Seasonal Soup & Salad Recipes ♥ April

Seasonal Soups & Salads for April, a monthly feature ♥ A Veggie Venture
Seasonal Soup and Salad recipes, ideas perfect for the month of April, all from A Veggie Venture's decade+ collection of 1000+ vegetable recipes. Looking for ideas for windows-open spring suppers? show-stopper salads for Easter gatherings? salads and salad dressings you will want to make again and again? Find your personal salad (and soup!) inspiration for April here ...

About April's Recipe Collection

April's recipes ride the cusp of late winter and early spring. All but one of April's recipes are vegetarian and many are vegan. All but one call for easy-to-find ingredients — and even the "hard to find" ingredient, dandelion greens, might be as close as your back yard! And then? There are four salad dressings and a challenge, me to you, to "never buy salad dressing again"!

Mostly, I'm struck how April's seasonal recipe collection is a "bridge" between late winter and spring: the salads are mostly more substantial and the soups are lighter. Yes, that's April for a seasonal cook. I hope you love this collection, please do enjoy!

A Year of Seasonal Soup & Salad Recipes? We're Six Months In!

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

Quick Lists for April

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

SALADS of the Month – April
Summer Black-Eyed Pea Salad 20min/4hrs–ww1–pp1–sp2–fs0–green1–blue0–purple0–carb6
Seven-Layer Strawberry Salad with Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing 30min/30min–ww5–pp6–sp8–fs5–green5–blue5–purple5–carb15
Smitten Kitchen's Avocado-Cucumber Salad 10min/10min–ww3–pp4–sp5–fs4–green4–blue4–purple4–carb5
Greek Bread Salad with Toasted Pita Chips 20min/20min–ww1–pp1–sp2–fs1–green1–blue1–purple1–carb4
How to Make a Roasted Beet Salad 5min/5min–ww1–pp2–sp3–fs1–green1–blue1–purple1–carb7
Simple Zucchini Ribbon Salad 15min/15min–ww1–pp2–sp2–fs1–green1–blue1–purple1–carb3
Never Buy Salad Dressing Again
Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing 15min/15min–ww2–pp2–sp2–fs2–green2–blue2–purple2–carb0
Oil & Honey Dressing for Salad Greens 5min/5min–ww1–pp3–sp3–fs3–green3–blue3–purple3–carb9
German Salad Dressing 5min/5min–ww0–pp0–sp1–fs1–green1–blue1–purple1–carb3
Homemade Greek Salad Dressing 10min/10min–ww1–pp1–sp1–fs1–green1–blue1–purple1–carb1

SOUPS of the Month – April
Paleo Carrot Soup 40min/90min–ww2–pp3–sp5–fs4–green4–blue4–purple4–carb14
Weight Watchers Asian Zero Points Soup 35min/45min–ww1–pp2–sp2–fs0–green0–blue0–purple0–carb9
Cream of Dandelion Soup 30min/30min–ww8–pp9–sp13–fs9–green9–blue9–purple9–carb17

BONUS of the Month – April
Vegetables 101: What Are Crudites? How to Create a Colorful Instagram-Friendly Platter of Raw Vegetables

Want to Know More?

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

Insider Tip

Click any image, you'll click right through to the recipe! Convenient, eh?




Seasonal Salads for APRIL

Summer Black-Eyed Pea Salad

20min/4hrs–ww1–pp1–sp2–fs0–green1–blue0–purple0–carb6

Crunch & Color. Vegan. Weight Watchers Friendly. Crowd Pleaser! Party Favorite! Beautiful In a Buffet! One of the Best Vegetable Recipes of 2011!

Summer Black-Eyed Pea Salad, another fresh, healthy and colorful salad ♥ AVeggieVenture.com. Very Weight Watchers Friendly. Crowd Pleasing Party Favorite. Vegan.
Black-Eyed Peas + Green Peas + Carrots + Celery + Tomato Bites + Herbs

Let's start off with a couple of show-stoppers, shall we? So much color and texture going on here, it just pops your eyes and your taste buds. Make this salad all year long, it delivers the sense of summer no matter the time of year!



Seven-Layer Strawberry Salad with Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing

30min/30min–ww5–pp6–sp8–fs5–green5–blue5–purple5–carb15

Pinterest Loves It! Vegan. Perfect Party Fare. A Classic Turned Upside Down. One of Best Vegetable Recipes of 2012!

