Vegetable Soup Comfort Bowl (Printable)
Comforting vegetable soup of carrots, potatoes, zucchini, green beans and spinach simmered in herb broth.
# What You Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
05 - 2 celery stalks, chopped
06 - 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
07 - 1 zucchini, diced
08 - 1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
09 - 1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
10 - 1 cup peeled and diced tomatoes, fresh or canned
11 - 1 cup baby spinach leaves
→ Liquids & Seasonings
12 - 6 cups vegetable broth
13 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
14 - ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
15 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
16 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
17 - 1 bay leaf
18 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
# Directions:
01 - Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic, sautéing until softened and fragrant, about 3 minutes.
02 - Add the sliced carrots, chopped celery, and diced potatoes to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing the vegetables to begin softening.
03 - Stir in the diced zucchini, green beans, corn kernels, and diced tomatoes. Pour in the vegetable broth and stir to combine all ingredients evenly.
04 - Add the salt, ground black pepper, dried thyme, dried basil, and bay leaf. Bring the soup to a rolling boil, then immediately reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
05 - Simmer uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all vegetables are fork-tender and the flavors have melded together.
06 - Stir in the baby spinach leaves and cook for an additional 2 minutes until wilted. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Taste the soup and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
07 - Ladle the hot soup into individual bowls and garnish each serving with chopped fresh parsley. Serve immediately with crusty bread or a side salad if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It forgives you completely if you swap half the vegetables for whatever is wilting in your crisper drawer.
- The leftovers taste even better the next day when the herbs have had time to settle into every bite.
02 -
- If you accidentally boil the soup aggressively instead of simmering it the vegetables will break apart and the broth turns thick and cloudy.
- Dropping a parmesan rind into the pot while it simmers adds a savory depth that you cannot get from salt alone.
03 -
- Sauté the onion and garlic slowly and patiently because rushing this step is the fastest way to make a bland soup.
- Cut every vegetable roughly the same size so each spoonful delivers the same balanced bite instead of one giant chunk of potato.