Vegan Recipes for Everyday Meals

Basic Vegetable Soup Recipe

This is the perfect timing for soup here in Seattle. The weather is mostly cloudy and we had some days of drizzle during the passing week. Kids really like this soup and it is a good vegan version of a chicken soup. If you add some red lentils and blend it, you will get a hearty lentils soup. If you add some more tomatoes, green beans and pasta (and some basil and oregano), you will get a minestrone.

This soup will be full of flavor without adding any oil or all sorts of soup powders.

Tip – keep your kitchen countertop clean

Before we begin with the recipe, I would like to share with you a tip that will help you maintain your cooking environment clean with less effort that I’ve learned from my grandmother. Before placing the cutting board on the kitchen countertop, place a big tea towel and put the cutting board on top of it. After you finish cutting the vegetables you need, all the vegetable peels or leftovers will remain on the cutting board and the tea towel and not on your kitchen counter. Pick the board and the tea towel and throw in the compost or garbage can. Countertop is clean!

Cutting board on top of a tea towel with three of my everyday kitchen tools

The Recipe

Follow the steps of this recipe, and you’ll never make a bland soup again.

Ingredients:

1 big sweet onion – diced

2 carrots

1 zucchini (optional)

4 celery stalks – diced

1/3 butternut squash (optional) – cut into big cubes

1 clove garlic – optional

2 tsp grey sea salt

—- The above ingredients will go into the pot first—-

2 potatoes (optional) – cut into big cubes

1 tomato – quartered

6-8 parsley stems

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp paprika

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Directions:

1. Add to a big put the onions, celery, carrots, zucchini, butternut squash and garlic and turn on the stove on a medium heat.

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2. Boil water in a kettle. We will use the boiled water to save us some time later.

3. Mix the vegetable with a wooden spoon occasionally for about 10 minutes (while the water are boiling in the kettle). After a minute or two, the vegetables will extract some liquids, that’s desirable.

This step is the secret for the success of this recipe: this process allows the extraction of maximum flavor out of the vegetables into the soup liquids. In addition, when the vegetables will absorb the added water, they will go back to their initial volume and will not swell the way they would if you cook them directly in water, maintaining a better texture and flavor.

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After about 10 minutes, there should be no more liquid extraction and the onions will become translucent and slightly sweet. What’s more? your home will smell like Home. Fun times!

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4. Add the remaining ingredients and boiling water and bring to a boil.

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If you didn’t boil enough water to feel about 80% (4/5) of your pot, boil another batch.

5. Turn the stove back to medium heat and partially cover the pot with a lid. Cook for about 15-20 minutes util about 1/3 of the liquid gets evaporated.

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Serve with some chopped parsley, crutones, rice or noodles.

Epilogue

In almost any soup you make, sauteing  onions, celery and carrots with NO OIL will enhance its flavor significantly. Vegetables that are good addition for sauteing (depending on the soup you make) are cauliflower, zucchini, squash, celery root, turnip, parsnip and parsley root. with each vegetable you add, your soup will be richer in flavor and texture. If you would like to add some protein to your soups, try adding (after soaking overnight) garbanzo beans, beans or lentils. Split red lentils do not need pre-soaking, so you can add them spontaneously. I always make a very big pot of this soup and either freeze the broth for other recipes that require broth or add some red lentils the next day, brink to a boil and blend the soup to a creamy hearty lentil soup.

Printable recipe:

5.0 from 1 reviews
Basic Vegetable Soup Recipe
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Ingredients
  • 1 big sweet onion - diced
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 zucchini (optional)
  • 4 celery stalks - diced
  • ⅓ butternut squash (optional) - cut into big cubes
  • 1 clove garlic - optional
  • 2 tsp grey sea salt
  • ---- The above ingredients will go into the pot first----
  • 2 potatoes (optional) - cut into big cubes
  • 1 tomato - quartered
  • 6-8 parsley stems
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp paprika
Instructions
  1. Add to a big put the onions, celery, carrots, zucchini, butternut squash and garlic and turn on the stove on a medium heat.
  2. Boil water in a kettle. We will use the boiled water to save us some time later.
  3. Mix the vegetable with a wooden spoon occasionally for about 10 minutes (while the water are boiling in the kettle). After a minute or two, the vegetables will extract some liquids, that's desirable.
  4. This step is the secret for the success of this recipe: this process allows the extraction of maximum flavor out of the vegetables into the soup liquids. In addition, when the vegetables will absorb the added water, they will go back to their initial volume and will not swell the way they would if you cook them directly in water, maintaining a better texture and flavor.
  5. After about 10 minutes, there should be no more liquid extraction and the onions will become translucent and slightly sweet. What's more? your home will smell like Home. Fun times!
  6. Add the remaining ingredients and boiling water and bring to a boil.
  7. If you didn't boil enough water to feel about 80% (4/5) of your pot, boil another batch.
  8. Turn the stove back to medium heat and partially cover the pot with a lid. Cook for about 15-20 minutes util about ⅓ of the liquid gets evaporated.
  9. Serve with some chopped parsley, crutones, rice or noodles.

 

1 Comment

  1. Ihjaz Ahmad

    Oh my goodness, this looks delicious! I’m definitely making this! thanks for sharing!
    A healthier option for a family favorite.

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