Easy (and customizable) Veggie Soup
Servings Prep Time
6-8servings 10Minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
10Minutes 1 Hour
Servings Prep Time
6-8servings 10Minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
10Minutes 1 Hour
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. * If You’d like to add meat to this recipe, start with the meat. If we are adding meat, it’s always 1 lb. A few variations we’ve tried have been sirloin tips, shredded beef, ground beef and ground sausage. I think ground sausage has been our absolute favorite. If you’re going to add sausage, start by browning it in your pot then remove the sausage when cooked but retain a few tablespoons of the sausage grease in the pan.
  2. For the vegetable soup, add 2 Tbs. oil to at least a 6qt pot and heat. (We like avocado oil or olive oil in our house.) If you added meat and retained the oil as seen in the step above, then do not add more oil to the pan.
  3. When oil is heated (it’ll shimmer) then saute the red potato chunks until the start to soften and brown. Next add in the chopped shallot until it becomes aromatic and then finally throw in the garlic for a minute. Stirring frequently so none of the veggies burn.
  4. Next you’re going to add both bags of frozen veggies. Our favorite blend has corn, lima beans, green beans, carrots and peas. You’ll also dump in your vegetable juice and your chosen type of stock (I usually use beef stock for the richness of flavor).
  5. You’ll bring this to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer. Throw in the Parmigiano Reggiano Rind. You can find these in the cheese department/deli of many grocery stores. Or you can buy a whole hunk of Parmigiano Reggiano and just cut off the rind yourself. It’s a lovely cheese that is really tasty grated on top of a lot of foods – veggies, pasta and salads. The rind step can be skipped, but I throw one in almost all of my soups because it just gives your soup an extra layer of flavor and depth.
  6. Add your meat back in to simmer a bit with the veggies, if you’re using it. This is also a good time to add in the dried parsley and season with salt and pepper to your taste preferences. The vegetable juice I buy is low sodium, because I prefer to be in control of what kind of salt I add to my foods.
  7. Soup should simmer on low about 15 minutes. If you’d like a thicker, stew-like variation, let it simmer twice as long and you’ll have a more hearty, thick stew. (My hubby likes it this way when we don’t have any meat added!) Before serving, use a slotted spoon to fish out the Parmigiano Reggiano Rind, if there’s anything left of it. It may completely dissolve, which is fine.
  8. Ladle into bowls and top with another sprinkle of parsley!
Recipe Notes

This soup is so versatile and you can really customize to the flavor preferences of your family. Don’t like garlic? Omit it. Can’t eat meat? Do veggies only. Don’t like lima beans? Pick a frozen veggie blend without them. Swap meat for beans. Use leftover veggies from other meals. Use bone broth instead of beef stock for extra gut-healing benefits. Throw in a few lemon slices for a little brightness. The customizations are really endless, which is why I love this soup!

There are also a lot of different ways to serve this with something a little extra on the side. I served the sausage version at a meeting recently and added cornbread, butter and Mike’s Hot Honey as a side item. When I make the all-veggie version I like to smear some almond butter on a cheddar cracker and serve it with a few of those. My mother always served veggie soup or chili with peanut butter crackers and it’s still my favorite way to eat it today!

Be sure to tag me or send me a pic if you decide to try this soup. I’m on Instagram @realtorontheroad

 

Share this: