Seasonal Soup & Salad Recipes ♥ February

Seasonal Soup and Salad recipes, ideas perfect for the month of February, all from A Veggie Venture's decade+ collection of 1300+ vegetable recipes. These late-winter soup and salad recipes are mostly veg(etari)an and call for easy-to-find ingredients. Find your cold-weather salad (and soup!) inspiration here ...

This week's polar vortex has turned much of the country into ice cubes. My hometown in Minnesota? It hasn't been above zero for days and hit minus 36F on Wednesday – I'm reminded of the old adage, "At forty below, it's all the same." Whether Fahrenheit or Celsius, that's C-O-L-D cold! And cold weather calls for soup ... kitchen-scenting, belly-warming and life-sustaining. Stay warm, all!

About February's Recipe Collection

I'm loving these intense look-backs into recipes from A Veggie Venture's archives! Too long forgotten? Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup, just one of four recipes from this page revisited recently. So good! But February's soups, especially, have much in common even though the collection developed, without aim, over thirteen years. What is it about February that shouts out for ...

Spare, monastic soups.
Soups often rich with spices, as if reaching for the sun in tropical climes, with flavors that meld with time.
Soups often puréed with looks our nana once compared to the "dog's breakfast". Good thing, garnishes to the rescue!

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

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

Quick Lists for February

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

SALADS of the Month – February
Kale Salad To-Go with Avocado & Apple 20min/4hrs–ww1–pp2–sp2–fs2–green2–blue2–purple2–carb4 ♥
Kohlrabi & Apple Slaw with Creamy Coleslaw Dressing 25min/25min–ww2–pp2–sp3–fs1–green1–blue1–purple1–carb6 ♥
Fennel-Apple Salad with Orange-Zest Candied Black Walnuts 20min/20min–ww4–pp5–sp8–fs5–green5–blue5–purple5–carb24 ♥

SOUPS of the Month – February
Peasant Cabbage Tomato Soup 15min/30min–ww1–pp2–sp3–fs1–green1–blue1–purple1–carb10 ♥
Vegan Chickpea Gumbo 30min/50min–ww1–pp2–sp2–fs0–green0–blue0–purple0–carb11 ♥
Spiced Pumpkin Soup 25min/90min–ww2–pp3–sp5–fs2–green2–blue2–purple2–carb19 ♥
Simple Butternut Squash Soup 15min/20min–ww3–pp4–sp4–fs1–green1–blue1–purple1–carb20 ♥
Butternut Squash Soup that Actually Tastes Like Butternut Squash 30min/60min–ww4–pp5–sp8–fs6–green6–blue6–purple6–carb18 ♥
Cream of Broccoli & Carrot Soup 25min/45min–ww3–pp4–sp5–fs4–green4–blue4–purple4–carb16 ♥
Spicy Cauliflower Soup 25min/75min–ww1–pp2–sp2–fs0–green0–blue0–purple0–carb6 ♥
Hunger Moon Parsnip Soup 15min/45min–ww3–pp3–sp5–fs5–green5–blue5–purple1–carb20 ♥
Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup 40min/48hrs–ww2–pp3–sp3–fs2–green2–blue2–purple2–carb11 ♥
Curried Red Lentil Soup 30min/24hrs–ww4–pp5–sp6–fs2–green6–blue3–purple1–carb27 ♥
Roasted Eggplant Soup 25min/60min–ww1–pp2–sp3–fs1–green1–blue1–purple1–carb9 ♥
Curried Vegetable Bisque 30min/90min–ww3–pp4–sp6–fs4–green4–blue4–purple4–carb24 ♥

BONUS of the Month – February
Soup's On! All month, soup enthusiasts all cooked Soup, Glorious Soup!

Want to Know More?

