4 Easy-Peasy and Healthy Soups Perfect for Spring

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

2 cups vegetable broth or water

1 4-ounce can green hatch chilis, diced

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained

1 cup frozen corn

Salt-free seasoning and black pepper to taste

Toppings (optional)

Tortilla chips

Avocado, diced

Onion, diced

Cilantro, diced

Hot sauce

Lime juice

Vegan cheese, shredded

Add the onion and garlic to a large soup pot or Dutch oven and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the cumin and chili powder and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the rest of the soup ingredients and bring to a low simmer for 20 minutes. Adjust the seasonings and serve hot with all of the toppings of your choice.

Asparagus Soup

Creamy Asparagus Soup

I love making this in early spring when fresh asparagus is so abundant. Buttery potatoes and plant-based milk help make this soup luscious and creamy while keeping it dairy free.

Serves 6

2 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed

1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced

1 cup onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups low sodium vegetable broth

2 cups unsweetened almond, soy or oat milk

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Salt-free seasoning and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Add the onions and garlic to a large soup pot and sauté on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, vegetable broth and plant-based milk and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add the asparagus to the pot and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Use an immersion blender directly in the pot to blend the soup until it is smooth and creamy or let it cool and transfer to a blender in batches and blend until smooth. Reheat the soup and stir in the lemon juice, salt-free seasoning and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve in individual bowls and garnish with thin slices of lemon and asparagus tips.

Carrot, Fennel and Mandarin Soups in Tray

Roasted Carrot Soup with Cashew Cream

A perfect soup for springtime celebrations, Easter, Passover or Mother’s Day. The flavors of this soup get better with time so make it in advance.

Serves 6

2 pounds carrots, rough chopped

1 small head garlic

1 large red onion, cut in chunks

1 teaspoon cumin

6 cups vegetable stock

Salt-free seasoning and pepper to taste

For the Cashew Cream

1 cup raw unsalted cashews

½ cup water

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Make the Cashew Cream by soaking the cashews in 2 cups of water for an hour then drain and rinse and add them to a high-speed blender. Add the water, garlic and lemon juice and blend until smooth and creamy. Adjust the flavor if needed and store in a jar in the refrigerator if you are not using right away.

Heat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Spread the carrots on the baking sheet. Cut the top of the head of garlic to expose all the cloves and remove any excess paper skin, wrap the whole head of garlic in parchment paper and then wrap in silver foil and place on the baking sheet with the carrots and roast for 30 minutes. Add the onion to the baking sheet and continue roasting for another 30 minutes. Add the roasted carrots and onions to a blender. Remove the head of garlic from the foil pouch and let it cool until safe to touch. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into the blender from the root end. Add 4 cups of the vegetable stock and the cumin to the blender and blend until smooth. Pour the soup into a pot and add the additional vegetable stock if needed for your desired thickness. Add the seasoning to taste and heat through. Serve with a swirl of Cashew Cream.

What's YOUR favorite soup to eat — and to make? Let us know in the comments below.