A cozy bowl of comforting vegetable soup filled with an array of colorful veggies, a good pinch of seasoning and a finishing touch of fresh herbs sure hits the spot, and my delicious vegetable soup recipe makes it easy to ladle up into your bowl in around twenty 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:
- Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
- 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.
- Add the Italian seasoning and the dried parsley, along with the garlic, and stir those in to incorporate.
- 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.
- 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…)
