After all the indulgence of the holidays, it’s nice to settle down with a big bowl of vegetable soup — especially when it’s cold outside. Whether it’s to reset your palate or just get some more vegetables into your diet, these 9 soups will help jumpstart your new year.
Meat or no meat, the choice is yours. Make up several batches and freeze them for lunches or dinners throughout the month.
Green pesto vegetable soup
Our first featured recipe is this gorgeous green pesto vegetable soup from Well and Full. With a base of onion, celery and zucchini, it’s topped with green pesto made from cilantro and basil. This unique soup is delicious, full of color, and simple to make.
Chunky split-pea soup
Nothing says winter like a rich, thick split-pea soup — especially this one from Budget Bytes, which turns normal pantry staples into a delicious, hearty soup. You’ll need the usual soup fixings such as onion, carrot and celery, plus a few extra ingredients, including a ham hock. (You can even use the one left over from Christmas dinner!) Especially for something so satisfying, this soup comes together remarkably quickly and easily. Don’t forget to add some crunchy homemade croutons on top!
Roasted butternut squash soup with chicken meatballs
From Divas Can Cook comes this roasted butternut squash soup with chicken meatballs. Roasting the butternut squash mellows its flavor, and the delicious chicken meatballs satisfy the pickiest of eaters. While the meatballs might take a little prep, the result is worth the effort.
Hearty garden vegetable farro soup
Jessica Gavin incorporates farro and beans to up the nutritional content of her hearty garden vegetable farro soup. Farro and beans are both high in fiber, and help keep you satisfied for a long time. Combined with the seasonings of a classic vegetable soup, this will be a welcome addition to your soup menu rotation!
Vegetable rice soup
We’ve all been told to include plenty of vegetables in our diets, as our bodies need the nutrients, vitamins and minerals that only vegetables provide. This one-pot vegetable rice soup from Amanda’s Cookin’ creates a delightful, healthy, healing soup out of a beautiful spectrum of vegetables — including leeks, carrots and tomatoes. The rice adds creaminess and heartiness to keep you full and satisfied.
Cheesy roasted vegetable soup
Roasting brings out the natural sweetness of vegetables. For example, a raw onion can be bitter or spicy, but roasting sweetens and mellows its flavor. Carrots, bell peppers and potatoes all become delightfully sweet and flavorful when roasted.
To that end, this cheesy roasted vegetable soup from Kitchen Sanctuary uses roasted vegetables, slightly charred, to boost the flavor of the soup. Top it with Parmesan cheese for a delicious, richly-flavored meal.
Hearty winter vegetable soup
Next up is this hearty winter vegetable soup from The Cooks Pyjamas. Parsnips, turnips and rutabagas (called swedes in the U.K.) switch up the usual vegetable soup medley, all supplemented with the more typical carrots, onions and celery. Barley thickens the soup and gives it more girth.
Soaking the barley overnight with a bit of lemon juice aids digestion of the barley — but even if you don’t take that extra step, the soup will be filling and tasty.
Zucchini soup
Tired of the usual? Try this zucchini soup from Cooking Glory! Its secret ingredient is Bors Magic, a seasoning that sours up traditional Romanian soups. Start by softening up the hard vegetables — carrots, onion, celery etc. Add the zucchini for the last 10 minutes or so, along with your souring agent (if you can’t find Bors Magic, use some use lemon juice). The result: a sumptuous departure from the usual vegetable soup!
Harvest vegetable soup
Healthy Seasonal Recipes offers up another version of harvest vegetable soup that uses the season’s freshest veggies, like squash and kale. The flavors come together with Herbes de Provence, white wine and chicken broth. Feel free to sub in vegetable broth if you prefer.
