Vegan Vegetable Soup
This recipe makes a big pot of soup, so it’s perfect for a big crowd, or to make enough to eat for several days if you’ve got a hectic workweek. If you don’t like certain vegetables in the ingredients list, feel free to skip them or substitute in vegetables you do like. For additional seasoning, I find a tablespoon of Morton’s Nature’s Seasoning works well, as do onion and garlic powder or a dash of celery salt. Feel free to experiment as you see fit. The base recipe is as follows:
Ingredients:
- 3 cups diced onions (about 3 small onions, or two medium onions)
- 3 ribs of celery, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 cups potatoes, cubed (scrub potatoes well and leave peels on- that’s where a lot of the nutrients are)
- one small zucchini, diced (about 1 heaped cup)
- one small yellow squash, diced (about 1 heaped cup)
- 1 cup peas (frozen is fine)
- 1 cup corn (frozen is fine)
- 1 cup green beans (roughly two big handfuls- frozen is fine, fresh is better)
- 2 cups chopped kale (remove large, tough stems)
- 1/2 cup pearl barley
- one 28 oz. can plus one 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes
- 6 cups of vegetable stock (about one 32 oz. carton plus 2 cups)
- 2 bay leaves
- fresh or dried thyme, to taste
- salt and pepper, to taste
- olive oil
Directions:
Heat olive oil in bottom of large stockpot, then add onions, carrots, and celery and cook until softened, stirring occasionally to prevent the veggies from sticking. Add garlic, and cook a few minutes longer, until fragrant. Add potatoes, stock, tomatoes, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then stir in barley and reduce heat. Simmer covered until barley is cooked (about 30-40 minutes- check barley for tenderness). Remove bay leaves, and add more vegetable stock or water if necessary to adjust if too much liquid was absorbed by the barley, then stir in squash and zucchini. Cook until squash and zucchini are almost tender, then stir in peas, corn, and green beans. Season with thyme, salt and pepper, or other seasonings to taste. Stir in kale last, and cook until just wilted (be careful not to overcook the kale). Ladle into bowls, and serve with a good hearty bread for dipping or crackers if desired.