Did you know the recommended number of servings of fruits and vegetables we are supposed to eat each day is 9-12? Most of us don’t have too much trouble getting in a couple servings of fruits, and maybe even a couple servings of vegetables if we eat a salad or green beans with dinner, but nine to twelve? That’s a lot!
I had to gradually find ways to add more veggies to my regular meals to get more into my diet each day. I sneak frozen spinach and blueberries into my morning protein shakes and I add vegetables to dishes I normally wouldn’t have previously such as adding spinach to my spaghetti sauce or greens to my soups.
My favorite prep-ahead-of-time soup is my Green Soup. To date this is one of the most popular recipes on the blog and one that many of you hesitantly tried and loved. Even my four year old loves this soup. It may look kind of gross and be FULL of good-for-you veggies, but it is DELICIOUS! I cooked a big pot of it this morning and my son ran into the kitchen saying, “Do I smell Green Hulk Soup?!?!”. He loves it.
But sometimes, I may want a little variety, which is were my vegetable soup recipe comes in. It’s super simple and can be made with whatever veggies you have at home.
Vegetable Soup Recipe:
-Heat some Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a large pot. Add some chopped garlic and onions to it once it’s hot.
-While that is cooking, chop up any vegetables you want to include in your soup. This time I did zucchini, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower. (You can also use frozen vegetables).
And then add them to your large pot.
-Next, add 1-2 boxes of chicken broth. I used organic low-sodium, but you can use whatever kind you’d like. The amount you add will depend on the amount of vegetables you’ve added.
-Once your broth is added, bring it up to a boil and then add in some Tomato Paste. I did a large plop (probably half of the small can of tomato paste.) You can add as much as you’d like or as little as you’d like. It really does give the soup a nice flavor.
-Then just let the soup simmer for a bit. At this point I like to add some frozen spinach as well as any seasonings or spices you’d like to add. I added salt, pepper and a few other spices from the pantry.
-Let it simmer for at least 30 minutes or more and then it’s done!
-You can eat it like this, or you can do the same method that I do with my green soup and you can blend it in your food processor or blender. This helps disguise some of the veggies for those that may have kids that don’t like seeing the veggies, but will love the taste. Or, you can leave it like this.
I puree mine normally and then I store it in 1 cup sized bowls in the freezer. I often pull out a bowl of this and take it to eat along with my protein source for lunch. It’s a great way to get in several servings of vegetables and a good way to fill up on healthy items instead of on junk.
I hope you enjoy!
Feel free to tweak, add, or delete ingredients according to your personal preferences. I’ve never made this soup the same way twice and it always comes out delicious.
Lindsey H says
That soup looks delicious!! There's nothing like warm soup in the winter! 馃檪
-Lindsey @ Simply Lindsey
http://www.simplylindsey.com