Vegetable Soup (Print Version)
Comforting vegetable soup with carrots, potatoes, zucchini and herbs, simmered until tender. Ready in 55 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Vegetables & Aromatics
01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
05 - 2 celery stalks, chopped
06 - 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
07 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
08 - 1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
09 - 1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
10 - 1 cup tomatoes, peeled and diced, fresh or canned
11 - 1 cup baby spinach leaves
→ Broth & Seasonings
12 - 6 cups vegetable broth
13 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
14 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
15 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
16 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
17 - 1 bay leaf
18 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
# Directions:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic, sautéing until softened and fragrant, about 3 minutes.
02 - Add the sliced carrots, chopped celery, and diced potatoes to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
03 - Stir in the diced zucchini, green beans, corn kernels, and diced tomatoes. Pour in the vegetable broth and stir to combine.
04 - Add the salt, black pepper, dried thyme, dried basil, and bay leaf. Bring the soup to a rolling boil, then immediately reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
05 - Simmer uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all vegetables are fork-tender and the flavors have melded.
06 - Stir in the baby spinach leaves and cook for an additional 2 minutes until just wilted. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Taste the broth and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls, garnish with fresh chopped parsley, and serve hot.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It takes almost zero effort but tastes like you spent hours coaxing flavor out of every ingredient.
- You can swap in whatever vegetables you have lurking in your crisper drawer and it always works beautifully.
02 -
- Do not skip fishing out the bay leaf before serving because biting into one is an unpleasant surprise I have made too many times.
- Letting the soup sit for even fifteen minutes off the heat makes the flavors noticeably deeper and more cohesive.
03 -
- Toss a parmesan rind into the pot while simmering and remove it before serving for an incredible depth of savory flavor that costs you nothing extra.
- Dice all your vegetables roughly the same size so everything cooks evenly and you never end up with mushy potatoes alongside crunchy carrots.