Seven-Layer Strawberry Salad with Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing, another show-stopping salad ♥ AVeggieVenture.com, a strawberry riff on the classic seven-layer salad.
Romaine + Strawberries + Kiwi + Mango + Avocado + Walnuts

This is the Classic Seven Layer Salad gone all fruity for spring! And LOL, hey look! It's The Man With the Hands in the photo!



Smitten Kitchen's Avocado-Cucumber Salad

10min/10min–ww3–pp4–sp5–fs4–green4–blue4–purple4–carb5

Great Texture Contrast, Creamy & Crunchy. Versatile. Great Jumping Off Salad for Lots of Variations. "Positively Addictive." One of my Best Everyday Vegetable Recipes of 2015!

Smitten Kitchen's Avocado-Cucumber Salad, another quick and easy and possibly addictive salad ♥ AVeggieVenture.com.
Cucumber + Avocado + Lemon-y Mayo + Hot Sauce

I can't stop making this summer-y salad, just a few pantry vegetables and a lemon- and Sriracha-spiked mayo. One year, I made a giant batch for an after-wedding brunch, an extra-special giant bowl that included both balls of wet honeydew and blueberries. It disappeared in a f-l-a-s-h. So it's great for parties but honestly, it's a weeknight-easy salad for home, too. And besides, you might not want to share.



Greek Bread Salad with Toasted Pita Chips

20min/20min–ww1–pp1–sp2–fs1–green1–blue1–purple1–carb4

Kid Friendly. Great Crunch & Color. Weight Watchers Friendly.

Greek Bread Salad with Toasted Pita Chips, another salad with great crunch and color ♥ AVeggieVenture.com. Kid Friendly! Weight Watchers Friendly!
Carrot + Celery + Cucumber + Pita Bread

Words to make a mom happy: "My kids devour this salad." It's the toasted pita chips, perhaps? perhaps? Whatever it takes, right?



How to Make a Roasted Beet Salad

5min/5min–ww1–pp2–sp3–fs1–green1–blue1–purple1–carb7

Quick. Easy for One, Easy for Company. Make It a Meal. 90% Meal Prep.

How to Make a Roasted Beet Salad, another easy salad for one or for company ♥ AVeggieVenture.com.
Roasted Beets + Feta

Calling all beet lovers! You know who you are, right? :-) You're the ones who can't say to "no" to a beet salad on a restaurant menu. But are treating yourselves at home? Here's a simple way to start ...



Simple Zucchini Ribbon Salad

15min/15min–ww1–pp2–sp2–fs1–green1–blue1–purple1–carb3

Spring Specialty. Low Cal. Low Carb. Weight Watchers Friendly.

Simple Zucchini Ribbon Salad, another super-simple spring salad ♥ AVeggieVenture.com. Low Cal. Low Carb. Weight Watchers Friendly.
Young Zucchini + Young Yellow Squash + Simple Vinaigrette

Beginning in April, the grocery store summer squash are noticeably smaller (and thus younger) than later in the summer. So sweet, so tender, these. Take advantage! This is a simple, simple salad, just very thinly sliced summer squash gently tossed in a vinaigrette. Sumptuous!



Never Buy Salad Dressing Again

A Challenge, From Me to You!

Never Buy Salad Dressing Again, a personal challenge ♥ AVeggieVenture.com.
Inspiration + Determination + A Little Practice

I swear, the #1 thing home cooks can do for themselves and their families is to ditch the gloppy, pricey, calorie-laden bottles of store-bought salad dressing. So back in 2008, I issued a little challenge. Ha! I even repeated it in new form for my friend Katie, who's joined with her daughter and other family members to build healthy eating and moving habits, see My Everyday Creamy Herb Salad Dressing, that's the "house" dressing right now.

So how about a few simple ideas, just to start?



Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing

15min/15min–ww2–pp2–sp2–fs2–green2–blue2–purple2–carb0

Classic DIY. Pantry Ingredients. Fast & Simple. Low Carb. Recipe Makeover.

Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing, another easy, DIY salad dressing ♥ AVeggieVenture.com.
Garlic + Lemon Juice + Egg + Anchovies + Parmesan

Who else loves a good restaurant Caesar salad? Me too. You won't believe how easy (and inexpensive) it is to make Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing. I updated this recipe a few days ago, it's now on a 3x5 so that I can make it again and again!



Oil & Honey Dressing for Salad Greens

5min/5min–ww1–pp3–sp3–fs3–green3–blue3–purple3–carb9

Super Simple. Make It On the Fly. No "Recipe" Required. Just Two Ingredients. One of the Best Vegetables Recipes of 2006!

