There is something super comforting about vegetable soup. It is so warm and soothing and I have been a fan for as long as I can remember, but today, I am transforming this classic into something really special.
In addition to the traditional corn, carrots, celery and peas, I invited some new friends to the party… 16 of them to be exact.
This soup is hearty and filling with great layers of flavor. It is vegetarian, vegan and naturally gluten free, so it can be enjoyed by almost anyone! Whether you are looking for something healthy to offset those holiday spurges or need something delicious to warm you up on a chilly winter day, you are going to love this 16 vegetable soup.
Let’s get it started…
For most people, the first step in making this soup will most likely be a trip to the produce section of your local grocery store and trust me, it will be well worth the time spent selecting these veggies. You will need 1 yellow onion, 3 spring onions, 1 leek, 1 yellow zucchini, 2 celery ribs, 2 carrots, 1 parsnip, 1 rutabaga, 1 red sweet pepper, 1 green bell pepper, 4 cloves of garlic, 3 kale leaves, 1 cup of sweet corn, 1 cup of sweet peas, 2 cups of green beans and 14 ounces of diced tomatoes.
In addition to all of those vegetables, you will need 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 64 ounces of vegetable stock (or chicken stock, if you prefer), 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes and some salt and black pepper.
The corn, peas and diced tomatoes are ready to go as is, but the other vegetables will need a little prep. This soup comes together pretty quickly, so I like to have everything prepared before I start cooking.
Start by peeling and chopping the onion, carrots, parsnip and rutabaga. Halve and slice the zucchini, slice the springs onions and celery, dice the red sweet pepper and green bell pepper and mince the garlic. Cut the ends off of the green beans and chop them into 1 inch pieces. Remove the stem from the kale leaves and cut the leaves into thin strips.
If you haven’t worked with a leek before, here are some tips…
The most important step when preparing a leek is to clean them properly. If you only rinse the outside of your leek, you will be very disappointed when you start chopping into it. The best way to clean them is by removing the stem (the root end) and separating the white portion from the green end containing the leaves. Cut the two portions in half length wise and separate the leaves. This is where the dirt hides.
Rinse the leaves and then stack them back on top of each other and slice them thinly.
Now that all of the vegetables have been prepped, add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into your biggest soup pot and place it over medium heat.
Add the onions and a pinch of salt and pepper and cook them for about 5 minutes.
Once the onions have softened a bit, add the sliced celery, sliced carrots, sliced parsnip and cubed rutabaga and cook them for another 5 minutes.
Next, add the minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of onion powder and 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Stir to combine and then add 64 ounces of vegetable stock and 14 ounces of diced tomatoes.
Next, add the green bell pepper, red sweet pepper, spring onions, the leeks and the yellow zucchini and stir to combine.
Bring the soup up to a simmer and simmer it until the parsnips and rutabaga are tender. This should only take another 5 minutes or so.
Once everything is tender, add the sweet corn, sweet peas and green beans and simmer another 5 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the kale.
Ladle a bunch of soup into your favorite soup bowl and get ready to love vegetable soup more than you ever thought possible…
I love having a thick slice of crusty bread and a few lemon wedges with this soup. Garnish with some fresh parsley or even some grated parmesan and you are in for a real treat…
There are so many layers to this soup. The broth is rich and bold with just a hint of heat from the red pepper flakes. There is a bit of sweetness from the peppers, carrots and tomatoes and the parsnips and rutabagas are tender and hearty, just like potatoes, but with less carbs. The celery, leeks and kale add an earthiness and the garlic and onions round out the flavor profile in a classic way.
If you love vegetables (and you definitely should!), then I would highly suggest whipping up a batch of this fabulous 16 vegetable soup to celebrate how wonderful they really are.
16 Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 spring onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 leek, thinly sliced
- 1 large yellow zucchini, halved, sliced
- 2 celery ribs, sliced
- 2 large carrots, peeled, sliced
- 1 medium parsnip, peeled, sliced
- 1 medium rutabaga, peeled, cubed
- 1 large sweet pepper, chopped
- 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 kale leaves, stems removed, thin sliced
- 1 cup sweet corn
- 1 cup sweet peas
- 2 cups green beans
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes
- 64 ounces vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- salt and black pepper
- fresh parsley, finely chopped (garnish)
- lemon wedges (garnish)
- parmesan, grated (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Prepare all of the vegetables (instructions above)
- Add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into a large deep soup pot and place it over medium heat
- Add 1 chopped medium yellow onion into the pot, season with a pinch of salt and black pepper and cook for 5 minutes
- Once the onions have softened a bit, add 2 sliced celery ribs, 2 peeled and sliced carrots, 1 peeled and sliced parsnip and 1 peeled and cubed rutabaga and stir to combine
- Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat
- Add 4 minced cloves of garlic, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of onion powder and 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes and stir to combine
- Add 64 ounces of vegetable stock and 14 ounces of diced tomatoes (including the juice)
- Add 1 chopped green bell pepper, 1 chopped red sweet pepper, 3 sliced spring onions, 1/2 of a leek, thinly sliced and 1 large yellow zucchini, halved and sliced
- Stir everything together and bring the soup of to a simmer
- Simmer until the parsnips and carrots are tender
- Add 1 cup of sweet corn, 1 cup of sweet peas and 2 cups of green beans and stir to combine
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the thinly sliced kale
- Serve garnished with fresh parsley, lemon wedges and grated parmesan (optional)
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator in a covered pot and reheat over medium heat
