Ah, Vegetable Soup 🥕🥔🥬 — a light, hearty, and healthy classic that’s perfect for warming up, using leftover vegetables, or making in a big batch to enjoy all week. Here’s a simple, flexible recipe:
🥣 Classic Vegetable Soup
Ingredients (serves 4–6)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 1 medium potato, diced
- 1 zucchini or summer squash, diced
- 1 cup green beans, chopped
- 1 (14.5 oz / 410 g) can diced tomatoes
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1–2 bay leaves
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- Optional: 1 cup corn, peas, or spinach added near the end
Instructions
- Sauté aromatics
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Sauté 5–7 minutes until softened.
- Add vegetables and broth
- Stir in potatoes, zucchini, green beans, diced tomatoes (with juice), broth, thyme, oregano, and bay leaves.
- Simmer
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 25–30 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
- Finish
- Add any quick-cooking vegetables like corn, peas, or spinach in the last 5 minutes.
- Remove bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Serve
- Serve hot with crusty bread or crackers.
Pro Tips
- Flavor boost: Add a splash of soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce for extra depth.
- Make ahead: Soup tastes even better the next day as flavors meld.
- Herbs: Fresh parsley, basil, or dill can be stirred in at the end for brightness.
- Variation: Add beans or lentils for a protein-rich vegetarian version.
I can also give you:
- 🥕 Hearty minestrone-style vegetable soup
- 🥔 Creamy blended vegetable soup
- 🌶️ Spicy vegetable soup with chili and paprika
- 🍲 Slow cooker vegetable soup for easy prep
Do you want the slow cooker version that’s hands-off and even more flavorful?