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

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Seasonal Salads for FEBRUARY

Kale Salad To-Go with Avocado & Apple 20min/4hrs–ww1–pp2–sp2–fs2–green2–blue2–purple2–carb4 ♥ Great for Meal Prep. Just Five Ingredients. Low Carb. Weight Watchers Friendly. Vegan. Naturally Gluten Free. Did I mention Easy & Make-Ahead? Kale lovers "get" how a deep hand massage converts kale from tough and chewy to something almost silky and sublime. Usually, the massage is done with olive oil, I first tried that oil technique for the ever-popular Quick 'Massaged' Kale Salad. But this To-Go Kale Salad is massaged with avocado – I know, right? How brilliant!

Kohlrabi & Apple Slaw with Creamy Coleslaw Dressing 25min/25min–ww2–pp2–sp3–fs1–green1–blue1–purple1–carb6 ♥ Super Refreshing. Unusual Ingredient Combination. Weight Watchers Friendly. Low Carb. Naturally Gluten Free. Kohlrabi + Apple + Fresh Mint = an unexpected, almost elegant combination. And oh! that Creamy Coleslaw Dressing! It's n-o-t-h-i-n-g like bottled salad dressing, what coleslaw dressing is supposed to taste like!

Fennel-Apple Salad with Orange-Zest Candied Black Walnuts 20min/20min–ww4–pp5–sp8–fs5–green5–blue5–purple5–carb24 ♥ Great Crunch. Super-Healthy. Almost a Meal in Itself. Magical Candied Black Walnuts. Vegan. Naturally Gluten Free. It's not often that I "compose" a salad but this one was inspired by a local St. Louis chef. Even so I made it my own: orange slices topped with chopped fennel and apple in a super-light vinaigrette. The magic is in the walnuts, candied in butter and brown sugar and a touch of orange zest.

Seasonal Soups for FEBRUARY

Peasant Cabbage Tomato Soup 15min/30min–ww1–pp2–sp3–fs1–green1–blue1–purple1–carb10 ♥ Pinterest Loves It! Quick to Make. Short List of Pantry Ingredients. Weight Watchers Friendly! Gluten Free. Whole30 Friendly. Easily Made Vegan. What is it about cabbage that just "makes" a soup? This soup is a tiny bit sweet and sour, a perfect antidote to an indulgent day or holiday.

Vegan Chickpea Gumbo 30min/50min–ww1–pp2–sp2–fs0–green0–blue0–purple0–carb11 ♥ Vegan. Pantry Ingredients Plus One Surprise Ingredient That "Makes" the Gumbo. Easter comes late this year, so Mardi Gras and all its celebrations will begin in late February and slip into March. (No overlapping with Valentines, this year!) All the more reason (and time!) to make Vegan Chickpea Gumbo more than once! It makes a big batch, perfect for parties!

Spiced Pumpkin Soup 25min/90min–ww2–pp3–sp5–fs2–green2–blue2–purple2–carb19 ♥ Spiced Not Spicy. Sweetened With Banana. Easy Made Vegan. These next several soups are similar to one another – including, no doubt, looking something like what my grandmother used to call the "dog's breakfast". But all are quintessential fall and winter soups, in fact, there's a mix 'n' match quality to these soups. This first soup starts with pumpkin, either canned (for convenience) or something like my Homemade Kabocha Squash "Pumpkin" Purée ... plus spices. And for the top? Yum, Pumpkin Corn Bread croutons!

Simple Butternut Squash Soup 15min/20min–ww3–pp4–sp4–fs1–green1–blue1–purple1–carb20 ♥ Beautiful Color! Vegan. Naturally Gluten Free. Weight Watchers Friendly. This is the simplest of these soups, just cooked butternut squash (good reason to cook an extra, How to Roast a Whole Butternut Squash) seasoned only with ginger and garlic.

Butternut Squash Soup that Actually Tastes Like Butternut Squash 30min/60min–ww4–pp5–sp8–fs6–green6–blue6–purple6–carb18 ♥ Just Four Ingredients. Elegant and Startling. Vegetarian. This last version takes a little more effort, not much more time, no more ingredients (fewer, even) but more steps. It's from Cook's Illustrated and each step extracts flavor from butternut squash – not rich spices, not ginger and garlic, not the stock, just the squash itself.

