Make Vegetable Soup from Scratch

Nothing tastes better than a hearty bowl of vegetable soup on a chilly winter's day. Vegetable soup is inexpensive and easy to make, and the best thing about it is that you can tailor it to your tastes, adding all of your favorite vegetables and leaving out the ones you don't like. Read on for three methods of making vegetable soup: easy everyday, veggie bean, and silky pureed.

Ingredients

Easy Everyday Vegetable Soup

• A large can of tomato soup, or the equivalent volume in peeled, fresh tomatoes
• Vegetables of your choosing, including onions, carrots, celery, cabbage, corn, green beans, squash, potatoes, etc.
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• Optional seasonings, such as hot sauce, garlic powder, ground thyme, etc.

Veggie Bean Soup

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 diced carrots
• 2 diced celery stalks
• 1 diced medium white onion
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
• 1 cup cooked black beans
• 1 cup cooked garbanzo beans
• 1 cup cooked red beans
• 2 cups diced tomatoes
• 1 quart vegetable broth
• salt and pepper

Silky Pureed Vegetable Soup

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large butternut squash, or 1 medium pumpkin, or 1 head of cauliflower, peeled (if necessary) and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 quart vegetable broth
• salt and pepper
• dash of cream (optional)

Steps

Easy Everyday Vegetable Soup

1. Pour one large can of tomato soup into a large pot.
2. Fill up the can with water and add that to the pot, too.
3. Place the pot on the stove and bring the soup base to a boil.
4. Turn the burner down to medium.
5. While the soup base simmers, slice the vegetables into half-inch pieces.
6. Throw each vegetable into the pot as you finish slicing it.
7. Add seasoning to taste, and turn the burner down to medium or medium-low, just enough to keep the soup simmering.
8. Allow to simmer for one to two hours, until the soup has thickened in consistency and all the vegetables are cooked.
   • If you added potatoes, test to make sure they are cooked. Potatoes take longer than other vegetables to soften.
   • Do not overcook the soup, or the vegetables will fall apart.
9. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
   • When you taste the soup, the flavors should have melded and the it should have a rich, deep flavor. If it's too watery, let it simmer for another half an hour.
10. Serve the soup with dinner rolls, rice, or crackers.

Veggie Bean Soup

1. Place the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
2. Add the carrot, celery, and onion. Cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion has become translucent.
3. Add the garlic and thyme. Cook for an additional two minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the garlic from burning.
4. Add the black beans, garbanzo beans, red beans, and tomatoes.
5. Pour the quart of broth over the mixture.
6. Bring the soup to a boil. When it begins to boil, turn the heat to medium low and allow the soup to simmer for half an hour.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Serve the soup with bread or crackers.

Silky Pureed Vegetable Soup

1. Place the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
2. Add the onion. Cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion has become translucent.
3. Add the garlic. Cook for an additional minute.
4. Add the chopped squash, pumpkin, or cauliflower pieces. Use a wooden spoon to stir the ingredients, then pour the quart of broth over the mixture.
5. Pour the quart of broth over the mixture.
6. Bring the soup to a boil. When it begins to boil, turn the heat to medium low and allow the soup to simmer until the vegetables are soft when tested with a fork, about half an hour.
7. Remove the soup from the burner. Working in three batches, pour the soup into a blender and use the puree function to blend it until smooth. Pour the pureed soup into a bowl, and repeat until all of the soup has been blended.
   • Do not fill the blender more than 1/2 full when blending hot soup. Use a dishcloth to hold the lid of the blender tight. The heat will cause the blender's lid to fly off if you aren't careful.
8. Taste the soup. Add salt and pepper as necessary.
9. Strain the soup. Set a strainer over the pot in which you cooked the soup. Pour the soup through the strainer, using a wooden spoon to help push it through if it's thick.
10. Serve the soup. If you wish, garnish it with a swirl of cream. Serve with bread or crackers.

Video

Template:Video:Make Vegetable Soup from Scratch

Tips

• Switch out different vegetables in each recipe according to your tastes.
• Add tofu or meat to Easy Everyday Vegetable Soup if you'd like to include some protein.

Things You'll Need

• A large pot
• A sharp knife
• A wooden spoon
• A blender
• A strainer

Related Articles

• Cook a Veggie Stir Fry
• Make Veggie Wrap
• Make Egg Free French Toast
• Make Beans and Corn on Toast

See also

• Cook Vegetarian Chili
• Make Minted Fresh Green Pea Soup
• Make a Grilled Veggie Panini
• Make Crispy Seaweed Bok Choy
• Prepare a Healthy Vegetarian Meal
• Make a Spicy Vegetarian Pasta Bolognese
• Make Roasted Vegetable Quesadillas
• Make a Vegetarian Thanksgiving Dinner
• Make Sweet Potato Nests
• Make Chickpea and Pumpkin Burgers

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