Veggie-Packed Couscous Spring Soup {vegan}

This hearty spring soup features Israeli couscous and peak season produce, including asparagus, Swiss chard, parsley and lemon. 

Somehow I went an entire winter without sharing a new soup recipe on here, which is crazy talk because I made soup for dinner at least a few nights a week throughout the entire chilly season.

But I’m making up for it today with a fabulous spring soup recipe! It’s perfect to make when the temps are cooler or on rainy days.

Veggie-Packed Couscous Spring Soup

This hearty soup features produce that’s in peak season, including asparagus and Swiss chard. The recipe also includes lemon juice, as U.S. lemons are in peak season from winter through May. And since I love packing the veggies in, this soup also includes veggies grown year-round in America, including carrots, potatoes and celery.

Besides ample veggies, the star ingredient of this soup is pearled cous cous. Also known as Israeli couscous, this is by far my favorite kind of couscous. If you’ve tried small grained couscous before and weren’t a fan, I highly suggest you try pearled couscous. Just as the name implies, it’s made if thicker “pearls” of grain, and I love it as a side dish or in soups!

What’s awesome about this spring soup is that it’s a high volume meal – meaning it fills you up while being low in calories, yet high in nutrients.

The recipe makes 4 large bowls of soup, and each serving contains just 170 calories while packing in 87% of the recommended daily value of Vitamin A, 31% Vitamin C, 24% Calcium, and 540 mg of potassium.

When my husband first tried this soup he said, “You should make this more often!” and I think I indeed am going to have to make it again before springtime ends. I hope that you give this one a try, and if you do, I’d love for you to comment below and let me know what you think!

The Recipe

Veggie-Packed Couscous Spring Soup {vegan}

Foodie Loves Fitness

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Servings 4 large bowls

Calories 170 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 packed cups Swiss chard
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 2 cups Yukon Gold potatoes Russet or other types of potatoes work as well
• 2 large carrots
• 2 stalks of celery
• 1/4 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• 7 cups vegetable broth
• 1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• 2 TBSP fresh parsley
• 1 cup dry pearled couscous
• 1/2 TSP salt plus more to taste
• 1/4 TSP pepper plus more to taste

Instructions

 

• Prep the veggies: Roughly chop the Swiss chard, trim and cut the asparagus into bite-sized pieces, peel and chop the carrot, chop the celery and parsley, cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces, and mince the onion and garlic.
• Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium low heat.
• Add in the garlic and onion, and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
• Add in the Swiss chard and cook until wilted, 3-5 minutes.
• Transfer the broth, lemon juice, asparagus, potatoes, carrots, celery, parsley, salt and pepper to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes.
• Add in the couscous and cook for another 8-10 minutes, until the couscous and veggies are tender, and the soup has reached its desired consistency. Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper, if needed, before serving.

Notes

*One bowl contains 87% of the recommended daily value of Vitamin A, 31% Vitamin C, 25% Calcium and 540 mg of potassium.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 170kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 7gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 0.5gFiber: 4gSugar: 8g

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Tell me… What seasonal ingredients have you been cooking or baking with/eating lately?