Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
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- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups onion – chopped (~2 medium onions)
- 1 1/2 cups carrots – sliced (~3.5 medium carrots)
- 1 cups celery – sliced
- 4 cloves garlic – minced
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes – undrained
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups yukon gold potatoes – diced 0.5-inch (~2 medium yukon gold potatos)
- 1 leaf bay leaf
- 1 1/2 cups green beans – cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cups green cabbage – shredded
- 1 1/2 cups zucchini – diced (~1 medium zucchini)
- 1 cups frozen corn
- 1 cups frozen peas
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper – freshly ground
- fresh parsley – chopped (for serving)
Instructions
1. Prep the vegetables: chop the onion, slice the carrots and celery, mince the garlic, dice the potatoes and zucchini, cut the green beans into 1-inch pieces, and shred the cabbage.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until shimmering, 1–2 minutes.
3. Add the onion, carrots, and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden at the edges, 7–8 minutes.
4. Stir in the garlic and dried thyme; cook until fragrant, 30–60 seconds.
5. Add the canned diced tomatoes with their juices, vegetable broth, potatoes, and the bay leaf; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
6. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
7. Add the green beans and cabbage; simmer until starting to soften, 10 minutes.
8. Stir in the zucchini, corn, and peas; simmer until all vegetables are tender, 5–8 minutes.
9. Stir in the kosher salt and black pepper; taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Discard the bay leaf.
10. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with parsley (if using). Serve hot.
Vegetable soup is a hearty, broth-based soup loaded with a rainbow of vegetables that cook to tender, distinct textures. The flavor is clean and savory with gentle herbal notes, a light tomato backbone, and natural sweetness from carrots, peas, and corn. It’s comforting, adaptable, and satisfying on its own or alongside bread or a salad.
Across many cultures, cooks have long relied on seasonal vegetables simmered in broth to create nourishing soups. In the United States and Europe, a tomato-and-broth base with a mirepoix foundation (onion, carrot, celery) became widespread in home kitchens and cafeterias throughout the 20th century. While countless regional variations exist, the core idea—slowly simmering mixed vegetables for balanced flavor and texture—remains a timeless staple.