I remember decades ago after college graduation that I continued cooking like a student looking for quick and inexpensive meals. I grew up eating canned tomato soup for lunch, and it was my favorite. By the time I was a college grad, I wanted something better. I remember making tomato soup from tomato juice with a little olive oil, ground garlic, and onion. I even served it to friends who came to dinner in my little efficiency. Several asked for the recipe. It was the first course as we sat around the coffee table sitting on the floor. No, that little apartment didn’t have much room.
Today’s recipe is so easy and so good, Quick & Easy 1 Hour Vegetable Soup. It’s the kind of meal you throw together in a big pot and have dinner in an hour. It’s a great week night meal but also good enough to serve to company. When you come home from work, tired and chilled, put a pot on to cook and go relax with a throw.
This is a very forgiving recipe too and so easy to customize to taste and whatever is in the pantry or fridge. If you have leftover beans, squash, or need to use up another vegetable, add it to the pot. Some people like green beans in vegetable soup while others swear by green peas. Use what you want or use both. As written, the soup is vegan if you use vegetable broth. It’s gluten-free without pasta. It’s also low fat without meat. If your family must have meat, you can add cooked beef or chicken. For ground beef, buy lean ground beef and brown in a pan first step. Pour off any fat and then follow the rest of the instructions. Please note, you can add a hand full of quinoa, barley, brown rice, etc. for more protein and fiber. How about a hand full of edame (soy beans)?
Quick & Easy 1 Hour Vegetable Soup
Use organic when available. Serves 6
Quick & Easy 1 Hour Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup diced onion
- 2 carrots sliced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 2 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp white sugar
- 1 large potato diced
- 46 oz tomato-vegetable juice or tomato juice
- 14 oz vegetable, chicken or beef broth
- 1 cup chopped fresh or frozen green beans or peas
- 1 cup corn kernals fresh or frozen
- 1 can (15 1/2 oz) cannellini beans drained
- 1 can pinto, blackbean, or kidney bean drained
- salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: add more beans, pasta, quinoa, barley, or rice
Instructions
- Sauté onion, carrots & celery in oil in bottom of soup pot
- Wait until onion is almost soft, then add minced garlic
- Cook for just 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant to prevent burning.
- Add broth, vegetable-tomato juice, potato, green beans or peas, corn, beans, parsley, basil, sugar, oregano, salt, and pepper
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes
- Serve with crusty bread, cornbread, or cheese toast
Make it your own to suit your family’s needs. Enjoy!
Please see my Link Parties page for the parties where this post was shared.
Discover more from Comfort Spring
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
It looks delicious! I make soup every week for Shabbat dinner, and am always on the lookout for new recipes.
This sounds yummy! I love a good vegetable soup and a one hour prep sounds even better! Thanks for the inspiration! Visiting via #MMBC
This looks fantastic! Thanks — it’s starting to be soup season here!
Looks very comforting and delicious!
I do love soup when the weather turns colder. This looks and sounds delicious!
…yep, it’s soup season.
I like easy recipies, so thank you for sharing!
This looks very tasty, Carol.
I love soups at this time of year and am always looking for some inspiration. Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