Hearty Vegetable Soup

Do you love soup as much as I do?  If so – I think you’ll like this recipe for my very favorite – and hearty! – vegetable soup.

I’ve been making this soup for several winters now, and every time I taste it I’m pleasantly reminded of how delicious and filling it is.  It is packed with lots of different vegetables, and has a kick of lemon which adds a lovely fresh and bright flavor.

I’ve read that eating a wide variety of colors of fruits and vegetables is good for you.  Well, check it out!  Green, yellow, orange, purple, and white.  That should be good, right?

And there’s a ~ secret ingredient ~ that makes this soup really hearty.  Any guesses?

Garbanzo beans! They make a big difference and make the soup super satisfying.

Also satisfying: this soup is really easy to make. I love to whip up a batch of this hearty vegetable soup on a Sunday, and pack it for lunch for a few days during the week. Then, I’ll freeze any leftovers (if there are any!) for a future meal.

Just chop up and sauté your veggies,

Add stock and simmer until the veggies are soft,

Then use an immersion blender to blend the soup right in the stockpot. I like to leave a little texture – it’s a “hearty” soup, after all!

Serve garnished with parsley and lemon zest for a nice fresh flavor.

What is your go-to winter soup?

This recipe is adapted from the Williams-Sonoma Soup cookbook.

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Hearty Vegetable Soup

This hearty vegetable soup is packed with lots of different vegetables, and has a kick of lemon which adds a lovely fresh and bright flavor. 

Course Main Course, Soup

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 leeks chopped, including light green parts
• 3 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 shallot chopped
• 4 carrots peeled and sliced
• 4 small zucchini, or 2 large sliced
• 2 small yellow squash sliced
• 1 pound red potatoes sliced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 -15 ounce can garbanzo beans drained
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest minced

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium high heat. Cook leeks, garlic, and shallot until softened, about 4-5 minutes.

2. Add the carrots, zucchini, squash, and potatoes and cook another 4-5 minutes.

3. Add tomato paste and cook 1 minute, then add stock and simmer until vegetables are soft, about 25 minutes.

4. Add garbanzo beans and cook 2-3 minutes.

5. Remove stockpot from heat. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper. 

6. Using an immersion blender, blend soup until almost smooth - but leave a little texture. If you don't have an immersion blender, blend in a food processor or blender. 

7. Stir in half the parsley and add salt and pepper to taste. 

8. Serve topped with a sprinkle of parsley, lemon zest, and a twist of fresh ground black pepper.