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April showers bring May flowers. April also brings torrential rain storms followed by summer-like heat waves. It brings bathing suit beach weather back-to-back with marine layer fog. April has its days, when the whole of New York City seemed to be swim suit clad and lounging on every available inch of green space from the Hudson to Central Park. And as quickly as you packed away your winter sweaters the weather can swing again in a direction that calls for hunkering down for a weekend of reading and movie watching snuggled under a pile of blankets.
Through all these weather changes there will always remain the question of what’s for dinner. Cold rains call for warming comfort foods while heat waves call for barbecues. Wind and chill call for steaming bowls of soup while sun and blue skies call for salads. But since the weather can change on a whim this time of year it is helpful to have an arsenal of meal plans that will work for any weather. Soup just might be the solution.
With the spring farmer’s markets in full swing, now is the perfect opportunity for produce driven soups that fit this time of year perfectly in their adaptability to both warm and cool weather.
Take tomato soup, for instance. What doesn’t scream comfort food on a cold day more than a bowl of hot tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. I like to take that idea over the top by making grilled cheese with lobster or shrimp and a perfect melting gruyere, served alongside an heirloom tomato soup.
If the next day should bring a heat wave, no need to reheat the soup. I would serve that same heirloom soup chilled with a dollop of pesto and alongside an entrée salad for a perfect warm weather supper. Other spring vegetables like asparagus and peas also make lovely soups that can pull off both hot and cold acts with equal ease.
Soup is all too often written off as a winter weather indulgence. When all it takes is a look around the world to perennially warm countries to know that broth based meals are not just for cooler weather. Tom yums of Thailand are eaten as much in the hot and humid southern beaches as they are in the cooler mountains of the north. Menudo, that Mexican specialty soup comprised of tripe and hominy, is eaten for breakfast, lunch, special occasions, and every day meals, no matter the weather.
Personally, I am partial to spicy and sour hot Asian soups like Vietnamese pho or Thai-style hot and sour soups with prawns and chicken. Since these Asian soups are served hot, they are perfect for gloomy weather when you are looking for something to warm you up from the inside out. However, the spiciness of the soup also lends itself to warm weather since spicy foods make you sweat and sweating has a cooling effect on the body.
I like mixing things I have on hand like leftover cooked chicken and frozen and defrosted shrimp with a broth that I kick up with fresh ginger, garlic, cilantro, and maybe some star anise for a Vietnamese flare. Garlic chili paste or sriracha plus rice wine, lime juice, and a bit of sugar give the broth the perfect tangy, spicy, sweet balance. Some pre-soaked vermicelli rice noodles round out the dish for a complete meal.
The bi-polar weather might be driving you crazy right now but your food doesn’t have to. Soups that work hot as well as cold can switch their desired use with the changing of the temperature outside. Borrowing dishes from warm countries where people eat warm soup as staples in their year-round diet can keep your mouth hot, your body cool, and your belly happy long after the rainy days have gone away and the sun comes out to stay.
©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
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April's Showers Bring Spring Soups
April showers bring May flowers. April also brings torrential rain storms followed by summer-like heat waves. It brings bathing suit beach weather back-to-back with marine layer fog. April has its days, when the whole of New York City seemed to be swim suit clad and lounging on every available inch of green space from the Hudson to Central Park. And as quickly as you packed away your winter sweaters the weather can swing again in a direction that calls for hunkering down for a weekend of reading and movie watching snuggled under a pile of blankets.
Through all these weather changes there will always remain the question of what’s for dinner. Cold rains call for warming comfort foods while heat waves call for barbecues. Wind and chill call for steaming bowls of soup while sun and blue skies call for salads. But since the weather can change on a whim this time of year it is helpful to have an arsenal of meal plans that will work for any weather. Soup just might be the solution.
With the spring farmer’s markets in full swing, now is the perfect opportunity for produce driven soups that fit this time of year perfectly in their adaptability to both warm and cool weather.
Take tomato soup, for instance. What doesn’t scream comfort food on a cold day more than a bowl of hot tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. I like to take that idea over the top by making grilled cheese with lobster or shrimp and a perfect melting gruyere, served alongside an heirloom tomato soup.
If the next day should bring a heat wave, no need to reheat the soup. I would serve that same heirloom soup chilled with a dollop of pesto and alongside an entrée salad for a perfect warm weather supper. Other spring vegetables like asparagus and peas also make lovely soups that can pull off both hot and cold acts with equal ease.
Soup is all too often written off as a winter weather indulgence. When all it takes is a look around the world to perennially warm countries to know that broth based meals are not just for cooler weather. Tom yums of Thailand are eaten as much in the hot and humid southern beaches as they are in the cooler mountains of the north. Menudo, that Mexican specialty soup comprised of tripe and hominy, is eaten for breakfast, lunch, special occasions, and every day meals, no matter the weather.
Personally, I am partial to spicy and sour hot Asian soups like Vietnamese pho or Thai-style hot and sour soups with prawns and chicken. Since these Asian soups are served hot, they are perfect for gloomy weather when you are looking for something to warm you up from the inside out. However, the spiciness of the soup also lends itself to warm weather since spicy foods make you sweat and sweating has a cooling effect on the body.
I like mixing things I have on hand like leftover cooked chicken and frozen and defrosted shrimp with a broth that I kick up with fresh ginger, garlic, cilantro, and maybe some star anise for a Vietnamese flare. Garlic chili paste or sriracha plus rice wine, lime juice, and a bit of sugar give the broth the perfect tangy, spicy, sweet balance. Some pre-soaked vermicelli rice noodles round out the dish for a complete meal.
The bi-polar weather might be driving you crazy right now but your food doesn’t have to. Soups that work hot as well as cold can switch their desired use with the changing of the temperature outside. Borrowing dishes from warm countries where people eat warm soup as staples in their year-round diet can keep your mouth hot, your body cool, and your belly happy long after the rainy days have gone away and the sun comes out to stay.
Shrimp and Chicken Hot and Sour Soup
Made with shallot, cilantro, fresh ginger, star anise, serrano chili, chicken broth, rice wine or white wine, cooked chicken, prawns, rice noodles
Made with shallot, cilantro, fresh ginger, star anise, serrano chili, chicken broth, rice wine or white wine, cooked chicken, prawns, rice noodles
Serves/Makes: 4
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 medium shallot
- 1/2 bunch cilantro
- 1 piece (1-inch size) fresh ginger
- 1 star anise
- 1 serrano chili
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup rice wine or white wine
- 1 cup cooked chicken
- 8 large prawns
- 6 ounces rice noodles
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Meanwhile, peel garlic and thinly slice. Peel shallot and thinly slice. Rinse cilantro and cut stems into 1/2-inch pieces. Reserve leaves for garnish.
Fry garlic in oil until light brown. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Reduce heat to medium and add shallots and cilantro stems to oil. Saute for about 3 minutes until shallots are softened.
Peel ginger and cut into slices 1/4-inch thick. Thinly slice Serrano chili. Add ginger, star anise, chili, chicken broth, and chicken to the pot. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add rice noodles. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add prawns and cook for an additional 2 minutes until cooked through. Turn off heat. Stir in fish sauce, soy, lemon juice, and sugar. Taste broth. Adjust seasoning to taste with additional salt and pepper if desired.
Ladle into bowls and serve with fried garlic and reserved cilantro leaves as garnish.
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©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/amy-powell/1041-spring-soups/