Chunky Garden Vegetable Soup with Tomato and Herbs
Inspired by techniques from NYT Cooking and America's Test Kitchen.
A hearty, colourful soup packed with chunky vegetables, potatoes and green beans in a herby tomato broth, brightened at the end with lemon and parsley. Wholesome, filling and easy to make in one pot.
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Method
- 1
Soften the base. Heat the oil in the pot over medium heat, add the onion, carrots and celery with a pinch of the salt and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring, until soft and starting to colour. The salt draws out moisture so the vegetables soften faster, and the light browning builds a sweet, savoury foundation.
- 2
Toast herbs and purée. Stir in the garlic, thyme and oregano for 1 minute until fragrant, then add the tomato purée and stir for 1 minute more until it darkens slightly. Cooking the purée briefly caramelises its natural sugars, deepening the tomato flavour and taking away its raw edge.
- 3
Simmer the potatoes. Add the potatoes, the tomatoes with their juice, the stock, the remaining salt and the pepper. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes until the potatoes are just tender when pierced with a knife. Giving the firmest vegetables a head start means everything finishes cooking at the same time.
- 4
Add the greens. Tip in the courgette and green beans and simmer uncovered for 8 minutes, then add the peas for 2 minutes until everything is tender and the soup is boiling hot. Adding the quicker-cooking vegetables later keeps their colour bright and stops them turning mushy.
- 5
Finish and serve. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley, taste and add a little more pepper if needed, then ladle into bowls. A splash of acid at the end lifts all the vegetable flavours and makes the broth taste fresher.
Storage
Cool, refrigerate within 2 hours and use within 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat until boiling hot (74°C) throughout.
Equipment
- large heavy-based pot with a lid (at least 4 litres)
- wooden spoon
- chopping board and knife
- ladle
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 169 kcal |
| Protein | 4.2 g |
| Carbohydrate | 24 g |
| of which sugars | 7.7 g |
| of which free sugars | 0.1 g |
| Fat | 7.4 g |
| of which saturates | 1.1 g |
| Fibre | 6 g |
| Salt | 1.33 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
2.5 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