Oil & Honey Dressing for Salad Greens ♥ AVeggieVenture.com
Good Oil + Honey + That's It!

Everybody knows about "oil and vinegar" for salads, right? Heavens, there are even cute little cruets for the table, one for oil, one for vinegar. But here's a variation, oil and honey. Give it a shot!



German Salad Dressing

5min/5min–ww0–pp0–sp1–fs1–green1–blue1–purple1–carb3

A Wartime Favorite. A Traveller Favorite. A Family Favorite. One of the Best Vegetables Recipes of 2008!

German Salad Dressing, another favorite salad dressing ♥ AVeggieVenture.com. A nostalgic favorite. Just three pantry ingredients. So simple!
Milk + Vinegar + Sugar

Some times, the most unexpected recipe brings out the nostalgia in people. That's the way it's been for this simple German Salad Dressing. Be sure to read the comments for memories and many variations.



Homemade Greek Salad Dressing

10min/10min–ww1–pp1–sp1–fs1–green1–blue1–purple1–carb1

Pinterest Loves It! Pantry Ingredients. Great for Meal Prep.

Homemade Greek Salad Dressing, another simple DIY salad dressing ♥ AVeggieVenture.com
Feta + Seasonings

Such a classic! A Greek feta-packed dressing will bring new life to your spring salads. We go through this like ... five kids and a bottle of pancake syrup.




Seasonal Soups for APRIL


Paleo Carrot Soup

40min/90min–ww2–pp3–sp5–fs4–green4–blue4–purple4–carb14

Low Cal. Naturally Gluten Free. Dairy Free. Paleo. Vegan.

Paleo Carrot Soup ♥ AVeggieVenture.com. Vegan. Dairy Free. Gluten Free.
Carrot + Leek + Apple + Spices + Coconut Milk

Ahhh, the pastels of spring, now in bowls of pale carrot soup! But there's nothing "pale" about the taste here, think fresh ginger, cardamom and coconut milk.



Weight Watchers Asian Zero Points Soup

35min/45min–ww1–pp2–sp2–fs0–green0–blue0–purple0–carb9

Weight Watchers Classic. All About the Asian Vegetables. Pinterest Loves It! One of the Best Vegetables Recipes of 2008!

Weight Watchers Asian Zero Points Soup ♥ AVeggieVenture.com. Vegan. Sooo many vegetables!
Bok Choy + Napa Cabbage + Mushrooms + Water Chestnuts + Bell Pepper

Of all the famous Weight Watchers zero-point soups, this Asian-ingredient soup is most "all about the vegetables". I owe myself another big potful, asap! (And hmmm, I owe all of us a new photo ...)



Cream of Dandelion Soup

30min/30min–ww8–pp9–sp13–fs9–green9–blue9–purple9–carb17

Spring Classic. One of the Best Vegetables Recipes of 2007!

Cream of Dandelion Soup ♥ AVeggieVenture.com. Spring Classic.
Dandelion Greens + Milk + Cream

Where to get dandelion greens? How about foraging in millions of back yards? Or, you know, Whole Foods. You could also substitute watercress or arugula. This is a small batch of rich soup, the kind we're probably happiest with in small servings, paired with a salad or small sandwich. Yummmm ...




Bonus Recipe for APRIL


Vegetables 101: What Are Crudites?

How to Create a Colorful Instagram-Friendly Platter of Raw Vegetables

Raw. Weight Watchers Friendly. Low Carb. Vegan. Great Color and Freshness for Buffets Year-Round.

What Are Crudités? (And How to Build a Stunning Platter) another Vegetables 101 ♥ A Veggie Venture
A Pretty Mix of Your Favorite Vegetables. That's It!

Even at parties, I'm struck how many people load up on fresh salads and vegetables — and then shun the desserts. Sure, you can buy a tray of vegetables at the grocery store. But the honest truth is that the vegetables are t-e-r-r-i-b-l-e and those dried-out and flavorless vegetables don't get eaten. If you're going to make a vegetable platter, make it a pretty one! This post has all the tips and veggie-happy ideas.






Still Hungry?



MORE SOUP & SALAD RECIPES

~ more soup recipes ~
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from A Veggie Venture

~ more soup recipes ~
~ more salad recipes ~
from Kitchen Parade, my food column

A Veggie Venture is home of "veggie evangelist" Alanna Kellogg and the
famous asparagus-to-zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables.

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2019 & 2020


Alanna Kellogg
Alanna Kellogg

A Veggie Venture is home of "veggie evangelist" Alanna Kellogg and the famous asparagus-to-zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables.

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