Nothing quite says FALL like cozy sweaters, pumpkin spice everything, and soup! While it is still in the 90s in Northern California right now, I’m very much in the mood for all things “Fall.”
I’ve adapted my vegetable soup recipe from many different Pinterest posts I’ve tried over the years. Below is my very own recipe for healthy veggie soup. It is so good that I’ve been eating it daily for the last 2 weeks… I just can’t get enough of it! Plus, one serving has so many vegetables (and is so large) that you stay full for hours after eating… and with really no guilt!
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1 chopped medium white onion (about 2 cups)
- 1 cup sliced celery
- 1 ½ tablespoons Italian seasoning
- Coarse salt and pepper (to taste)
- 4 bags frozen vegetables (about 8 cups)
- 64 ounces chicken and/or beef broth (low sodium broth is good too)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha (or similar hot sauce)
Steps:
- In a large pot, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and celery. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, and Italian seasoning. Stir frequently for about 8 minutes until onions are fairly translucent.
- Add broth, diced tomatoes (along with their juices), and tomato paste to pot. Bring to boil then let simmer (uncovered) for 20 minutes.
- Add bay leaves and frozen vegetables to the pot. Bring back up to boil, then let simmer (again uncovered) for 20 minutes… stirring occasionally.
- Add Sriracha to pot and desired amount of salt and pepper. This is a good time to taste the broth and see how much salt is needed. Let sit for 5 more minutes then remove from heat and enjoy!
Tips:
- We like our food to have spice to it… a little kick if you will. If you (or someone in your family) isn’t big on spice, leave out the Sriracha and serve on the side as it tastes just as good mixed in at the time of consumption.
- This soup tastes delicious when first made but is arguably better once it has had some time to sit, so if you’re having a big dinner party and want to serve this as part of the meal, don’t feel like you need to make it the day of… it reheats very well.
- For the vegetables, don’t worry about getting exactly 8 cups… the more veggies the better, right?! I just buy 4 bags from the frozen organic section of the store and throw them in. Good veggies to consider are peas, green beans, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, edamame, corn, potatoes, etc. I usually just buy 3 mixed bags and then a bag of shelled edamame.
- This recipe makes 8 servings (and good sized bowls). We usually eat 2 servings the day I make it, and then refrigerate the rest as we will eat in the following days. Make sure the soup cools before storing. If you don’t think you’ll eat all 8 servings right away, you certainly can freeze the soup. If freezing, separate into serving sizes before freezing.
- The bay leaves add some great flavor BUT they should never be served to your guests, so make sure to find the two and discard before you store the soup and/or serve.
- To make this recipe vegan, simply use vegetable broth instead of chicken or beef. I use the animal based broths because I feel they give the soup a little more flavor, but veggie broth is an easy substitution!
- Side note: I had NO idea Sriracha is spelled this way… how funny! Am I even saying the name correctly?! Who knows?!
Try out my recipe and let me know what you think!
Love it!