I find it my goal to see how many vegetables I can fit into any soup. I just find that they all go so well, so you might as well add as much as you can. That’s all to say, if I am making soup, there’s a very good chance that an abundance of vegetables are going to be a welcomed addition. Whether its chili, lasagna soup, potato soup, corn chowder… I feel like there’s always a vegetable or two that could go no matter the base. That being said, this vegetable soup is one of my favorite soups ever. That’s really all I have to say, it’s great.
However, if you know anything about me and my typical soup, you would know that I tend to throw broccoli and/or cauliflower into nearly each one. But I did not do that in this one (took lots of self control)! Instead, this soup is a blend of various other vegetables, all chopped up and slightly blended (with my beloved immersion blender). Prior to making this soup, I had certainly had many vegetable soups. But after making this one, I don’t believe I can ever go back! It is just so good I hope you love it just a smidge as much as I do!
What You Will Need
These are the vegetables and ingredients I tend to reach for, however anything you have on hand is certainly welcome. The more the merrier!
- Olive oil
- Garlic cloves
- Vidalia Onion
- Carrots (I prefer baby carrots)
- Mushrooms
- Zucchini
- Celery (just a little bit)
- Vegetable Broth (low-sodium)
- 1 can Diced Tomatoes (low-sodium)
- 1 can Chickpeas
- 1/4 cup pearled barley (optional)
- 3 cups spinach (or kale)
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- 1 Bay Leaf (optional)
- salt & pepper
Tips on how to make this soup
Ingredients: One of the wonderful things about vegetable soup is the versatility. If you have other vegetables that need to be used, feel free to substitute any of the ones included, or add it in addition to the recipe! It’s hard to mess up vegetable soup in my mind, the more the merrier!
Diced Tomatoes: I prefer to use low-sodium canned diced tomatoes, however any kind will certainly do. For this particular soup, I do not drain the liquid, it contributes heavily to this soup.
Chickpeas/Protein Source: I think the chickpeas in this recipe are just wonderful; I often adore chickpeas in soup. However if you would like to increase the protein content of this meal, any kind of chicken (shredded, cubed, ground) would be a nice addition as well! I have added ground chicken into this soup plenty of times, sometimes in addition to the chickpeas and sometimes in place of them, its all up to your preference!
Barley: While the type of grain used in this soup is very flexible (barley, rice, couscous, quinoa, farrow, etc.), I do recommend using some sort of grain. I do not use a lot, but I find that just a little bit can go a long way in elevating this vegetable soup. That being said, you are welcome to add more than the amount of grain that I include, to give it more of a hearty vegetable soup feel!
Leafy Greens: I have done both Kale and Spinach in this soup. I find that both work well, but I probably prefer spinach a tiny bit more. I would use whatever you have on hand, or whichever you think you might prefer more!
Serving: I always eat soup with sourdough bread, there no debate in my mind! Preferably fresh bread from a local bakery… (No it does not have to be fresh, but I do always recommend eating a slice or 2 of bread with any bowl of soup :))
Simply the Best Vegetable Soup
Course: Recipes4
servings15
minutes30
minutes200
kcal45
minutesIngredients
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
4 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Vidalia Onion, diced
1 cup Carrots, diced
1 cup Mushrooms, diced
1 Zucchini, diced
1 Celery stalk, diced
1/2 teaspoons Rosemary
1 teaspoon Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Pepper
5 1/2 cups Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth
1 can Low-Sodium Diced Tomatoes
1 can Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 cups Spinach
1/4 cup Pearled Barley (optional)
Instructions
- Begin by prepping the vegetables; chop the onion, carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, and celery into dices.
- Heat a medium pot with 1 tablespoon of olive oil to medium/high. At this point, prep your garlic to be minced. Add the onion, carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, celery, and minced garlic. Saute for 3-5 minutes, until vegetables begin to soften and the onion is translucent.
- Add in the broth, diced tomatoes, chickpeas, kale, and barley. Then add in the rosemary, thyme, salt, and black pepper. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer for 15 minutes while the barley cooks.
- Once the 15 minutes have passed, use an immersion blender to roughly chop/blend roughly 1/3 of the soup, until it appears somewhat cohesive and pulsed. Then enjoy!
