Soup’s on!
I feel like you’re either really a soup person, or you’re very indifferent about soup. There’s no in-between.
Raving fan or lacking enthusiasm.
Obsessed or completely neutral.
“I could literally have it for every dinner” or “Meh, I’ll have it if it’s there.”
You. Can. Only. Be. One.
My dad? He’s a raving fan. He loves soup. So much so, that when he told me this little fact about himself, he just started naming his soup loves, one after the other for like…a solid minute or two.
I didn’t realize my dad had such an appetite for soup, but it came in handy the next week when I came down with a cold. I thought back to this conversation and decided right then and there it was time to get my veggie on and make some vegetable soup.
I Googled, made the first recipe I found, and it was great. Made a big ol’ batch and it lasted the exact amount of days my cold did.
Coincidence? I think not.
The soup was great, but I made a few tweaks and changes to make it (in my opinion) even better. And that’s the recipe I’m sharing with you today!
This recipe is very much based on Hummusapien’s recipe for Vegetable Soup. It’s yummy, super easy, and just an awesome way to get a lot of veggies into your body.
But let’s talk about the small (but important) changes I made!
- Instead of potatoes, I used sweet potatoes. Why? I had them on-hand. But I also prefer them because they’re a little less starchy than their non-orange cousins.
- Instead of sautéing the garlic with the onions, I added it right before the broth. You have to do a little sautéing before this soup simmers away, and because of that, my garlic started to burn in the original recipe. In my version, I ended up throwing it in about 30 seconds before I added my liquids so it could get fragrant but not burn.
- I used fire-roasted tomatoes instead of regular diced tomatoes. Just for some extra…somethin’ somethin’. They contribute to the final flavor of the broth so much, so I wanted a little bit of that char and sweetness that you get out of a can of the fire-roasted variety.
- Instead of one can of kidney beans, I used two. Mostly for extra protein, but also because I honestly had never bought kidney beans before this recipe and THEY ARE SO GOOD.
- Speaking of the beans, I added them right before serving. In the original recipe, you actually simmer the beans, which I found made them kinda mealy in texture. I love kidney beans’ creamy texture, so I decided to preserve that as much as possible and gently heat them in the hot soup right before serving.
- Instead of corn, I used frozen peas. Both are honestly good, but again, I wanted a little bit more protein. I chucked them in at the end of cooking with the beans.
- I left out the celery. Because I hate it. Honestly my least favorite food.
- I also left out the bay leaf. I never buy them because I’m not convinced they actually do anything to the recipe. Maybe I’m naïve. But I’ll probably never know because I’ll probably never buy them.
- I also also left out the lemon juice. I didn’t think it needed it with the fire-roasted tomatoes, but feel free if you want to brighten up the flavors a bit!
Serve with some yummy bread, extra fresh-cracked pepper, and you are entering a place known only as Yumtown, my friends.
And I’m sure you’re definitely wondering if self-proclaimed Soup Lover, Papa Fooduzzi liked this soup.
The answer is yes. A resounding yes.
PrintEasy Vegetable Soup
Meet my new favorite soup! It’s loaded with vegetables, fresh ingredients, and comforting flavors. Naturally vegan and gluten free!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings
- Category: Soup
- Method: Boil
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 sweet onion, diced
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced*
3 medium carrots, peeled and diced*
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
5 cups vegetable broth**
2 14.5-oz. cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes (and their juices)
2 15-oz. cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen peas
1–2 handfuls fresh parsley, chopped
salt + pepper
Instructions
- Add your olive oil to a large soup pot over medium heat. When hot, add your onion and a nice pinch of salt, and cook until translucent, 3-4 minutes.
- Add your sweet potato and carrots, and cook for another 5 minutes, or just until the veggies start to soften.
- Add your garlic and Italian seasoning, and cook for 30 seconds-1 minute, or until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add your broth and tomatoes, and bring up to a boil over medium high-heat.
- When boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the veggies are tender to your liking. I like mine with a little bit of a bite, so I cooked mine for a little less.
- When it’s ready, remove from the heat and add your beans, peas, and parsley. Stir to combine. The heat from the soup will heat the beans and thaw the peas.
- Season well with salt and pepper (I like mine with loooots of fresh pepper) and serve it up!
Notes
*The size of your veg here will determine how long you need to simmer your soup. That’s why I tend to dice mine a little smaller. Smaller pieces = less cook time = in my belly sooner.
**I used Better than Bullion here.
Slightly adapted from Hummusapien!
First, I’m a soup person – I would have it every day if it were up to me. Second, this soup looks amazing.
It’s my absolute favorite recipe at the moment!
I can tell this recipe is a 5er.
I eat a lot of soup. I especially like the Bob’s Red Mill soup,: Vitality Soup, a vegan chicken soup is so fast.
I really appreciate this rich looking soup, I think I must make it today. I have homemade kidney beans in the freezer that I should use. And I have sweet potatoes. I’m all set. Thank you, I’ll report back.