This delicious vegetable soup recipe is filled with fresh vegetables and herbs, all of which contribute to flavor and nutrition. There’s no need for broth or canned tomatoes, everything is fresh!
This vegetable soup recipe is a delicious gem!
I’m a big fan of pairing this vegetable soup with warm, crusty bread. It’s so satisfying and delicious, and it even feels light in the tummy due to the absence of meat.
This soup derives the majority of its flavor from the unique combination of herbs and vegetables, namely the basil and leek. I also add in a couple of teaspoons of lemon juice at the end to brighten up the taste.
I love to dip bread into the warm soup to soak up some of the broth, and the contrasting temperatures and textures from the savory liquid and the fluffy bread really complement one another!
Ingredients and substitutions
With this recipe, you can easily substitute your favorite vegetable for another. The combination below is just my personal favorite!
- Olive oil
- Leek – Onions or shallots will also work.
- Garlic
- Carrot
- Celery – Can be omitted.
- Green beans – Asparagus would be a nice substitute.
- Fresh tomatoes
- Water – You can use broth, if you like.
- Bay leaves
- Corn – Frozen peas can work or even a combination of the two.
- Fresh herbs – I like parsley and basil, but thyme and rosemary would be nice too!
- Lemon juice – Apple cider vinegar will also work; this brightens up the flavors!
- Red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper – Use these as you desire for seasoning and heat.
Directions
Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add in the olive oil and leeks.
Stir in the the garlic, carrot, and celery and let cook 2-3 minutes. Give each layer a sprinkle of salt as you go.
Add in the green beans, cabbage, tomatoes, water, bay leaves, and corn. Stir to combine.
Simmer the soup for 20-30 minutes, covered.
Stir in the fresh herbs, lemon juice, and extra seasoning, as desired.
Serving suggestions
For protein, you could serve salmon or baked chicken breasts. I tend to make this a light meal and skip the protein altogether.
For bread, try my 100 Calorie Biscuits or these Pumpkin Biscuits.
Hearty Vegetable Soup with Fresh Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 leek sliced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup carrot chopped
- ½ cup celery chopped
- 1 ½ cups green beans chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 cup green cabbage chopped
- 2 cups tomatoes chopped
- 4 ½ cups water
- 2 bay leaves
- ⅓ cup frozen corn rinsed and drained
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley
- 2 Tablespoons fresh basil
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- pinch red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil.
- Add in the leek and saute for one minute.
- Add in the garlic, carrot, and celery, and saute for 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in a pinch of red pepper flakes along with a good pinch of salt (it helps to lightly salt each layer of additions as you go).
- Add in the green beans, cabbage, tomatoes, water, bay leaves, and corn.
- Bring the mix to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Cover the pot and let the mix simmer for 20-30 minutes or until cabbage and beans are soft.
- Remove the lid, stir in the fresh herbs and lemon juice.
- Season to taste.
Notes
Nutrition
If you have a chance to try this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below letting me know how you liked it!
Do you grate the sweet potato or is it cooked and mashed? I can’t wait to try this biscuit recipe, along with the soup!
Hi Sue,
For the sweet potato, I just mash one that has been baked. I usually poke them with a fork and bake them in the oven for about 40 minutes at 400 degrees. Sorry if that was unclear in the directions, I’ll adjust it right now. 🙂
My college years were also about protein shakes, but in my case because I wanted to bulk up…ha!
BTW those sweet potato biscuits look legit, I want to try ’em.
Ny substitute for oat flour? It’s not gf. 🙁
Just buy certified gluten-free oats, Lauren. They are naturally gluten-free and only cause trouble because of cross-contamination.
OMG those sweet potato biscuits!! Pinning now I can’t wait to make when it gets just a tad bit colder 🙂
The sweet potato biscuits were delicious! I made a variation of the soup along with the biscuits and my family, even my picky son, loved them! Glad I found your site. Your other recipes look great as well.
That’s great Jenny, I’m so happy it went over so well! 🙂 Thanks for your comment!
My college years resembled the diet of someone who didn’t know how to cook. I made 3 dinners: stir fry with storebought sauce, pasta with meat sauce (at least I made the sauce) and pan-fried salmon. Turkey sandwiches and boring salads were my lunches and breakfasts were packets of oatmeal. Bleak isn’t it? Good thing I learned to cook in 4th year 😉
This soup sounds perfect for the upcoming cold weather and I can’t wait to whip up those biscuits. Soup NEEDS something to dip it in.
Hi Gabby! Lol, it’s odd to think of you as a meat-eater since I’ve only known you from your blog. 🙂 It’s good to hear from you girl, and I hope everything is going well for you!
I am totally loving the look of this veggie soup.. definitely perfect for the cool weather at the moment. I never would have thought to make biscuits to go with soup so I definitely need to try both the recipes out together.. looks delicious!
Thanks Thalia! It’s definitely nice to have the bread to dip into the soup! 🙂
This looks fantastic! I’m allergic to oats. What would you suggest to use in place of the oat flour in the biscuits? Thanks.
Hi Jocelyn,
I haven’t tested them with any other flour, but I imagine wheat or spelt would work well! 🙂
Yikes, unfortunately those aren’t gluten-free. Hmm, guess I’ll have to think of something else. Maybe coconut flour? Or more brown rice flour?
Hi! I was wondering what’s the point of the lemon juice if you aren’t using baking soda? Also, can I make them just with oat flour? I can’t tell a specific purpose that the rice flour is serving (plus, I don’t have it;)). Or can I substitute it with any flour at all? Thanks!
Hi Tea,
The lemon juice reacts with the baking powder. As for the flour combo, I think all oat would be fine! 🙂
I love this!