Seasonal Soup & Salad Recipes ♥ January

Seasonal Soup and Salad recipes, ideas perfect for the month of January, all from A Veggie Venture's decade+ collection of 1300+ vegetable recipes. January's recipes are mostly veg(etari)an and call for easy-to-find ingredients. And healthy! It is January after all! Find your January salad (and soup!) inspiration here ... plus a life-changing meal-prep bonus! And hey, Weight Watchers, these winter-ready soups and salads include my WW's rainbow of green, blue and purple points.

About January's Recipe Collection

Back in 2006 (on Day 280 of that first year that gave A Veggie Venture its very name, when I tried a new vegetable recipe every day for an entire year), I wrote: "I tend to forget about vegetable salads during the winter. My mistake!" So true! And so January's list of salad recipes is shorter than I'd think – and two of the five were posted last year, the other three in the prior twelve years. (Shocking, that!) Are we all eating more winter salads than we once did? I'm pleased with these recipes, though, a mix of "weeknight simple" and "weekend fare".

Now soups are another matter! Soup simmers on the stove here twelve months a year, so no surprise, the list of January soup recipes is pretty amazing. I've stuck to real soups, not the heartier stews that are more "meal" than "soup" (you know, like Vegetable Chili with Sweet Potatoes & Chipotle or Tuscan Vegetable Stew or Beefy Tomatillo Chili).

A Year of Seasonal Soup & Salad Recipes? It's Happening!

January (you're here) February March April May June July August September October November December

Quick Lists for January

(click right through or scroll down for more information on why I've chosen each recipe)

SALADS of the Month – January
Detox Chopped Salad 25min/25min–ww2–pp3–sp4–fs4–green4–blue4–purple4–carb13 ♥
Winter Greens Salad with Oranges, Avocado, Olives, Feta & Orange-Cumin Vinaigrette 15min/15min–ww2–pp3–sp4–fs3–green3–blue3–purple3–carb8 ♥
Daikon & Pepper Salad 10min/10min–ww1–pp1–sp1–fs1–green1–blue1–purple1–carb3 ♥
Watercress, Clementine & Blue Cheese Salad 10min/10min–ww1–pp2–sp2–fs1–green1–blue1–purple1–carb5 ♥
Egyptian Kamut Salad with Roasted Carrot & Pomegranate 60min/24hrs–ww5–pp9–sp9–fs6–green6–blue6–purple6–carb44 ♥

SOUPS of the Month – January
Weight Watchers Zero Points Garden Vegetable Soup 20min/75min–ww0–pp1–sp2–fs0–green0–blue0–purple0–carb6 ♥
Weight Watchers Fresh Vegetable Soup 20min/24hrs–ww0–pp1–sp2–fs0–green0–blue0–purple0–carb8 ♥
Rustic Tomato Basil Soup 15min/45min–ww2–pp3–sp4–fs2–green2–blue2–purple2–carb12 ♥
Lasagna Soup with Fresh Spinach 30min/45min–ww3–pp4–sp4–fs2–green2–blue2–purple2–carb14 ♥
Sweet Potato Soup with Quinoa & Coconut Milk 20min/60min–ww3–pp5–sp6–fs4–green6–blue4–purple0–carb32 ♥
Homemade Minestrone Soup 35min/1hr–ww2–pp2–sp2–fs1–green1–blue1–purple1–carb11 ♥
Two-Can Ten-Minute Homemade Tomato Soup 5min/10min–ww1–pp2–sp3–fs2–green2–blue2–purple2–carb10 ♥
Watercress Soup 20min/60min–ww2–pp3–sp4–fs3–green3–blue3–purple2–carb15 ♥

MEAL PREP BONUS of the Month – January
Homemade Vegetable Bouillon Concentrate 35min/35min–ww0–pp0–sp0–fs0–green0–blue0–purple0–carb0 ♥

Want to Know More?

There's more info about each recipe below. Just scroll down!

