tucson and Santa Fe. Last year’s Santa Fe garden included lettuce, kale, tomatoes, herbs, hot peppers, and cucumbers, which I like to pickle. This year, I plan to grow much the same. One thing I’m looking forward to is that I’ve transitioned from ground beds to raised beds.

Diana:

We moved!

It’s been both exciting and exhausting. Our new backyard is much larger and has an incredible view of the mountains, and is very much a blank slate right now. But it is currently just full of weeds.

And if you missed it earlier, I’m also pregnant! We’re expecting a baby boy late summer/early fall. Which means this year’s garden is going to look a bit different than it has in the past.

I have a tendency to plant too much. I get overly ambitious, and by mid-season, I’m usually feeling pretty overwhelmed by both the garden and the produce. So this year, I’m scaling back. With a backyard we need to completely redesign, and a new baby on the way, I need things to be easier and more manageable.

But I also can’t not plant anything.

So, I’ve decided to do a small garden in pots!

I found some large, relatively inexpensive planters at Costco, and I’m planning to keep everything simple and contained this year. I’m thinking one or two cherry tomato plants, a few larger tomato plants, some hot peppers, basil, and maybe a zucchini plant (which will go in the ground). Just enough to have some delicious summer produce, without it overwhelming me.

Long-term, we have some pretty big plans for the yard. We’re pulling up most of the grass with the intent of having a more water-wise yard. I plan on planting lots of drought-tolerant plants, like Russian sage, yarrow, and Jacob’s beard, but that will likely be next year’s project. I’m going to miss having a yard full of summer flowers, so I want to fill that gap with some potted annuals. I never usually do annual flowers, so I’m actually really looking forward to it!

We’re also experimenting with a mix of buffalo grass and clover for the lawn. I’ve seen a lot of people shift to clover lawns lately, and I’m excited to see how it goes.

I also plan on creating a small garden just for the kids. A space where they can dig, get their hands dirty, and experiment with growing their own plants- that I don’t feel like I need to micromanage.

But all in good time!

For now, it’s just a few tomatoes in pots.

How to Make Seasonal Spring Soups (+ Recipes)

Spring soups are a wonderful way to use in-season vegetables, herbs, and fruits. While they can be fresh, light, and simple, they can also work well as a full entree. Whether served warm or chilled, they highlight the natural flavor of seasonal produce without needing heavy ingredients. Learn more about ingredients to use in a spring soup, tips on preparation and storage, and try our recipes.

Seasonal Soup Recipes: Spring

Seasonal Spring Soup Shopping List

Spring is a time when delicious, flavorful foods are abundant. For spring soup recipes, try adding the following to your shopping list. They are naturally high in fiber, antioxidants, and water content, making them ideal for lighter, hydrating meals. Add these eight foods to your shopping list:

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