A Soup, Some Salads, and the First Signs of Spring

A reset soup, everyday salads, and a few small things worth noticing.

Spring has arrived here in the west, and it’s warm and beautiful outside. So nice, in fact, that I took two full, glorious days off for no good reason—the idea of sitting at a computer was more than I could bear.

The birds are singing, the trees are blooming, and after months of winter shuffling, suddenly there’s a lot to do.

Following two weeks of dedicated chocolate chip cookie testing and tasting—which turns out to be a routine that’s extremely easy to maintain—I decided a pot of vegetable soup was the next logical step.

Simple, brothy, and packed with all those vegetables you haven’t been eating, it’s the kind of thing that makes you feel like you’ve made a good decision without trying too hard.

I grabbed every vegetable I had on hand and loosely followed this recipe, which is a very good one.

It’s forgiving, flexible, and exactly the sort of thing you want to have on hand after a little stretch of less responsible eating.

After a few bowls of this warm, satisfying soup, I got back on track with the kind of meals I tend to make this time of year—a little fresher, a little lighter, but still substantial.

Take, for example, this surprisingly delightful salad combination:

• spring greens

• sliced cucumber

• goat’s cheese

• radicchio

• roasted and salted pistachios

• thinly sliced shallot

• fresh strawberries

Finish with:

• flaky salt

• freshly ground black pepper

• a simple vinaigrette (equal parts olive oil and rice vinegar, plus a teaspoon of Dijon mustard)

Use whatever oil, vinegar, or dressing you like.

And this spring salad—I can’t seem to get enough of it. It’s juicy, fresh, and just really good.

• broccoli slaw (Trader Joe’s sells it)

• super greens

• fresh mandarin (or any kind of orange), segmented

• Parmesan cheese

• sliced shallot

• roasted and salted pistachios

• avocado

• flaky salt and freshly ground pepper

Finish with:

• any vinaigrette-style dressing you like (I used a vegan ranch with a splash of champagne vinegar and citrus olive oil)

In other news, the garden is starting to wake up again, which feels like a small miracle every year.

A few things have started to bloom, and it’s enough to make everything feel a little different.

This little red-breasted bird stopped by and perched on the fence for a while.

It was nice to see him.

I had some help surveying the flower beds—Archie insisted. We’ll ignore the shoes.

A few things I’ve been reading and enjoying lately:

• I have a small problem involving buying too many books. Here are six new food memoirs to devour this spring (Eater).

• Rao’s is my jarred tomato sauce of choice. Ina has a few easy ways to make it even better. (The Kitchn)

• Cinnamon rolls make life wonderful. These are easier than you think, and can be made the night before…this version is a keeper. (Ambitious Kitchen).

• This cheesy asparagus risotto looks amazing and feels like the right kind of recipe for spring. (Delish)

• Green beans with pistachio pesto look almost glamorous and sound right up my alley. (Eyeswoon)

Thanks for reading! I’m so glad you’re here, and I’ll see you next Sunday.