Healthy, homemade vegetable soup in under 30 minutes. Lemony broth with chunks of veggies. This vegan soup recipe is perfect for chilly winter weeknights.
I absolutely love this brothy, chunky vegetable soup. It’s a super tasty and healthy way to get in your veggies! And, it’s quicker than take out!
Homemade delicious soup that’s ready so quick? Yes, please!
This easy soup recipe is packed with all the good things. Loads of veggies, tons of fiber and nourishment, plus refreshing mediterranean flavors in every bite.
Exactly the warm comforting meal I’m looking for on a busy winter night. Oh, you too! Awesome…let’s be friends.
Ingredients and Substitutions for Mediterranean Veggie Soup?
- Onions: A great way to build flavor in a soup. No onions? substitute leeks, shallots or add a bit on onion powder and increase the amount of celery.
- Celery: Alkalizing and full of antioxidants. Substitute fennel.
- Carrots: Colorful and they add vitamins plus a sweetness to soup. Parsnips would be a good substitution if you’re out of carrots.
- Zucchini: Contributes to healthy digestion and a biodiverse gut. Yellow squash will also work well.
- Cabbage: Cooked cabbage has more antioxidants than raw, which contribute to optimum good health. Loaded with vitamins, minerals and helps reduce inflammation. Shredded brussels sprouts is a good alternative.
- Diced tomatoes: More concentrated in flavor than fresh plus canned tomatoes are loaded with lycopene–an antioxidant that helps lower the risk of heart disease, several cancers and contributes to eye health. A couple tablespoons tomato paste added with the spices is good in a pinch.
- Cannellini Beans: Fiber and plant based protein help with feeling full and satisfied. Any bean will work well in place of cannellinis. I’ve used pinto and red kidney beans many times in this soup recipe.
- Artichoke hearts: They’re yummy! They add a distinct mediterranean flavor and vibe…plus they’re highly nutritious, good for digestion, help regulate blood pressure, balance good vs. bad cholesterol and lower blood sugar. Hearts of palm are also good in this soup or just omit if you don’t have them.
- Lemon: The super flavor star of this soup…making this not your ordinary vegetable soup. Additionally, lemon is a good source of vitamin C and helps with hydration and digestion. I like to use fresh lemons and the zest too….but if you don’t have fresh, use a jar of lemon juice. Make sure it’s organic though. Lemons are heavily sprayed. Lime would be an awesome substitution for lemon….that citrus punch is essential to the flavors of this soup.
- Spices: More mediterranean flavors come from coriander, turmeric and paprika. Black pepper helps to absorb the curcumin in the turmeric so this soup has tons of anti-inflammatory benefits and a beautiful golden color.
How to make Easy Homemade Vegetable Soup
- Add onions, carrots and celery to soup pot. Use a couple tablespoons of veggie broth to keep pot from becoming too dry.
- Stir and cook for about 5 minutes to let veggies sweat.
- Add minced garlic and spices (coriander, paprika, turmeric and black pepper.
- Stir constantly for about 1 minute to let the garlic flavor emerge without burning it.
- Stir in cabbage and zucchini.
- Add veggie stock and bay leaf. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil and then turn down to simmer for 10 minutes
- Stir in artichoke hearts (it’s ok to put them in straight from the freezer), cannellini beans and diced tomatoes (I like to use fire roasted for an extra flavor punch). Continue to cook until heated through and veggies are tender.
- Zest and squeeze lemons into soup and stir to combine.
Why I love this vegan soup recipe?
- Easy to make in one pot, in under 30 minutes.
- LOVE the tangy lemony broth…. it’s so refreshing.
- A tasty way to get more veggies in.
- MAKE AHEAD: Soup will stay good in the fridge all week or freeze for up to 6 months.
- Perfect for dinner or lunch. I’ve even had this homemade vegetable soup for breakfast on cold winter mornings.
- It uses pantry ingredients or staples from my fridge.
- Winter weather is so dehydrating so I crave brothy soups like this.
- Homemade Healthy Soup > Take out!!!
What to serve it with?
Garnish with extra lemon wedges, chopped fresh parsley and a healthy sprinkle. of crushed red pepper.
I think this soup stands on it’s own. It’s hearty and filling, super satisfying and loaded with nutrition. You could make a simple salad or a vegan kale caesar to go with it….or even a flatbread as an appetizer before enjoying this tasty soup….but just know that making this homemade soup is enough. You’re doing great if you resisted the urge to get take out. YAY you!
More Healthy Soup Recipes
- 10 minute Simple Miso Soup
- Hearty Minestrone
- Detoxifying Parsnip and Kale Soup
- Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup
- Cauliflower Red Lentil Soup
- Roasted Vegetable Soup
Easy Homemade Vegetable Soup
Healthy, homemade vegetable soup in under 30 minutes. Lemony broth with chunks of veggies. This vegan soup recipe is perfect for chilly winter weeknights.
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
- 3 large carrots, cut into thin rounds (1 cup)
- 2 large stalks celery, thinly sliced (1 cup)
- 6 cloves garlic, minced (1-2 Tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 large zucchini, sliced into half-moons
- 6 cups veggie stock
- 1 can (14-oz) diced tomatoes*
- 1/4 large green cabbage chopped (3 cups)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 (10-oz) package frozen artichoke hearts
- 1 (15-oz) can cannellini beans (1 1/2 cups)
- 2 lemons, zested and juiced (about 1/3 cup lemon juice)
Garnish
- Fresh lemon wedges
- Fresh chopped parsley
- Crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Prepare veggies: chop onion, peel and slice carrots, slice celery, mince garlic, slice zucchini and chop cabbage. Artichoke hearts can go straight from the freezer to the pot. If using canned beans, rinse well and drain.
- Heat large soup pot over medium heat. Use 2 Tablespoons veggie broth to saute onions, carrots and celery. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, coriander, turmeric, paprika and pepper. Stir continuously so garlic doesn't burn, and cook until aromatic, about one minute.
- Pour in stock, add cabbage, zucchini and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Turn down to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in artichoke hearts, cannellini beans and tomatoes. Cook for another 5-10 minutes until veggies are tender, but not mushy.
- Turn off heat. Zest and juice both lemons into pot and mix well.
Notes
BEANS: If you're using canned beans, be sure to rinse them well, and then drain before adding to the soup. If you're making from dried beans, cook before adding to soup and do not add salt in the cooking process.
VEGGIE BROTH: I think it's worth making it from scratch. It's easy and you can freeze it to always have on hand. BUT...I totally get it, not everyone has the time or interest. Don't let it get in the way of making this soup. There are brands available with clean ingredients. READ THE LABEL...specifically the ingredient list. Look for an abundance of vegetables without any additives you don't want.
SALT: It's not listed in the ingredients. If you make your own homemade veggie broth and use dried beans and cook them yourself, you may want to add 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt when you add the other spices. Taste for seasoning when the soup is finished, adding more, to taste. Boxed veggie broth and canned beans usually have plenty of salt added to them, so there's no need to add more sodium.
TOMATOES: I used organic fire roasted diced tomatoes. Look for cans labeled BPA free, or glass jars.
ARTICHOKE HEARTS: I used Trader Joe's frozen artichoke hearts, straight from the freezer to the pot. If you use jarred or canned artichoke hearts, buy them packet in WATER. Also, if they're whole, cut them into 1/8s.
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Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 153Total Fat 2gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 1mgSodium 141mgCarbohydrates 29gFiber 10gSugar 9gProtein 8g
The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.
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