Vegetable Soup

Published Oct. 11, 2023

Vegetable Soup
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
About 1 hour
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Rating
4(1,149)
Notes
Read community notes

This simple, one-pot soup is chock full of vegetables and can be customized as you wish. Think of this recipe as a template and feel free to swap in whatever happens to be in your fridge or freezer, adding vegetables according to their cooking times. Diced fennel, zucchini or even broccoli would be particularly nice additions. Try fresh rosemary or your favorite Italian seasoning mix in place of the oregano and thyme, or a pinch of cumin for a subtle, smoky flavor. Hearty greens, such as kale and Swiss chard, can be substituted for the spinach. Add a 15-ounce can of drained, rinsed white beans for a more filling soup. Serve as-is, or finish with a sprinkle of Parmesan, thinly sliced scallions and torn fresh basil to take things up a notch.

Learn: How to Make Soup

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings
  • 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1large yellow onion, chopped
  • 3medium carrots, diced (about 2 cups)
  • 2 to 3large celery stalks, diced (about 1½ cups)
  • 4garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
  • 2teaspoons fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
  • teaspoons dried oregano
  • Pinch of crushed red pepper
  • Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
  • 2 to 3Yukon gold potatoes, diced (about 2 cups)
  • 1tablespoon tomato paste
  • 8cups (2 quarts) vegetable broth
  • 1(15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 1cup frozen or fresh chopped green beans
  • 1cup frozen or fresh corn kernels
  • 1cup frozen or fresh green peas
  • 2cups baby spinach
  • cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving
  • 1tablespoon red wine vinegar
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

148 calories; 6 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 23 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 1062 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium. Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, oregano, crushed red pepper, 1 teaspoon salt (or 2 teaspoons if you’re using low-sodium broth) and 1 teaspoon black pepper; cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.

  2. Step 2

    Add the potatoes and tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until the tomato paste begins to brown on the bottom of the pot, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the broth and diced tomatoes with their juices and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the potatoes are fork tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Stir in the green beans, corn and peas, return to a simmer and cook until the green beans are tender, 3 to 5 minutes more.

  4. Step 4

    Off the heat, add the spinach, parsley and vinegar, stirring until the spinach is wilted. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve hot, topped with more parsley. (See headnote for more serving suggestions.) Soup will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer (see Tip).

Tip
  • To freeze soup, cool to room temperature in the pot, then transfer to airtight containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, or run the container under hot tap water until the soup releases in a saucepan on the stove. Simmer, partially covered, until heated, adding more water or broth if necessary.

Ratings

4 out of 5
1,149 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

Good veggie soup recipe. Add some red lentils for some protein--they don't take long to cook. Pearled barley would be another good addition. The recipe doesn't list salt amounts, but the nutritional info lists over 1000 mg sodium per serving, based on 8 servings. I always cut down on salt. Why make a very healthy soup somewhat unhealthy because of its sodium levels? Those who like more saltiness can always add salt, but those who don't like it cannot remove the salt already added.

I added cooked garbanzo beans to increase protein.

I make this recipe and freeze it in silicone bread pans. When it's frozen I pop them out and put them in saved bread bags (back in the freezer). Way fewer containers to deal with. Fits well in the freezer.

I'd be careful about adding 2 tsp salt in step 1- it's so early in the recipe, who knows yet how the final result will taste. One tsp is enough to get the recipe started, add more near the end if it needs more salt before serving.

Delicious. Don't skip the red wine vinegar at the end - it adds a delightful brightness to the broth.

But surely, adding beef to a vegetable soup is not a little change, but one that makes your dish a categorically different thing than this recipe.

I make almost this exact soup except I begin by browning a small piece of beef, cut into bite size pieces. I find this is tastier than purchasing the already cut up soup beef chunks. Anyhow, after browning, I remove from pot and proceed as in Step One above. Add the meat back in at the end before removing from heat. Just yummy.

A bit OT, but as of yesterday, my NYT Recipe Box shows only eight recipes, with--best I can tell--no opportunity to show more. I can search more by category or ingredient and another eight recipes show up. Since I have no idea what specific recipes I've saved, this seriously affects the utility of Box. Did I do something wrong or is this now "the way it is"? Thanks for any replies!

Fantastic, easy recipe. I had tomato paste, but not canned tomatoes. So I added a jar of Bloody Mary mix (no alcohol) and my last carton of tomato soup from Costco. I did not add broth or vinegar. Very tasty and hearty soup. Will definitely make this dish again.

Basic but delicious. Make it exactly as directed (except for making a double batch). Don't leave out the vinegar; the soup would be bland without it.

Haven’t made this yet but will this weekend. One word of caution: I never freeze cooked potatoes in soup (or anything) because I think they get rubbery. I just add enough for current enjoyment…freeze the soup w/o potatoes and then add cooked potatoes (microwaved is fine) to the thawed soup as I reheat it.

Great basic recipe to rid your fridge of leftover vegetables. For a little extra kick, mix in Trader Joe’s Italian Style soffrito (or other) with your mirepoix.

Excellent, with or without any ingredients you happen to have. Just leave plenty of prep time. Good the first day and will keep on giving...

I cleaned out the fridge with this recipe and it’s so good. Great flavor in the broth with the spices. Often homemade soup can be so bland, not this !

1062 mg of salt/sodium is half the daily recommended amount. Is all of it really necessary?

The 8 cups of broth measure was too much when I made it. I scaled back to 4 cups and that worked well.

I added sliced fennel with the celery, and a generous splash of Pernod for some kick. Also put beans in the blender to thicken the soup.

Oh my goodness this was AMAZING!!! just an FYI ... I used a can of delMonte corn and the crunch was perfect!

I have made this soup four times and it is becoming a favourite for a vegetarian choice. I do make my own stocks which I freeze in 4 cup containers. I have played around a bit with the herb additions, but probably favour some combination of oregano and thyme. The recipe is easy to follow and adaptable to include what vegetables you have on hand. In winter, I use frozen green beans, corn and peas. I may substitute cabbage leaves for spinach to avoid imported spinach over a local supply.

Years ago I stumbled upon a secret ingredient for tomato-based soups and sauces: V-8 vegetable juice. Somehow it adds depth, complexity, and a little zing. I recommend the low-sodium version but if you use the original modify the salt you add accordingly.

Added a can of white beans and some e sautéed mushrooms. Used leeks as well as celery and greens.

Added 28 oz can of whole tomatoes and generous tomato paste

Pretty good but use less thyme, oregano, and garlic. Used kale.

Followed the recipe exactly - delicious! May add some chickpeas or lentils next time to up the protein, but this is a keeper!

Lovely vegetable soup. As others suggested, I added a bay leaf and parm rind, plus a can of rinsed pink beans. Cut back on the salt to 1 teaspoon and that is plenty.

Good idea to add some lentils, maybe chick peas? I made this soup and enjoyed it very much.

Easy, yummy, and hearty veggie soup. Added zucchini and a can of white beans as recommended, plus half a lemon to finish it off. Plus some parm!

Great, basic recipe.

I add fermented black beans to my soup, I cut back on the additional salt.

I use V8 as my base it adds really great flavor.

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