The Best Vegetable Soups – Slender Kitchen

Vegetable soup is one of those recipes that’s been around forever. This soup is packed with vegetables, healthy and delicious, and perfect for when you’re hungry. This is a favorite low-calorie soup, along with Healthy Taco Soup and Cabbage Soup.

One of my favorite strategies for eating more vegetables is to keep some vegetable soup in the refrigerator. It saves me when I’m hungry or need a quick meal. This homemade vegetable soup is one of my all-time favorite vegetable soups to have in the fridge and it makes the perfect side dish or snack between meals. It’s filling, super healthy, and you can enjoy it anytime.

There are many ways to make this simple vegetable soup. My personal version uses a combination of tomatoes and chicken stock to add tons of flavor. I used Italian seasoning for flavor and then added carrots, celery, onions, garlic, cabbage, green beans, peas, and corn. I also often add zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli and some chickpeas or lentils when I want to make it more filling.

Vegetable Soup Recipe Ideas

• Make it spicy: While sautéing onions, garlic, carrots and celery, add some red pepper flakes. You can also add some diced jalapeños.
• Try new vegetables: This soup can be made with any vegetables you like or have on hand. Just pay attention to the cooking time. Quick-cooking vegetables should be added later so they don’t become too soft.
• Add protein: To make this soup more filling, consider adding some protein. Consider using chickpeas, lentils, or cannellini beans to keep it vegetarian. You can also add chicken breast, ground turkey, or shrimp. You can even add both at the same time! Note that you may need some extra broth.
• More tomato flavor: If you want more tomato flavor, you have a few options. First, you can add extra tomato paste. This adds a rich tomato flavor. Another option is to add mixed canned tomatoes. Finally, you can use tomato or tomato and chicken flavored bouillon cubes.
• spices: To keep it simple, I chose to use some Italian seasoning in this soup. If you like more flavor, you can substitute any of your favorite spices or spice blends. Fresh herbs are great too.
• Made with tomato juice or v8: Some people like to use tomato juice or v8 instead of chicken broth. You can use half or half juice.
• Ranch or Taco Seasoning: Another way to add extra flavor is to use store-bought ranch or taco seasoning. This is a popular technique for adding tons of extra flavor. Onion and vegetable soups also work well.

How to Freeze Vegetable Soup

Vegetable soup is a great choice and will keep in the refrigerator for up to 6 months. Personally, I like to freeze soup into individual servings for easy grab-and-go meals. For best results, make sure the soup is completely cool before placing it in the refrigerator.

These one cup soup “ice cube” trays are one of my favorites because you can freeze the portions and then remove them from the silicone mold and place them in a plastic bag for easy storage.

Can I make vegetable soup in a slow cooker?

This soup can be easily adapted to be made in a pot. Place all ingredients except green beans, corn, and peas in slow cooker. Simmer for 3.5 hours. Unwrap and add green beans, peas, and corn. Cook for another 30 minutes or until green beans are cooked through but not mushy. Taste and season as desired.

How to make vegetable soup more filling?

A common complaint about vegetable soup is that it doesn’t keep you full for long. To make soup more filling, you need to add protein, fiber, or both to make it more filling. Some options include beans, lentils, or edamame. You can also add lean protein such as roasted chicken, ground turkey or turkey sausage. Another option is to have some pasta, rice, couscous or quinoa. With all of these options, you may want to add some extra broth to the soup.

How many calories does healthy vegetable soup contain?

There are 147 calories in 1.5 cups of vegetable soup. Generally speaking, vegetable soup has between 100-200 calories per cup.