Packed with all kinds of veggies, this easy healthy loaded vegetable soup will become a new family favorite. Serve with crusty bread!
Let’s hug over steamy vegetable 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?
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 medium carrots, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 4 cups vegetable broth + 1 cup water
- 2-15oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup corn (I used thawed from frozen)
- 1-15oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed (optional)
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, more to taste
- 1½ tsp kosher salt, more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Heat oil in a large stockpot or dutch oven over medium-low heat. Once hot, add onion, garlic and a teaspoon of kosher salt and cook about 8 minutes. Add carrots, celery, potatoes and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring often. Add Italian seasoning and cook for one more minute.
- Add broth, water, tomatoes, corn, beans, bay leaf, and several grinds of pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered until the vegetables are tender, about 35 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in parsley and lemon juice. Remove bay leaf and season to taste with salt (don't be shy, I added lots of salt!) and pepper. Serve hot with crusty bread.
My Mum makes a similar vegetable soup – it’s basically my comfort food! Would love to try your spin on it sometime this week! 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog recently posted…Mark My Words, Grandma Fashion Is the Upcoming Thing
My mom made a delicious vegetable beef soup, that I always loved. She simmered soup bones for hours, strained all the icky stuff off and made her soup. In the summer it was always with fresh garden veggies.
Now, I always make a vegetable soup with beef broth, no meat. I use cabbage, canned tomatoes, carrots, green beans, squash, corn, onion, no potatoes, I don’t care for them, spinach, that I add after soup has finished cooking. I’m most definitely a soup for breakfast person. I enjoy all soups all seasons of the year. I add herbs to mine also.
Yum! This soup looks PERFECT! I haven’t been sick yet this year, knock on wood! This soup will continue to help me fight off any sniffles!
I seriously have ev-er-y-thing to make this on hand!! I already have seasoned whole baked potatoes that I’ll use plus canned corn, chicken broth. Oh my brain is spinning. Printing now, and I’ll be making this later this week!! XO
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i love that you admit to the “lee-mone” thing. I do that stuff all the time. Glad to know I’m not the only strange one out there talking to myself. Oh and the soup looks delish 🙂
This looks so healthy and delicious. I love that it’s jam packed with veggies… I’ll be making a batch this weekend!
http://www.thislifeisbelle.com
Belle recently posted…Our French Home
loved it!! I didnt have the carrots or bay leaf, but it came out fine
! added a little pasta & only 1 potato!! YUMMY
This turned out amazing! Thank you for sharing!
I love your writing! It’s beautiful! Makes me feel all warm and cozy. Love that it’s vegan. I have become vegan and don’t miss animals products at all.
This really is the yummiest vegetable soup I have has in a while. I did a couple of alterations later, substituting ginger and curry for the italian seasonings and sweet potatoes for the white potatoes. I also threw in some spinach.
Yummo! Pretty much my go to standard for a healthy, throw together family meal. I add sweet potato, zucchini, spinach, pearl barley, truck loads of paprika and raw crushed garlic stirred through at the end.
So glad you enjoyed it!!
My sister found this recipe when I was visiting her. We made it up and it was so delicious! My 5-year-old nephew is a very picky eater and he loved it. It was also very economical. It fed three adults and a child for two nights with a nice baguette. I liked it so much I made it again as soon as I got home.
This soupy stew was fantastic. I added a tin of brown lentils and some chilli powder to give it an extra zing. Also some frozen peas. My husband said the corn (used frozen and didn’t thaw first was amazing. Super easy and so tasty. Thanks so much
wow, this dish looks delicious, i also want to try it, thank you for sharing the way
Is that your own recipe? it is awesome dear.
All recipes on this website our my own, yes. Thanks!
Hi I want to try this soup.
This may be a silly question but do you have to cut the onions carrots celery and potatoes into thick chunks?
The vegetables can be whatever size you like, just keep in mind, the larger the pieces the longer it will take to cook.
This is delicious!!! I’m pregnant and picky so I try to stick to hearty healthy and packed with veggies. I made this with a twist, used Chili flakes, powder and 1/2 a cup of jalapeños just cause we like spice. We used shredded carrots and red potatoes and it is perfect!!!! Thanks for sharing 🙂
This is the first time I have ever made vegetable soup and it’s delicious! I had a pack of ground beef that needed to be used, so I also made little meatballs, as if for Italian Wedding soup, and it’s wonderful. Satisfied the meat lover in my home! Thank you!
So yummy!!! Thanks for the feedback, Linda!
Added a tablespoon of white truffle oil! Great!
Please tell me the amount of calories per cups with the beans and without. Thank you.
Feel free to input the recipe into an online nutrition calculator.
I am normally not a vegetable soup fan but this was fantastic. I took the idea from a comment and used shredded carrots. That really helped. I also cut the potatoes up small. Thank you so much for the healthy non-meat meal!
Yummy! Had a lot of vegetables in the fridge so I was looking for some kind of clean out the fridge soup. This was fantastic. I added sliced zucchini, shredded green cabbage, little bit of lentils and sambal oelek for spice. Left out corn, parsley and lemon juice because I didn’t have it on hand. Will definitely make again.
I’m so glad you liked it! You could also use vinegar in place of lemon for the same brightness 🙂
If I use a crockpot, do I just throw everything in and let it cook on low all day while I’m at work or do I cook up the veggies first?
Pam recently posted…Healthy Vegetarian Plan: Week of 11-03-18
I’ve never made in in a crockpot! I’d google crockpot vegetable soup and use their method 🙂
This looks good, so I made it came out fantastic. I didnt have a bay leave. This was a big production for me.
Leaf that is.
Good for you, Terri!
This was FANTASTIC!my meat loving husband said that it tastes like it has meat in it:)! I added a good pinch of smoked paprika ,some dill and cauliflower rice for some heartiness:)it’s beyond delicious:)thank you for a wonderful recipe
Awww I’m so glad! Love your additions!
Made 2 batches. 1 as directed and one with beef bullion, a little barley, and a lb of stew beef. Both were very flavorful and much enjoyed. Will certainly make again!
Delicious. I added some diced asparagus and zucchini because I had it in the fridge, but otherwise made it to the recipe and we loved it.
I like a hearty, deep soup so I started with this recipe and added tomato paste to the chopped tomatoes, fresh kale and collards, and carrots, frozen zucchini from the garden, frozen peas and corn, maybe shrooms, red wine vinegar and chopped potatoes. I have no doubt it will be fantastic. I’ve told neighbors to bring an empty bowl in 4 hours!
I added a little Italian sausage and some shrimp and cut out the tomatoes because my husband and I cannot stand tomatoes themselves and oh my gosh it was so perfect and yummy. Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Made this tonight and it came out very yummy. Everybody enjoyed it. I did not have the kidney beans so I substituted with green beans and it was very delicious. Thanks for sharing.