4.26 86 Published Nov 11, 2023, Updated Jan 10, 2024 If you’re like me, you crave smoothies and salads in the summer, but as soon as the weather turns, you just want warm, comfort food. Sound familiar? The good news is, you can have cozy, comfort food that also packs in a ton of vegetables and nutrients! This vegetable soup is a perfect example of that.
Why You’ll Love This Soup
Hearty and delicious – It’s loaded with eight different fresh vegetables and is packed with tons of flavor, which makes it nutritious and super satisfying! Vegetarian – It’s a plant-forward meal that the whole family will love, perfect for meatless Monday. Meal prep – One pot makes 6-8 servings of soup so you can meal prep the soup on Sunday and have a healthy lunch or dinner ready to go for the week!
Ingredients Needed
vegetables – onion, carrots, celery, garlic cloves, potatoes, zucchini, green beans and frozen corn. canned diced tomatoes – adds more liquid and flavor to the soup. I like to use plain diced tomatoes or fire-roasted tomatoes for more flavor! vegetable broth – this is the base of the soup along with the juices from the diced tomatoes. I like to use low-sodium broth so I can add salt as needed. olive oil or avocado oil – to sauté the vegetables. lemon juice – a touch of acidity to balance out the flavors. I recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor. seasonings and spices – Italian seasoning, bay leaves, sea salt and pepper. fresh thyme and parsley – optional, but I love adding fresh herbs to my dishes when serving!
Substitutions and Variations
Want to add more flavor to this soup or switch up the vegetables based on what you have on hand? Go for it! The options are truly endless with this soup, but here are a few ideas to get you started.
Vegetables – Don’t love one of the veggies I’ve included or have another veggie in your fridge that needs to be used up? Toss that in! The addition of peas, cauliflower or bell pepper would be tasty. Potatoes – I used red skinned potatoes, but any potatoes will do! You can even swap in sweet potatoes or butternut squash if you want. Greens – Give the soup a boost of nutrients by adding in a handful of chopped greens (like kale or spinach) with 5 minutes of cook time left. Protein – Add a 15-ounce can of chickpeas or white beans to the soup. Simply drain and rinse the beans and add them to the soup when you add the broth. Cheese – This soup is delicious served with freshly grated parmesan on top if you’re okay with dairy. Spice – I like to add a little curry powder, crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to give the soup a little kick! Broth – Feel free to use a mix of water and vegetable broth if you prefer. If you don’t need this soup to be vegan you can also use chicken broth or bone broth.
How to Make Vegetable Soup
Sauté vegetables – Start by heating a large stockpot or dutch oven over medium heat on the stovetop. Add olive oil or avocado oil and once warm, add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, cover and cook 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and fragrant. Add seasoning – Add Italian seasoning and cook for another minute, stirring constantly. Add in the tomatoes, broth, bay leaves, potatoes, zucchini, green beans and corn. Simmer – Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Final touches – Remove from the heat, remove the bay leaves and stir in the lemon juice. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
How to Serve Vegetable Soup
Vegetable soup can totally be a meal on its own, but I love serving it with a salad and some crusty bread (like sourdough) or crackers. Here are some ideas:
Serve with a slice of crusty bread like homemade sourdough, or try vegan cornbread or pumpkin cornbread muffins. Some salads that would go well with this soup: Fuji apple salad or this delicious pear salad. For the crackers, you can make my almond flour crackers or use your favorite store-bought cracker. I’ve been hooked on Simple Mills crackers because they have minimal, clean ingredients and taste delicious!
How to Store
In general, soup is amazing for meal prep because of how well it stores! I love making one big batch and eating leftovers throughout the week. It tastes even better after sitting in the fridge for a day or two! Here’s how to store and reheat this soup:
In the fridge: For storage, let the soup cool before placing in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week. In the freezer: One cool, place the soup in an airtight freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to one month. When you’re ready to enjoy, let it thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheating: I recommend reheating on the stovetop rather than the microwave so you get an even heat without microwave splatters and hot/cold spots!
More Veggie Soup Recipes to Try
Tomato Basil Soup Chicken Noodle Soup Instant Pot Garlic Lentil Soup Carrot Parsnip Soup Cabbage Lentil Soup Sweet Potato Soup Broccoli Cheddar Soup Mushroom Barley Soup Easy Black Bean Soup Quinoa Vegetable Soup
Be sure to check out my full collection of soup recipes here on EBF!
