Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Vegetable Soup
Tender potatoes and plenty of vegetables fill this savory tomato broth, making a simple bowl feel generous. The herbs carry through the soup, with sweet corn and green beans adding little changes in texture from one spoonful to the next.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Original yield
- Serves 6
- Ingredients
- 16 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Cuisine
- American
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less
- Dish type
- Soups · Soups & stews
A few quick notes
1. Soften the base first
Give the onion, carrots and celery those few minutes in the oil before adding anything else. They should soften a bit, which makes the soup taste rounder than if everything went straight into the broth.
2. Let the tomato paste cook
That minute with the tomato paste, garlic, seasoning and bay leaf is worth it. Stir it around so the paste loosens and darkens slightly before the broth goes in.
3. Add tender greens last
The green beans, corn and spinach go in after the potatoes are tender. That keeps the spinach from disappearing into the soup too early and gives you a chance to adjust the seasoning at the end.
Get to know the ingredients
Broth choice changes the seasoning
Use low sodium chicken or vegetable broth as listed, then taste near the end. The salt needed can shift depending on the broth and vegetables, so the final seasoning check really matters here.
Potatoes can be peeled or not
The potatoes are chopped before they go in, and peeling is optional. Either way, let them simmer covered until they’re tender before adding the last vegetables.
Green beans and corn are flexible
Fresh or frozen green beans both work, and the corn can be canned or frozen. Since they’re added at the end, they only need to heat through with the spinach.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 6. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 6 steps completeMake room for Vegetable Soup
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Taste before you serve
The last little job is to adjust the seasoning. If the tomato paste tastes a bit sharp, add the listed teaspoon of sugar only if needed, then serve while the vegetables are still bright.
A little more help as you go
If the soup thickens
The soup thickens as it cools. Add extra broth before serving, or after reheating it from the fridge, if you want to loosen it back up.
Storing leftovers
Let the soup cool to room temperature, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
A few questions you might have
Why scrape the bottom of the pot after adding the broth?
Those browned bits come from sautéing the vegetables and cooking the tomato paste mixture. Scraping them up folds that flavor back into the soup instead of leaving it stuck to the pot.
Should the potatoes be cooked before the green beans, corn and spinach go in?
Yes. The potatoes need the covered simmer first, until they’re tender. The green beans, corn and spinach are stirred in afterward so they don’t spend the whole simmering time in the pot.
Can I use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth?
Yes, either low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth works. Taste at the end because the seasoning depends on the broth you use.
Do I have to add the sugar at the end?
No. It’s there only if the tomato paste needs balancing. Taste the soup after the vegetables are in, then add the teaspoon of sugar if it tastes like it needs it.
Can this soup be frozen?
Yes. Store it in a freezer-safe container and freeze it for up to 1 month.
Any more cooking tips?
The soup will thicken as it cools. Add in some extra broth if you need to before serving, or after reheating it from being in the fridge. Storing: Store this soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Allow it to cool to room temperature before putting it in the fridge. This vegetable soup freezes so well! Store it in a freezer-safe container and freeze it for up to 1 month.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: thereciperebel.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
