Simple Vegetable Soup

An Easy, Classic Comfort Food with Portobello Mushrooms, Chickpeas

Jan 2, 2009 Lisa Cucciniello

Vegetable soup is a comfort food that everyone loves. This recipe is rather basic with several suggestions for substitutions.

With winter in full swing, the cold weather makes soup the perfect meal any night of the week. At some point though, soups can get rather boring if one is hesitant to branch out and put a twist on some classic recipes. The following is for a basic vegetable soup with some suggestions for variations. The key to this recipe is uniformity; cut your vegetables the same size to ensure evenly cooked bites.

Ingredients:

  • 1 small head of green cabbage
  • small bag of carrots, washed and peeled
  • 2 containers of vegetable stock (if using broth, then 3 containers)
  • 6 oz can of tomato paste
  • 1 bunch of green scallions
  • 3 small turnips
  • 4 - 5 medium sized red skin potatoes
  • 1 bulb of garlic
  • 2 cups of fresh string beans
  • 4 stalks of celery
  • 1 small package of baby portobello mushrooms
  • 1 small package shiitake mushrooms
  • 1 can of chickpeas
  • 2 cups cooked quinoa
  • salt and pepper to taste

Method:

  1. In a large soup pot, add 2 containers of vegetable stock with 2 cups of water and tomato paste to make a broth. If you are using vegetable broth, don't use the 2 cups of water.
  2. Turn heat onto medium.
  3. Peel carrots and cut in slices about 1/4 inch thick.
  4. Peel turnips and cut into small cubes.
  5. Chop cabbage finely.
  6. Chop celery in chunks about the size of the carrots
  7. Cut string beans into 1 inch long pieces
  8. Add the above ingredients to the broth
  9. While the harder vegetables are cooking, slice mushrooms, scallions, and cut potatoes into small cubes.
  10. Finely chop garlic.
  11. Add the above ingredients to the soup and cover the pot.
  12. Allow to come to a hard boil and remain that way 10 minutes. Reduce to low heat and cover, allowing the vegetables to cook for about an hour more.
  13. Add the cooked quinoa and can of beans, washing and straining the beans before adding them.
  14. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

The above recipe is rather classic as far as basic ingredients. Vegetable stock is listed to make this recipe vegetarian friendly. However, some may prefer the flavor of beef or chicken broth which could be substituted as a liquid.

Another substitution is for the chickpeas; black beans work just as well, therefore add whatever is preferred. Green cabbage can be substituted for any variety cabbage, including red. A reminder with red cabbage is that the coloring does seep as it cooks, therefore turning the color of the stock. For some added protein the quinoa was recommended, tailoring to the gluten free population. Rice of any variety would work just as well, though would cut both the fiber and protein content. For those not in need of a gluten free recipe, small pasta of any kind would work as well.

Vegetable soup is one of those recipes that is an all around comfort food. While great any time, change the vegetables according to season, and the starches according to taste, allowing this classic recipe to always offer something new.

The copyright of the article Simple Vegetable Soup in Recipes is owned by Lisa Cucciniello. Permission to republish Simple Vegetable Soup in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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