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What season is it again? Didn’t Spring Break already happen, like, a month ago? At least I thought that was the case but the cold rain, gusty winds, and occasional hail I was driving through today seemed to indicate otherwise. And if I think it has been unseasonable here on the West Coast, I can only begin to sympathize with those 20,000 odd runners who braved a waning northeaster this past week to run the coldest, wettest, windiest Boston Marathon in over 30 years. Global warming, indeed.
While I continue to shiver in layers of sweaters and jackets, in America’s agricultural regions springtime has truly arrived. How do I know this? Because like a golden ray of warmth and hope for sunnier times shining through the produce aisles of my local market, I have taken note of the arrival of certain timely vegetables.
To be a truly seasonal cook can be a bit of a bore come end of winter. February through March I have the feeling that if I am forced to eat one more turnip or fibrous winter green I may just turn into a root vegetable myself. But the arrival of spring and its greenery instantly make up for the several months' drought of fresh tastes.
Although many of Spring’s vegetables are now available year round, they are at their peak of freshness during this time. Take asparagus, for instance. We can pretty much always expect to find asparagus in the produce aisle, but right now instead of the standard medium size stalk that is normally available, we have a whole variety of sizes each meant for its own cooking destiny. Some asparagus, slimmer than the width of a pencil, need no more than a shock of boiling, salted water to be ready for the plate. If asparagus tips make their way into a pasta, the stalk can be reserved for the base of a creamy asparagus soup. Even those super-sized thick, tree-like stalks have a place: peeled from the tip down, dressed in olive oil and thrown on the barbecue for a pre-season cookout.
A lot of these spring vegetables make you earn the pleasures of their company. Take an artichoke, for instance. Whether you are steaming it whole with the intention of enjoying the leaves or “turning” it, which is removing the leaves prior to cooking to make use of just the hearts, it requires a painstaking process of preparation. The same goes for spring peas and fava beans that must be shelled (must be why both varieties are widely available pre-shelled and canned or frozen).
The question remains how to take pleasure in these budding spring flavors even when the weather might still be demanding more hearty, winter-like nourishment in your part of the country. In this case a spring soup might do just the trick. Soup is great because you can make it year-round, and you can make your soup-of-the-day coordinate with whichever ingredients the season calls for. In this case, should those northeasters be putting a damper on the local harvest, all of these spring flavors are available in the canned foods aisle as well as in produce.
For soups, canned or frozen peas serve the purpose with none of the fuss of shelling yourself. Canned artichokes, although not nearly as tasty nor as adaptable for cooking, still work when added to a broth. And any soup can go from dull to fabulous with the addition of some biting herbs, the first of which, chives, first began popping up over a month ago.
As we buckle down to wait out this last blast of winter chill, wondering if perhaps those global warming nay-sayers are onto something, at least in the kitchen we know the warmer weather is around the corner. Our skin may still be pale, but on the plate or in the bowl the theme is green, and for our taste buds at least, winter hibernation is officially over.
©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:
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Spring's Bounty, Winter's Warmth
While I continue to shiver in layers of sweaters and jackets, in America’s agricultural regions springtime has truly arrived. How do I know this? Because like a golden ray of warmth and hope for sunnier times shining through the produce aisles of my local market, I have taken note of the arrival of certain timely vegetables.
To be a truly seasonal cook can be a bit of a bore come end of winter. February through March I have the feeling that if I am forced to eat one more turnip or fibrous winter green I may just turn into a root vegetable myself. But the arrival of spring and its greenery instantly make up for the several months' drought of fresh tastes.
Although many of Spring’s vegetables are now available year round, they are at their peak of freshness during this time. Take asparagus, for instance. We can pretty much always expect to find asparagus in the produce aisle, but right now instead of the standard medium size stalk that is normally available, we have a whole variety of sizes each meant for its own cooking destiny. Some asparagus, slimmer than the width of a pencil, need no more than a shock of boiling, salted water to be ready for the plate. If asparagus tips make their way into a pasta, the stalk can be reserved for the base of a creamy asparagus soup. Even those super-sized thick, tree-like stalks have a place: peeled from the tip down, dressed in olive oil and thrown on the barbecue for a pre-season cookout.
A lot of these spring vegetables make you earn the pleasures of their company. Take an artichoke, for instance. Whether you are steaming it whole with the intention of enjoying the leaves or “turning” it, which is removing the leaves prior to cooking to make use of just the hearts, it requires a painstaking process of preparation. The same goes for spring peas and fava beans that must be shelled (must be why both varieties are widely available pre-shelled and canned or frozen).
The question remains how to take pleasure in these budding spring flavors even when the weather might still be demanding more hearty, winter-like nourishment in your part of the country. In this case a spring soup might do just the trick. Soup is great because you can make it year-round, and you can make your soup-of-the-day coordinate with whichever ingredients the season calls for. In this case, should those northeasters be putting a damper on the local harvest, all of these spring flavors are available in the canned foods aisle as well as in produce.
For soups, canned or frozen peas serve the purpose with none of the fuss of shelling yourself. Canned artichokes, although not nearly as tasty nor as adaptable for cooking, still work when added to a broth. And any soup can go from dull to fabulous with the addition of some biting herbs, the first of which, chives, first began popping up over a month ago.
As we buckle down to wait out this last blast of winter chill, wondering if perhaps those global warming nay-sayers are onto something, at least in the kitchen we know the warmer weather is around the corner. Our skin may still be pale, but on the plate or in the bowl the theme is green, and for our taste buds at least, winter hibernation is officially over.
Tuscan White Bean Soup with Spring Vegetables
Made with leeks, garlic, carrots, button mushrooms, herbs de Provence, fresh basil, artichoke hearts, frozen peas, diced tomatoes, cannellini beans
Made with leeks, garlic, carrots, button mushrooms, herbs de Provence, fresh basil, artichoke hearts, frozen peas, diced tomatoes, cannellini beans
Serves/Makes: 6
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 leeks, white part only
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 medium carrots
- 6 ounces button mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
- 1 handful fresh basil
- 1 can (15 ounce size) artichoke hearts, drained
- 1/3 cup frozen peas
- 1 can (16 ounce size) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (16 ounce size) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper
- Parmesan cheese
- extra virgin olive oil
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.
Trim root from leek. Split lengthwise down middle and rinse thoroughly to remove all dirt. Slice 1/4 inch thick horizontally. Add to olive oil and sweat.
Peel garlic and slice thinly lengthwise. Add to leeks. Peel carrots and cut into a small dice. Add to pot and stir into leeks. Wipe mushrooms and roughly chop. Add to pot along with herbs de Provence and the basil, also roughly chopped.
Drain artichokes and cut in quarters. Add to pot along with peas, tomatoes, rinsed beans, vegetable broth, and bay leaves. Placed lid on pot and bring to boil.
Reduce to medium heat and let simmer at least 10 minutes to let flavors marry. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serve in bowls topped with grated Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
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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/493-spring-vegetable-ideas/