Chunky Veg Soup
A good veggie soup is an indispensable recipe to have in your repertoire. Feel free to expand it beyone veggies though. A little protein in the form of legumes or meat can take it to a new level.
per person
1 aromatic vegetable, chopped
1 1/2 cups liquid
200g (7oz) vegetables, chopped
1-2 teaspoons flavouring, optional
small handful highlight ingredient
1. Heat a little oil in a medium saucepan. Add aromatic vegetable and cook, covered for 5-10 minutes until soft and golden.
2. Add liquid and veggies and flavouring, if using. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the veggies are cooked. Longer for root veg and less for leafy greens.
3. Taste. Season and serve with highlight ingredient on top.
Variations
aromatic veg – onions are my favourite but celery or carrots would be good instead..
liquid – chicken stock, vegetable stock, fish stock, white wine, red wine, tomato puree, canned tomatoes, water.
vegetables – I used zucchini in the photo. parsnips, sweet potato, pumpkin, brussels sprouts, fennel, peas, sugar snap peas, snow peas, cabbage, beets, asparagus, jerusalem artichokes, broccoli, cauliflower, red capsicum (bell peppers), bok choy, asian greens, spinach, silverbeet or any combination of these. Legumes are also great here.
flavouring – I skipped this because I was using the pesto which packs a big flavour punch.
highlight ingredient – I used pesto. Hummus is good too or other sauces. Yoghurt, sour cream, guacamole. Goats cheese, parmesan, ricotta. Croutons or small slices of bread with melted cheese. Crispy bacon pieces, finely sliced salami or proscuitto.
Leftover Potential?
Brilliant! Reheats really well. One of those things that improves with age.
Problem Solving Guide
too bland – season with salt & pepper. A little soy sauce may help. Next time use a liquid with more flavour.
too watery – simmer uncovered so the soup can concentrate down. Adding in some cooked quinoa or canned legumes will help thicken it up. Or a handful of fresh breadcrumbs. Next time use more veg or use less liquid.
veggies too crunchy – next time cut the veg into smaller pieces so they cook quicker. Or just simmer longer.
veg mushy – oh no! overcooked veg!. You could puree it and turn it into a smooth soup if you like.
Serving Suggestions
Great as a light meal on its own. Or serve with crusty bread & butter.
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Add to my Old Favourite Recipes
Wasn’t sure what you meant by a “highlight ingredient” at first. D’oh!! Got it now. It’s that “cherry-on-top” dollop of pesto (in your picture) or other eye-catching ingredient that would accessorize or adorn the main dish. Oh Jules, you will make a cook out of me! 😀
Go Heather!
Jules, I love what you do with these easy recipes, they are magic. Discovered a different flavor….when grilling, make extra grilled veggies (zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant) and freeze them. Just add to soup base,warm and blend. Thanks for sharing all your wonderful ideas and giving us the variety of options to adjust and create!
Great idea Susanne!
I just made this for lunch, playing the “What’s in the fridge” game. I had cabbage, pumpkin, carrots and potatoes. My aromatic veg was onion, garlic and fresh ginger (well, not so fresh, it started to dry up, which is why I added it, and it was great!), my main “secret” flavoring was galangal (I love this spice, especially with pumpkin), and my highlight ingredient franks (for the carnivorous man). It tasted great!
I made a huge pot, because that’s just how it worked out using up all the veg that needed to be processed, but I will freeze some for later and gladly eat the leftovers this week.
I also pre-cooked the hard veg (carrot potato, pumpkin) in the pressure cooker to save time.
Wonderful Anke!
I love galangal too but unfortunately haven’t been able to buy it here. You’ve reminded me to add it to my shopping list next time I’m heading to Sydney!
Jx
Looks great! If you didn’t use pesto, what are some examples of flavoring options?
Soy/tamari sauce, or other bottled sauces, miso, herbs and spices maybe? That’s what I use, at any rate.
Nice one Katrina!
Thanks
Hi Lisa
Great question!
Pretty much I’d use anything I listed under ‘highlight’ ingredient:
highlight ingredient – I used pesto. Hummus is good too or other sauces. Yoghurt, sour cream, guacamole. Goats cheese, parmesan, ricotta. Croutons or small slices of bread with melted cheese. Crispy bacon pieces, finely sliced salami or proscuitto.
It takes a while to get used to thinking in terms of template recipes… so hang in there… but it’s super important to read the written recipes as well to give you ideas.
J