The Yummiest Vegetable Soup

Let’s hug over steamy soup and huge hunks of seedy sourdough!

I feel strongly that you’re going to be all huggy after this. It’s cozy and soul-soothin’ and OHMYLANTA it’s good for you, too.

Has anyone not gotten sick this year yet? Show yourselves! Howwwwww.

Whether you’ve caught the wintery phlegm bug or not, I’m willing to bet that you could use some soupy nourishment with warm bread for sopping up all the vitamins and minerals at the end. There’s so many veggies in here!! We don’t discriminate. If you have green beans, I think those would be super lovely in here, too. Or some elbow noodles! Minestrone, eh? I love the white potatoes in this recipe because they add a nice starchy thickness to the soup, but I think the sweetness of sweet potato would be a really stellar addition as well.

You know what I always say…recipes are to be used a guide. Use your noggin. Oh the places you’ll go!

I want to talk about salt for a second because someone asked me recently which salt I use when and why. I use fine sea salt in baking and when I’m salting things on my plate, like toast or eggs. I use kosher salt when I’m cooking because it’s thicker and covers more ground. If I had to use my super fine Himalayan sea salt grinder from Costco for this recipe, I’d be standing over the soup salting it for three years. You need a beefier salt here, like the larger crystals in kosher salt which help release moisture (like sweating onions).

Long story short, throw in a few good pinches while you’re cooking, season it to taste, and don’t be shy because this recipe makes a big pot. Salt makes such a huge difference in flavor but everyone has different preferences. The acidity in the lemon at the end helps define the flavor and add brightness as well, so find a good balance. If you don’t have lemon, you can use balsamic vinegar. Adding acid at the end of a soup is so clutch!

Ok taking off my Bill Nye hat now.

Ya know what? I think this soup would be lovely in the slow cooker, too. I imagine you could throw everything in there (you may not need the oil?) and let it simmer all day long. Or all night long, if you’re a soup for breakfast kind of human. I cook pretty much all my soups in this dutch oven. I’ve had it for years and it’s the bomb!

Let’s talk toppings. I garnished my bowls with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil for extra richness, a squeeze of fresh lemon (I keep pronouncing it lee-MONE in my brain), and a sprinkle of fresh parsley. If you have parm on hand, you better go there.

AND BREAD. Did I mention my adoration for carbs?