I don’t know about you, but M & I still managed to make & eat an excessive amount of food and enjoy more wine that we probably should have over the holiday season, even with the pandemic restrictions.
While the thought of a “new year, new you” cleanse this year is almost laughable (ha! let’s all just see what 2021 has in store for us), most of us naturally want to cut back a bit on the treats and doughy carbs after many “sure, I’d love another Ghirardelli peppermint bark before bed,” or “why not another cheese plate" kinda nights.
This 10 Veggie Soup turns out a little different every time I make it depending on what I have on hand and what looks good at the store. While I love this recipe written as-is, you by no means have to use all 10 veggies! After all, six veggie soup is just as good as 10 veggie soup.
I love this soup for the flavor and texture, but one of the best parts is that it will feed you for days. I’m a big fan of cook once and eat two, three, or four times.
I make big soups like this in my Dutch oven (like this one), enjoy it that day, then keep it in the fridge for lunch or dinner for the next few days. Always let your Dutch oven come to room temperature, then just put the lid on and pop it in the fridge. It can be in there 3-4 days no problem.
Re: Ease & Budget:
This soup is budget-friendly if you shop in bulk bins at your local store, and use up what you have in the fridge.
The onion, celery & carrot are pretty essential here (called mirepoix in French), but if you want to use all broccoli instead of both broccoli & cauliflower then go right ahead. (You do you!) I prefer the texture of riced cauliflower here, but if you have a leftover head of cauliflower, then chop it up and use it. My store has great looking green beans in the bulk bin, so I just grab a handful, but there’s no need to buy a giant Costco sized bag of green beans unless you’ll use them all.
When buying something large like cabbage that’s sold by the pound (it almost always is), someone in the produce department is usually happy to cut it in half for you (and the next person buying cabbage is grateful to see the option to buy half.) I can’t remember the last time I bought a whole head of cabbage. To keep costs in check, only buy what you need, I say. I got my carrots, 1 crown of broccoli, green beans, and cabbage in just the right amounts.
Any leftover greens you might have would also be a great addition to this soup. One or two handfuls of any chopped greens when you add the cabbage at the end play nicely in this soup. Again, no need to buy a bunch of kale, but if you have it, by all means, add it.
Re: Nutrition:
10 Veggie Soup is delicious, and it’s PACKED FULL of fiber. Fiber is essential to good health no matter how you choose to eat. It helps your body detox excess estrogen more efficiently, not to mention keeps your digestive system running smoothly.
And of course, vegetables are full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that will make 2021 your best year yet. Just kidding, I can’t promise that. But we all know veggies are healthy and provide a huge amount of hydration for your body (that part is true), so eat up.
You can make this completely vegan if you use veggie stock. Chicken stock has more flavor so use that if you’re cool with it, or spring for a quart of bone broth (which is just long-simmered chicken stock that is full of protein) if you want the most filling option. You can make your own bone broth or stock, but there’s nothing wrong with getting it from the store. Just avoid cans of broth; they are laden with excess sodium. Stick to the quart-sized boxes.
Now, go make yourself a big bowl of veggie soup and pat yourself on the pack for filling up on all of those vitamins and nourishing foods.
Nourishing 10 Veggie Soup Recipe
by Elizabeth Rider
Makes 8 servings
Note: Use any combination of veggies you like here; aim for about 4-5 cups chopped veggies in addition to the onion, celery, and carrot. Omit anything that doesn’t look good at the store, is expensive, or you don’t like. You might end up with a “6 or 7 Veggie Soup,” which will still be amazing.
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced (aka finely chopped)
2 carrots, chopped (I like to buy long skinny carrots from the bulk bin and cut them into 1/4-in rounds, but if they only have large carrots do half-moons or quarter moons)
2 ribs celery, chopped (save the leaves for a soup garnish if you have them)
1 parsnip (or another carrot), chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 medium to large Yukon gold (yellow) potato, skin on, chopped into 1-inch cubes
1 medium zucchini, chopped (I usually do quarter moons)
10-12 fresh green beans (I grab a handful from the bulk bin), chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 small crown broccoli chopped into small pieces (about 1 — 1.5 cups chopped)
1 cup riced cauliflower (fresh has a better texture—I buy this in the salad section, you’ll have more in the bag for another meal)
1 bay leaf
1 cup finely shredded cabbage (I used purple cabbage to make it pretty and shred it on a mandoline* or with a sharp knife)
1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (I like San Marzano)
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, plus 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary if you happen to have some on hand (or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary + 6 fresh sprigs thyme)
1-quart bone broth stock (or vegetable stock to make vegan, or chicken stock, any stock works!)
1 (14-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed (leave out if you don’t like beans)
2 teaspoons sea salt, more to taste if your stock is low-sodium
a few spins freshly ground black pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon), to taste
Method:
Clean & prepare all veggies. You only need to peel the carrots or parsnip if they look extra dirty (I almost never peel them). Remove the outer layer of cabbage, and you don’t need to rinse it. Potato skins are full of fiber & vitamins so rinse but leave the skin on unless you have strong feelings about it.
In a 6-quart Dutch oven or soup pot, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, parsnip, and a pinch of sea salt and saute until soft, 5-6 minutes.
Add the garlic, bay leaf, a few spins of freshly ground black pepper, and Italian seasoning (and fresh herbs if using) and give the pan a few big stirs. Saute everything another 1-2 minutes to cook the garlic and allow the flavors of the spices to release.
Add the potato, green beans, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower rice and give it a big stir, then saute 3-4 more minutes to allow the veggies to pick up some flavor in the pan.
Turn the heat to medium-high, then add the crushed tomatoes right away to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the stock, 2 teaspoons of sea salt, a few spins of black pepper, and the beans to the pan. Let it come up to a rolling simmer (this will take 2-5 minutes), then reduce the heat to medium-low and let it all simmer for about 10 minutes to cook the veggies through.
Add the shredded cabbage (if using) in and let it cook for about 5 minutes to begin to wilt. Adjust seasoning as needed; if you use low-sodium stock add another teaspoon or so of sea salt. Serve immediately or let it sit on the stove on warm for up to an hour. Keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
*Handheld mandoline slicers (like this one) are essential to getting that extra finely shred or slice. BUT, always use caution when and leave the last few inches of what you’re slicing whole—I cut my thumb on one once that warranted a trip to the Urgent Care. Use the guard or leave a few inches of what you are slicing to be safe.
If you make this soup, let the community know how it turns out:
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Another one going on the meal plan for next week! Super excited to make this!