Cream of Broccoli & Carrot Soup 25min/45min–ww3–pp4–sp5–fs4–green4–blue4–purple4–carb16 ♥ Simple Pantry Ingredients. "Creamed" with Evaporated Milk. The "cream" in this soup is evaporated milk. That makes it a good candidate for households that don't keep milk or cream in the fridge but every so often, might want to make a creamy soup. I also take a close look at the case for when to choose evaporated milk vs half & half or whole milk. Good reasons? Twice the protein. Half the fat.

Spicy Cauliflower Soup 25min/75min–ww1–pp2–sp2–fs0–green0–blue0–purple0–carb6 ♥ Very Weight Watchers Friendly: Zero Freestyle points! Low Carb. Naturally Gluten Free. Vegan. Please don't judge this soup by its appearance. What it lacks in aesthetics, it compensates in flavor. The spices are "Indian-style" – coriander, cumin and turmeric, plus a little chili powder for a small measure of heat.

Hunger Moon Parsnip Soup 15min/45min–ww3–pp3–sp5–fs5–green5–blue5–purple1–carb20 ♥ Easily Made Vegan. Naturally Gluten Free. Whole30 Friendly (without dairy). This is a simple soup, just simple goodness, unadorned and without complexity. It is simply, utterly, delicious. Add milk or cream and you've got "cream of parsnip soup".

Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup 40min/48hrs–ww2–pp3–sp3–fs2–green2–blue2–purple2–carb11 ♥ Great for Meal Prep. Naturally Gluten Free. Whole30 Friendly. Weight Watchers Friendly & Freestyle Friendly. Why does a beef and vegetable soup become a two- or three-day project? I'm not sure, but both my recipes (Vegetable Beef Soup & Beef Barley Soup with Mushrooms) both take the time to make homemade beef stock, then allow time for the stock to chill so it's super-easy to lift off the beef fat. (The birds love it!) If you already have beef stock on hand, then just call this soup "supper".

Curried Red Lentil Soup 30min/24hrs–ww4–pp5–sp6–fs2–green6–blue3–purple1–carb27 ♥ Vegan. Weight Watchers Friendly. Red lentils are important here, they cook quickly, turning soft and creamy. Add sweet potatoes (or butternut squash, for Weight Watchers Freestyle friendliness!) and fresh spinach and a splash of essential lemon juice? Lunch! Light supper!

Roasted Eggplant Soup 25min/60min–ww1–pp2–sp3–fs1–green1–blue1–purple1–carb9 ♥ Weight Watchers Friendly. Low Cal. Low Carb. Gluten Free. Paleo. Vegan. The eggplants are so-so pretty this time of year! For this soup, it's roasted and then mixed with carrots, smoked paprika and cumin. Gorgeous!

Curried Vegetable Bisque 30min/90min–ww3–pp4–sp6–fs4–green4–blue4–purple4–carb24 ♥ Low Fat. Weight Watchers Friendly. Vegetarian. Naturally Gluten Free. Call me smitten with this soup (which I made just last month), especially on the second and third day, after the flavors really had a chance to meld. It definitely needs a garnish! I chose a mix of carrot and currants, both ingredients in the bisque.

BONUS of the Month for FEBRUARY

Soup, Glorious Soup! A collection of soup recipes from all across the world. The Year 2007 is the Dark Age of food blogging. (Our photos were dark, for sure, haha.) But back then, the early heydays for food bloggers, we all knew one another. And every month, a few bloggers would host events, a way to learn and share our lives and our recipes with one another and our readers. Sound kind of idyllic? It truly was. And pre Facebook, pre Twitter, pre Instagram. Now, of course, any one of us can post whatever we want on our phones and our friends and followers can instantly react. Anyway. I digress. Back in 2007, I hosted an event called Soup, Glorious Soup and bloggers joined in from across the world. It's kind of an amazing collection – and a look back at how many then-familiar blogs, sadly, are no more.

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