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Seasonal Salads for JANUARY

Detox Chopped Salad Great for Meal Prep. Weight Watchers Friendly. Not just vegan, Vegan Done Real. Naturally Gluten Free. Say "hey, beautiful" to the chopped salad that took the family by storm just a year ago. My sister? She found an appealing recipe, made it once and then bought a food processor just to be able to make it again and again! Detox Chopped Salad is quite pretty in a bowl, especially when it's made with one or the other of broccoli or cauliflower. After that, it's nuts, dried fruit and greens, all bound in a citrus-y dressing. Sound like a "refrigerator" salad to make ahead? You bet. It's also an excellent choice for football parties and suppers in front of the TV.

Winter Greens Salad with Oranges, Avocado, Olives, Feta & Orange-Cumin Vinaigrette A Symphony of Flavors and Textures. Plus Low Carb. And Weight Watchers Friendly. And Naturally Gluten Free. Ha! What a looooong name for such a simple salad – so simple that once you have the name, you basically have the ingredient list. For the record, orange + cumin = MAGIC. I've been making that Orange-Cumin Vinaigrette for years, no oil! If you're craving citrus (I do, this time of year, am I alone?), this post lists my go-to recipes for the beautiful oranges that appear this time of year. Can't get enough of 'em!

Daikon & Pepper Salad Super Fresh! Pretty Color! Great Crunch! Low Cal. Low Carb. Naturally Gluten Free. Paleo. Vegan. Very Weight Watchers Friendly. Quick Quiz: What's the only vegetable that starts with the letter D? It's daikon, the wonderful vegetable it's easy to bypass because on the outside, it's not much in the looks department. Look for it at your local grocery, odds are high you'll find it. And it's worth seeking out, because it's wet and crunchy and super low in calories. I show it here as a salad but you could also dice the vegetables really small for a pico de gallo that would be great in tacos, on the side for quesadillas, etc. This salad? It's flexible!

Watercress, Clementine & Blue Cheese Salad Bright and Fresh. Super Easy to Make. Elegant Enough for Company, Easy Enough for a Weeknight. Naturally Gluten Free. Low Carb. Very Weight Watchers Friendly. Wow. This salad knocked me over way back in 2006 and this year, it's on "repeat" for a month now. So good! Watercress is definitely optional, I've been using arugula that has a similar peppery bite but any nice salad green or pretty lettuce would work. This salad is way more than the sum of its parts and its uses one of my very favorite pantry staples that's found in every grocery and offers a huge flavor boost. Any guesses?! BTW that photo sure needs an update! Believe it or not, back in 2006, that was a "good picture". For me, an upside to these Seasonal Soup & Salad Collections is that it's a welcome reminder that my photography skills have improved over the years ...

Egyptian Kamut Salad with Roasted Carrot & Pomegranate Hearty Main Dish Salad. Worthy of an Occasion. Vegan. Does anyone else belong to a cooking club? We do, a foodie spin-off of the St. Louis chapter of the Missouri Mycological Society aka the "Mushroom Club". Our "mushroom friends" meet three or four times a year thanks to the organization of our fearless leader selects a location, a theme and a menu. Nine times out of ten, the food is amazing. (As you can imagine, everybody's a decent cook, non-cooks wouldn't find this fun!) I love this group for lots of reasons but on the food front, it's because it s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-s my food horizon. Have you ever cooked for a Coptic Christmas before? Me either. And I wondered whether, amid an entire buffet of amazing dishes, whether people would go for this hearty salad. Whoosh ... it disappeared. Egyptian Kamut Salad isn't hard to make but it is a production with a few moving parts ... you know, like many of the wonderful celebration foods we make once a year. (FYI, Coptic Christmas falls in January, until the year 2100, it is observed on January 7th.)

Seasonal Soups for JANUARY

Weight Watchers Zero Points Garden Vegetable Soup Famous for a Reason. Great for Meal Prep. Vegan. Very Weight Watchers Friendly (Duh). Naturally Gluten Free. Low Carb. Whole30 Friendly. You're looking at A Veggie Venture's #1 recipe! It's Weight Watchers' famous "zero point" vegetable soup recipe. Every single bit of fame is deserved! And that's whether you count Weight Watchers points or not, this is just plain ol' good soup. If you're looking to lighten up after the holidays, this is your starting gate. So good, this! FYI, this recipe if for Weight Watchers' original zero point vegetable soup, click through for more variations, a Mexican version, an Asian version, etc.

