Soup - it's the easiest way to warm up your kitchen on a cold day, and to feed yourself and your family in one delicious and healthy bowl. We realized this weekend that some of our favorite vegan and vegetarian soup recipes tend to follow a pattern that can be easily adapted for any vegetable.
Here's what you need: vegetables, butter or olive oil, salt and pepper, and some stock and wine. That's it. Read on for a method to make easy soup out of almost anything.
1. Nearly any vegetable will do - sweet potato, zucchini, squash, turnip, tomato, celery, mushrooms, onions, or leeks. Cut about a pound of vegetables into a medium dice - about an inch across - or smaller if you're using a dense vegetable, like potato.
2. Sauté the vegetables in a little olive oil or butter, keeping the heat to low and letting the veggie really cook and develop flavor. When not using an aromatic vegetable like leeks, we like to add some onion or garlic as well to develop the flavor.
3. After the vegetables have softened and developed some fragrance and flavor, add about 4 cups of stock and a little wine, cover and simmer. (Even water will do, in a pinch!)
4. Simmer for about an hour or until all the vegetables are soft. Puree the soup in a blender or with an immersion blender. Voilà! You have creamy, easy vegetable soup.
More ideas: Dump in that last handful of pasta you need to use up. Add a few crumbles of ground turkey or beef. Lay cooked strips of chicken breast on top of each bowl. You can also add a little bacon for flavor near the beginning, or you can leave the chunks of vegetables whole. Put in a cup of rice and simmer until done. Use up whatever you have around, but remember that you can still make a very good soup with just a pound or two of leftover vegetables.
Related Links
• All Soup Recipes
• Zucchini Garlic Soup
• Creamy Leek and Yogurt Soup
• Mushroom Soup
• "Things I Find in the Refrigerator" Soup
(Image: Flickr member uncleboatshoes licensed for use under Creative Commons)
Edited from post originally published on November 12, 2007
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i really super duper love cooking soup. the process of making it is so simple, but so satisfying. and i like standing near the pot with a glass of wine and stirring. it's a nice cheap version of therapy. :)
view pinkofperfection's profile
I smile every time I think about making soup, or hearing about someone else stirring soup on the stove. It's just about the easiest, most nourishing, comfortable food on earth. If you're needing protein, toss in some miso (but don't let it boil), cheese, tofu, or bacon. Enjoy!
view krister's profile
If you do this with just tomatoes, it will be tomato soup? Sorry if that seems like a silly question, I've just been thinking about trying to make my own tomato soup recently but I am NOT much of a cook. If it's really this easy then I just may try it this weekend!
view bluestar's profile
great recipe. Toss in a diced potato if your main veg is not starchy-- it'll make the soup velvety-smooth and rich.
@ bluestar:
I would NOT try this with fresh tomatoes. You'll need to get rid of the peel and the seeds first, and that's a pain. Instead, try it with a big can of peeled, whole san marzano tomoatoes. Toss a rosemary stick in the oil along with garlic. Add the tomatoes. The stock. Then, add half a can of chickpeas. after it cooks down a bit, blend it up. (the chickpeas give it a creamy consistency).
view 212gretchen's profile
We make a HUGE pot of vegetable soup when one of us is sick. It's so easy and there are always leftovers to freeze. Here's how we do it:
1. Chop up whatever veggies we can get our hands on (carrots, potatoes, onions, zucchini, celery etc.)
2. Sauté carrots potatoes and onions with a little bit of butter and garlic.
3. Throw the veggies in a big pot. Add vegetable or chicken stock, a cup of wine, cans of mixed beans (with juice), kidney beans, chickpeas, diced tomatoes, more garlic, salt, and some whole peppercorns for flavour.
4. Cover and cook on the stove for about an hour until all the veggies are soft (stirring occasionally)
3. Serve with some parmesan cheese on top and some nice crusty bread (for soaking up the juice).
Freeze the remaining leftovers for homemade soup anytime! I like to stick the leftovers in a blender for a few seconds before serving for a thick blendy soup.
There's virtually no fat in this recipe and loads of vegetably goodness.
view stoat's profile
Basic, but good and handy to know. Thanks.
view Pierre's profile
I'm a big fan of Mark Bittman's guide to making creamy vegetable soup.
view szilard's profile
i like to saute some onions, garlic, and bacon or pancetta, then mix with a can of tomatoes, a can of white beans, and a bag of baby spinach. some chicken stock and a little wine, a little salt and pepper, and it's good to go.
view thinkingwoman's profile
Why puree and make the lovely chunky soup baby food?
Also good enhancers: a little vinegar, hot sauce, soy sauce, worcestershire, sprouts, fresh herbs, beans, salsa - just probably not at once!
view Petersen's profile
make your own croutons when you have leftover bread and herbs... save them in a tupperware and use them in your soup. delish!
view meganificent's profile
I'm not a fan of soups with a million different vegetables, but I love a simple one or two veg soup with the aromatics of sauteed onion,garlic,and finely chopped celery, with a water base rather than broth, not cooked too long. This is one of my standard items to make on a weeknight, including in the summer. It's nice to finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.
view Charlotte's profile