How long it takes: 20 minutes to prep, 50 minutes to simmer Equipment you’ll need: sharp knife, cutting board, large pan Servings: 10 My grandma frequently made vegetable soup from scratch. She added a lot of beef to it (cubed chuck roast, I think) and veggies from her backyard garden, and cooked it all afternoon. It was thick, almost like a stew, especially since she threw in a bunch of rice, too. Sorry, grandma, this is not your vegetable soup! She’d probably say, Where’s the beef?! I’m sure she would love it, though. Even if she didn’t, she would say she did, because hey, she’s my grandma and she likes everything I make!
About This Vegetable Soup Recipe
It isn’t fussy with time. The beauty of homemade vegetable soup is that you can have it on the table in about an hour, or if you prefer, you can let it simmer all afternoon. It’s up to you and depends on how your day is going. Easy clean-up. Soup is a one pan meal so you won’t have a lot of dishes to wash. That’s a happy thought, isn’t it? FULL of vegetables. There are seven different vegetables in this vegetable soup, plus fresh herbs. If you’re like me and looking to increase your vegetable intake every day, this flavorful vegetarian soup is the way to do it. There’s a medley of veggies in every spoonful: onion, celery, carrots, turnips, tomatoes, green beans, cabbage, and fresh parsley. Homemade vegetable soup fits into lots of specialized diets. It’s perfect for vegetarians, vegans, those of you who are looking for gluten-free and dairy-free recipes, or if you’re on a Whole30, paleo, or low-carb diet. It’s very low in calories, just 77 calories for a one cup serving.
How to Make It
Sauté the vegetables. You’ll need a soup pan, Dutch oven, or really large sauce pan. Begin by sautéing onions, carrots, celery, and turnips in a little olive oil. Add liquids and simmer. Add vegetable broth, canned tomatoes, and fresh thyme, and let the soup simmer until the vegetables are nearly tender. Stir in beans and cabbage. Add fresh green beans and shredded cabbage, and simmer for a little while longer. If you like them really tender, you could add the green beans and cabbage when you add the broth. I like to add them a little later so they retain some crispness. It’s up to you. Serve. Right before you serve the soup, throw in a handful of chopped parsley. Garnish the vegetable soup with curls of Parmesan cheese or homemade croutons.
What to serve with vegetable soup
Scoop out a steaming bowlful of hearty vegetable soup and enjoy it with a cornbread muffin, homemade bread, or crackers (maybe homemade Cheez-its!). My family loves a slice of healthy pumpkin bread (made with whole wheat flour and Greek yogurt) spread with vanilla bean whipped cream cheese.
Make-Ahead Ideas
Head start idea. Chop up the vegetables a day ahead and put them in the fridge overnight, ready to make into soup later.
Use whatever veggies you like or happen to have in the fridge or garden. Pretty much everything can go into vegetable soup, including greens. Bell peppers, corn, peas, potatoes, or sweet potatoes are all great choices. Add meat. Like my grandma, you can add beef (cubed chuck roast or ground beef), or chicken, or sausage, or bacon, or bison, or venison, or, I’m sure you get the idea. Brown the meat in the pan before adding veggies. Or try this easy veggie-loaded hamburger soup or slow cooker chicken kale soup. Add beans. Boost the protein with canned beans like cannellini, kidney, pinto, or whatever you have. Add grains or pasta. Throw in rice or barley for a thicker soup. Try alphabet pasta or another small pasta like ditalini.
Keep it warm in a crockpot. Keep in mind that the soup can simmer as long as you need it to. The vegetables will get a bit softer but other than that, it will be perfectly fine. In fact, some folks prefer it that way.
Storage & Reheating Tips
This recipe makes ten cups of soup but don’t worry if that seems like a lot. Vegetable soup is just as good leftover and is perfect for lunch. Store it in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze it up to 3 months. Reheat on the stove top or microwave.
