“Eat More Veggies” Soup
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You won’t find an easier stovetop vegetable soup that tastes this good. This vegetable soup makes a big batch which makes it perfect for freezing. It’s not only packed to the brim with nutrition, but also a total crowd-pleaser.
Have an Instant Pot? Try our Instant Pot Vegetable Soup instead.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“So quick and nourishing. Made for a sick day in our home.” – Charity
Reasons You’ll Love This Soup
- It makes a TON! This recipe makes a big batch, which is great if you want to freeze the soup or make it into individual lunches.
- It’s versatile. Use up what vegetables you have on hand.
- It’s freezer-friendly. Freezer-friendly soups are the bomb. They make for great lunches or meals to eat on busy weeknights.
- It’s easy! After just a little peeling and chopping, this soup comes together fast.
This pairs perfectly with our whole wheat dinner rolls or
Ingredients Needed
Here’s are the main ingredients used in this veggie-loaded soup…
Ingredient Notes:
- Onion – White or yellow onion works best with this recipe.
- Chicken broth – Use vegetable broth to keep this vegetarian or feel free to use a good chicken broth instead. You can make your own easily!
- Petite diced tomatoes – I prefer petite diced vs regular but either will work.
- Yukon gold potatoes – Yukon Gold potatoes don’t need to be peeled. If you don’t get Yukon Gold, make sure to peel the potatoes.
- Kale or spinach – This is optional but adds in a lot of tasteless nutrition and color at the end.
More Add-In Ideas
- Diced sweet potato
- Cauliflower
- Edamame
- Lentils
- Black Beans
- Zucchini
How to Make Vegetable Soup
Vegetable soup is easy but comes together in stages in order to bring out the best flavor. The basic steps are:
- Sauté aromatics. These ingredients impart deep flavors into the dish that’s being cooked.
- Simmer soup ingredients. The veggies need time to soften and the flavors to come together.
- Add in the more delicate ingredients. A few of the veggies that can get overcooked will be added in towards the end.
Let’s walk through the steps in detail!
Dice and Sauté the Veggies
The bulk of the work in this recipe comes from dicing the veggies.
Sharpen your knife and get to work on the onion, carrots, celery, and potatoes.
Safety Tip: Slicing Carrots That Want to Roll Around
Since carrots are round, they can be tricky to slice as they want to roll out from under your knife. Here are a few tips to safely cutting carrots:
- Keep the tip of your knife touching the cutting board at all times.
- Once you’ve cut the carrot in half, flip it face side down for the next cut. This way it won’t roll.
Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until it’s shimmery.
Add onions, carrots, and celery and sauté until softened, about 4-5 minutes.
Season lightly with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Add garlic and tomato paste and sauté for another minute.
Add in Veggies and Simmer
Add broth, tomatoes, and Italian seasoning and bring to a boil.
Stir in the potatoes, green beans, and corn. (Don’t add the peas or kale yet.)
Reduce to a simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
Finish off with Peas and Kale
Stir in the frozen peas and stir in the kale or spinach until they are warmed through.
Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Serve and Enjoy!
Serve it up with some crusty bread, whole wheat dinner rolls, crackers, or along with a yummy sandwich like our Turkey Pesto Paninis or Ham & Cheese Sliders.
Can You Freeze Vegetable Soup?
As authors of two cookbooks and self-proclaimed “freezer cooking evangelists”, we always try to share how to prep and freeze recipes like this soup, when possible. I personally love to freeze this one in small portions for lunches.
- Freeze for Later: Cook and cool the soup completely. Freeze in a freezer bag or container, squeezing out all excess air and sealing tightly.
- To Prepare from Frozen: Thaw in the refrigerator. Warm over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add 1-2 more cups of chicken broth if too thick.
Tip: You can also freeze soup in individual servings in 2-cup Souper Cubes, 2-cup Pyrex containers, or 16-ounce mason jars. Be sure to leave 1 inch of head room for expansion at the top of the jars or the glass may break in the freezer.
Check out our 100+ Best Freezer Meals for more ideas.
Recipe FAQs
We love that this soup will play nice with so many different vegetables. Here are some ideas:
–Use sweet potato or butternut squash instead of carrots.
–Add in some sliced mushrooms.
–Swap the green beans with bell peppers or zucchini.
–Use another leafy green, like spinach or chard, in place of the kale.
–Garnish bowls with grated Parmesan or a scoop of pesto.
Yes, you can easily make this soup in the crockpot:
Follow steps 1-2 but instead of cooking it on the stove, cook on Low in the crockpot for 6 to 8 hours, until the carrots & potatoes are tender.
Yes! We actually already have an Instant Pot Vegetable Soup recipe on our site. Hop over and use the cooking instructions from this recipe!
Side Dish Ideas
Here are some side dish ideas that would go well with Vegetable Soup.
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
“Eat More Veggies” Soup
Use any combination of vegetables in your fridge and pantry to make this hearty, delicious vegetable soup. Whip up a big batch and your family will eat on this all week long.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 medium or large onion, diced
- 3 large carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- A pinch of red pepper flakes, to taste
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 12 cups chicken broth (three 32-ounce boxes of broth)
- 1 (28-ounce) can of diced tomatoes, juice and all
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 3–4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, diced (do not peel)
- 1–2 cups fresh or frozen green beans, trimmed and chopped
- 1–2 cups frozen corn
- 1–2 cups frozen peas
- Optional: 2–3 cups chopped kale or spinach
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until it’s shimmery. Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Season lightly with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Add garlic and tomato paste and sauté for another minute. Add broth, tomatoes, and Italian seasoning and bring to a boil.
- Stir in the potatoes, green beans, and corn and bring back to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook and stir occasionally for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes and carrots are tender (check by piercing with a fork).
- Stir in the frozen peas (and stir in the optional kale/spinach), until they are warmed through. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Serving suggestion: Top with fresh Parmesan cheese and serve with a good loaf of crusty bread.
Freeze For Later: Prepare soup as directed. If you do not plan on eating any of it on the day you prepare it, do not add the frozen peas. Let soup cool completely. Place in freezer safe bags or containers. Store for up to 3 months.
Prepare From Frozen: Let soup thaw using one of these safe thawing methods. Warm on low on stovetop or in a slow cooker. You may need to add a little more water or broth as the vegetables tend to soak up the liquid once it sits.
Notes/Tips
Crockpot Directions: Follow steps 1-2 but instead of cooking it on the stove, cook on Low in the crockpot for 6 to 8 hours, until the carrots & potatoes are tender. Stir in the peas and kale at the end.
Instant Pot Directions: We actually already have an Instant Pot Vegetable Soup recipe on our site. Hop over and use the cooking instructions from this recipe!
Corn – Frozen or fresh will work.
Carrots – Fresh is best.
Yukon gold potatoes – Yukon Gold potatoes don’t need to be peeled. If you don’t get Yukon Gold, make sure to peel the potatoes.
Just curious if anyone tried substituting frozen southern style hash browns (the diced frozen potatoes)?
I haven’t but I’m leaving your comment here to see if anyone else has. I like the idea in theory…just haven’t tested it!
So delicious! Flavorful and filling.
Thanks for leaving a review!