Hints to Soup Up Vegetable Soup and Hearty Vegetable Soup (see below)
Here are a few ways to zip up the taste and add texture to your already delicious vegetable soups. No new ingredients are required, but you will need a little more time. The differences are subtle, but pleasing, and give you more options for serving a standby meal-in-one. Your soup lovers will appreciate new ways to make them feel nourished and warm on chilly days.
Hint #1 - Flavourful Legumes
If you're soaking your own chickpeas or beans, add salt, a clove of garlic and rosemary or the herb of your choice to the water. To infuse the tastes into the legumes, keep the flavourings in the water when you boil them. If you have too many beans or chickpeas, put the leftovers in the freezer for use in future stews, soups or salads. They thaw quickly.
Hint #2 - Mushless Vegetables
Sautee the vegetables in olive or vegetable oil before adding the broth. The browning process adds a bit of structure to the vegetables even though the centre becomes soft when cooked in the broth. That means not just the onions, garlic and celery, but the carrots, parsnips, zucchini and any other vegetable you're using. Sautee them in small batches (to prevent steaming) until the majority have a slightly browned edge. Don't forget to brown the chickpeas or beans, too, taking care to flip them only once so they don't break up.
Hint #3 - Cheese Rinds
Save the rinds of hard cheeses such as Parmesan and Romano. Keep them in the freezer until the next time you make a vegetable soup. No thawing necessary. Throw the rind in the pot to add extra flavour. Fish it out just before serving.
Hint #4 - Presto Pesto
Add a dollop of pesto, either purchased or home made to the soup when serving. Your soup will taste even richer and more satisfying. Pesto is easy to make:
1 or 2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves or 1/4-1/2 cup dried basil
1/2 cup or more grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons pine nuts (optional)
1/4-1/2 cup olive oil
Put all the ingredients in a blender or a food processor and blend until combined. Reserve until ready to add to the middle of each bowl of soup.
Hint #5 - Potatoes/Potatohs
If including potatoes, thicken the soup by mashing a few of them in the broth after they have cooked.
Hearty Vegetable Soup
Ingredients: All the ingredients listed below are optional, according to your preference:
Leeks, shallots or onions
Celery
Carrots
Parsnip
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Zucchini
Green or yellow beans
Mushrooms
Spinach, arugula or kale
Pasta
Potatoes
Oregano
Basil
Salt
Pepper
Method
Chop all the vegetables to the size you prefer. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot and sautee the onions, garlic and celery. Remove from the pot and brown the other vegetables (including the potatoes and legumes) in small batches until most of them develop a brown edge.
Replace all the vegetables in the pot and add the broth and seasonings. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook until done. If desired, mash a few potatoes to thicken the soup. If desired, add a pasta of choice and cook until al dente.
Stir in the spinach, arugula or kale and cook for a few minutes until tender.
Spoon the soup into bowls. Add a dollop of pesto to finish or sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.