Vegetable Soup | The Cozy Apron

A Veggie-full and Deliciously Healthy Soup

I was never one of those kids that didn’t like to eat their veggies, funny enough. I’ve always actually quite enjoyed them, crunching and munching on them whether cooked or raw!

So naturally, comfy-cozy vegetable soup has always been one of my favorite homemade soups, because it is loaded with all sorts of wonderfully colorful veggies gently simmered in a light yet gloriously flavorful broth—so belly warming and healthy, two of the best possible combinations!

I grew up eating vegetable soup prepared by my mom’s loving hands, and always enjoyed every soothing bite. It was filled with whatever vegetables she had on hand she wanted to make sure to use up while they were still fresh, as well as lots of herbs and seasonings.

And even though that delicious vegetable soup was pretty basic, made without the addition of any meat and simmered in a basic stock, little was quite as cozy and enjoyable as a nice, big bowl of it with some warm bread on the side.

This simple little meal never failed to lift my spirits!

My Vegetable Soup Recipe

The beauty of a vegetable soup recipe is that it truly is deliciously healthy and easy, made pretty much with whatever vegetables one has on hand.

It’s a stellar way to make tasty use of the veggies that are begging to be used up in that veggie drawer in the fridge!

And since a good vegetable soup needs little else than an array of vegetables, some rich vegetable stock or broth (you can even use chicken stock or broth for more flavor), a couple of good pinches of seasoning, and a fresh, colorful and flavorful sprinkle of fresh herbs to finish, it typically only takes about 20 minutes to prepare.

This means that a healthy dinner is on the table and ready to be enjoyed in no time!

Here’s a sneak peek at my vegetable soup recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe…)

1. To get started, I place a medium to large size soup pot over medium-high heat, and add in a little of both olive oil and butter, followed by my aromatics and vegetables, then stock or broth.
2. Next, I simmer for about 15-20 minutes with your lid askew or covering, just until the veggies are tender yet still have a bit of bite to them.
3. To finish the soup, I stir in any leafy veggies such as kale or spinach, along with any peas or corn and fresh herbs, then ladle up!

Recipe

Vegetable Soup

by Ingrid Beer

This hot and comforting vegetable soup is coziness in a bowl, brimming with healthy, vibrant veggies in a rich broth infused with herbs!

Category: Soup

Cuisine: American

Yield: Serves 6

Nutrition Info: 244 calories calories per serving

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons ghee or unsalted butter
• 2 leeks (white part only), quartered and sliced thinly
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced small
• 3 parsnips, peeled and diced small
• 3 celery ribs, diced small
• 2 small red potatoes, peeled and diced small
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 1 teaspoons dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and seeded, and finely diced
• 6 cups vegetables broth or chicken broth
• 1 cup peas
• 1 cup kale, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped, fresh parsley
• Small squeeze of lemon

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. Place a medium-large soup pot over medium-high heat, and add in the ghee or butter and the oil. Once melted together, add in the leeks, carrots, parsnips, celery and diced potatoes, plus a pinch or two of salt and black pepper, and cook those together for about 3-4 minutes, or until they begin to become slightly translucent.
3. Add the Italian seasoning and the dried parsley, along with the garlic, and stir those in to incorporate.
4. Then, add the tomatoes followed by the vegetable or chicken stock, and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat so that the soup is gently simmering, cover, and allow to cook for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender yet have a slight bite still.
5. Turn the heat off the soup, stir in the peas, kale, chopped parsley and the small squeeze of lemon, and taste to see if any additional salt/pepper is needed before serving.

Tips & Tidbits for my Vegetable Soup Recipe:

• Choose your veggies: You can get as creative as you’d like here, using the veggies that are your favorite! I personally love the combination of earthy, sweet and savory flavors when choosing my veggies, and like to use carrots, parsnips, leeks, kale, and diced tomatoes to list a few.
• Combo of oil and ghee or butter for flavor: While you can certainly use only olive oil or only butter in this soup, I like the combination of both oil and butter (or even ghee) for added flavor and richness. This gives a little something extra to the flavor of the soup!
• Add your leafy greens and more delicate veggies at the end: While the harder veggies can withstand a good simmer, it’s best to leave the kale, the herbs, and the peas and corn (if using) for last. I add them in after I’ve turned off the soup, as the residual heat will wilt these ingredients. Adding them in after will also keep the greener color for longer, making for a more attractive soup to serve!
• Fresh herbs: I like to use a combination of both dried herbs and fresh in my soups. I add the dried as part of the seasoning to be added in as part of the cooking process, and use the fresh herbs to serve as finishers.
• Vegetable broth or chicken broth, your choice: To make a completely vegetarian version of this soup, use vegetable broth or stock. But for a little extra flavor, use chicken broth or stock.
• A squeeze of lemon: A little squeeze of lemon will add a tiny hint of brightness to vegetable soup, or any other soup frankly. Just a teaspoon or two of lemon will enliven things deliciously.
• Make ahead: Soup always deepens and becomes more flavorful a day or two after it’s been prepared, so feel free to prep it a couple of days before you plan to serve it, if you’d like. It’ll be delicious! (Just add the leafy greens, peas, corn, and any herbs after you have reheated it, and just before serving…)

Hungry for more delectably cozy soups? Check out this Chicken and Dumpling Soup, this Sausage Soup, this Sausage Tortellini Soup, this Italian Vegetable Soup with Spicy Sausage, this Beef Barley Soup, or this Alphabet Soup!

Cook’s Note: This recipe was originally published in 2018, and has been updated with even more love!