How to Make Vegetable Soup

How to Make Vegetable Soup

Homemade, warm, and inviting vegetable soup that enhances cool days and fills the house with amazing aromas. This is a classic and simple recipe that brings deep flavors, vibrant colors, and a healthy feeling in every spoonful. The combination of fresh vegetables and light seasoning makes this dish a great choice as a light meal or a starter, and it is suitable for everyone—kids, adults, vegans, and omnivores alike.

You can almost always find vegetables at home that will be enough to make a delicious vegetable soup. Even when the house is nearly empty except for a few scattered vegetables here and there, you can still improvise a soup. So, take the ingredient list with a grain of salt—you can add or omit items depending on what’s available.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 zucchini, grated or diced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 tomato, peeled and chopped (optional for extra flavor)
A handful of celery leaves, chopped
Pumpkin, cut to taste
Potatoes, cut to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 cups of water or vegetable broth

The ingredients are listed in order of use; you can adjust quantities according to personal preferences.

How to Make:

Preparation: Wash and peel the vegetables that need peeling. Then, chop the vegetables according to the amount and types you’ve chosen for the soup. It’s a good idea to chop some vegetables finely and leave others in coarser pieces or cubes to add texture and interest to the soup. I personally like finely chopping the onion and celery so they blend into every bite without being too noticeable. For the zucchini, I prefer grating it finely so it dissolves completely during cooking, adding thickness to the soup, but you can also cut it into slices or cubes.
Sautéing the base vegetables: In a large pot, heat some oil and add the chopped onion and celery. Let them sauté for about a minute. Then, add the carrots and zucchini (grated or not) and mix well. Let everything cook together on medium heat until the vegetables begin to soften and release their aroma.
Adding vegetables and seasoning: At this stage, you can add the celery leaves and chopped or grated tomato to the pot, mixing lightly. Then, add the rest of the vegetables—potatoes, pumpkin, and any other vegetables you desire. Season with salt and pepper to taste and mix.
Adding liquids and cooking: Pour the water or vegetable broth into the pot and stir well, making sure to mix everything, especially the ingredients at the bottom of the pot to avoid sticking. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low-medium and cook for about 40 minutes or until the vegetables are tender, with the lid on.

Tips to Upgrade the Soup:

Cabbage: You can add chopped cabbage at the base of the soup or in coarser pieces before adding the liquids.
Sweet potato: You can replace or add sweet potato alongside or instead of pumpkin.
Parsley root or celery root: These can be added instead of or alongside other vegetables.
Garlic: Add whole or crushed garlic cloves for extra flavor.
Barley: A small cup of barley will enhance the nutritional value and add a unique texture to the soup.
Tomato: I know I listed it already, but it’s a great addition for flavor. You can replace it with a teaspoon of tomato paste if necessary.
Turmeric: Use it to add flavor and color to the soup.
Mild heat: If you like spicy flavors, add chopped chili pepper or whole chili to the soup.
Special additions: You can serve the soup with homemade croutons or toasted bread on the side.
Olive oil: A drizzle of olive oil when serving will add extra taste and aroma to the dish.