Weight Watchers Fresh Vegetable Soup Vegan. Very Weight Watchers Friendly. The original Weight Watchers Zero Point "Garden" Soup (that's the soup recipe that's just above) calls for a mix of fresh and frozen vegetables. It's wonderful, straight out of the pot. In contrast, the "Fresh" garden soup recipe calls for all fresh vegetables. The thing is, it needs 24 hours for the flavors to meld so I think of it as a "meal prep soup" versus soup for the table today.

Rustic Tomato Basil Soup Weight Watchers Friendly. Low Cal. Low Carb. Gluten Free. Not just vegan, "Vegan Done Real". Is it just me who likes a soup to "hint" at what's inside? That's the benefit of leaving a soup rustic, it shows off its inner good looks. That said? If you're craving a rich, creamy (even though it's vegan, so no cream at all) tomato soup that's smooth – and the crispy, melty grilled cheese sandwich to go with it – that works here too. The recipe comes from a favorite restaurant here in St. Louis, a place called Cafe Osage where everything's made from scratch, including this luscious soup.

Lasagna Soup with Fresh Spinach Winter Comfort Food. Naturally Gluten Free. Very Weight Watchers Friendly. Hearty Tasting While Still Weight Watchers Friendly. Many Compliments! Hello, #ComfortFood! This soup is like lasagna in a bowl, except without the cheese that so drives up the calories in lasagna. It's great for using up those odd scraps of lasagna noodle that multiply, somehow. Readers love this soup! It comes with rave reviews.

Sweet Potato Soup with Quinoa & Coconut Milk Hearty Tasting While Still Weight Watchers Friendly. Slightly Sweet. Vegan. Naturally Gluten Free. Many Compliments! Even though it's not so pretty to look at, this sweet potato soup also comes with rave reviews! I've tried other sweet potato soups that are somehow too starchy, too heavy, too dense. Not this soup! It calls for coconut milk and has a slight kick, thanks to a touch of cayenne and chili powder.

Homemade Minestrone Soup Winter Comfort Food. Vegetarian. Hearty Tasting While Still Weight Watchers Friendly. Do you know that "minestrone" means "big soup" in Italian? That means it's a hearty soup, full of flavor and healthy vegetables such as zucchini and cabbage ... plus some tiny bites of pasta. I've been making this soup since 1999, it still hits the spot!

Two-Can Ten-Minute Homemade Tomato Soup Quick. Hearty Tasting While Still Weight Watchers Friendly. Vegetarian. Beautiful Winter Color. Winter Comfort Food. Who says that a can of Campbell's is the way to go? My almost 93-year father, that's who. But I have him one beat. I use canned tomatoes (no sugar, no funky ingredients) to make soup in ten minutes and that includes the time to make some grilled cheese sandwiches. Serious as a heart attack, I am, about removing all those "weird" ingredients from our diets. Real food all the way. Real food for the win.

Watercress Soup A Classic. Vegetarian. Naturally Gluten Free. One year, I bought an entire case of watercress for a buck. It was such fun to experiment with all the classic watercress recipes. First up? Watercress Soup. But ever since, watercress isn't so easy to find, though it grows in abundance near a natural spring in a wild place in the Ozarks where we spend lots of time. But now? Trader Joe's has watercress on occasion so I've been updating my decade-old watercress recipes. First up? You guessed it, Watercress Soup. What's a good substitute for watercress? I'm thinking arugula ...

Homemade Vegetable Bouillon Concentrate Great for Meal Prep. Vegan Done Real. Now for the promised Meal Prep Bonus! Heh heh, I known to have a few soapboxes. Never Buy Salad Dressing Again Never Buy Fresh Herbs Again For Green Bean Casserole, Just Say NO! to Canned Green Beans & Mushroom Soup. Should I add another? It would go like this, it has a ring to it! Never Buy Cans, Cubes or Cartons of Stock, Broth or Bouillon Again! If you have a food processor, Homemade Bouillon is life-changing stuff, just finely chopped vegetables plus salt, stored in the freezer to scoop out an easy spoonful at a time. Yep. Life-changing.

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