Vegetable soup provides a simple, low-stress dinner, plus it can help boost your immune system. This soup recipe includes so many healthy veggies and herbs that ward off colds and cases of flu. Of course, it’s almost summertime in the Northern Hemisphere, so if you live there, soup may not sound appealing. However, if you have a random craving for soup, this one will quickly become a favorite.
Many people love making soup because it’s a one-pot recipe and doesn’t require much preparation. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy this vegetable soup as much as we do!
How to make easy vegetable soup and a garlic baguette
You will want to make this soup often!
What you’ll need:
- Large soup pot
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Tongs
- Immersion blender
- Ladle
- Small spatula
- Small bowl
- Parchment paper
- Baking sheet
Ingredients for the vegetable soup:
- 2 carrots
- Sweet potato
- 2 celery sticks
- 2 garlic cloves
- One medium onion
- A few sprigs of thyme
- 2-3 bay leaves
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 1/2 cups water
- Cream
Ingredients for herb spread:
- 2 tbsp softened butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Dried thyme
- Dried rosemary
Directions:
- Dice your carrots, sweet potato, celery, and onion into cubes. Chop the garlic finely.
- Drizzle olive oil in the pot, and turn the heat on low.
- Put the celery, carrots, and onion in first. Stir frequently, so everything cooks evenly. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Once the ingredients begin to soften a bit, add sweet potato, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
- Stir these ingredients as well, and after they’ve cooked for 10-15 minutes, add the water.
- Bring it to a boil and let the vegetable soup simmer until the sweet potato and carrots are totally soft.
- Now, let’s work on the garlic butter spread for the baguette. In a small bowl, mix the softened butter, minced garlic, thyme, and rosemary.
- Use a small spatula to combine the ingredients thoroughly.
- After blending the butter, cut the baguette into slices. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Use the spatula to spread the herb butter onto the bread. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes.
- Now, back to the soup. Use tongs to remove the bay leaves and thyme.
- Remove the vegetable soup from the heat and use an immersion blender to create a rich, creamy soup.
- Transfer the soup to a bowl and top with a little cream. Dip a piece of your garlic baguette in the soup, and enjoy!
Vegetable potage soup was a staple in medieval times in France, and now, it’s popular around the world. In old times, they would take fresh ingredients from their gardens to use for the soup. This soup is especially comforting in colder months, but it makes for a great meal any time of year. It also is vegan and vegetarian-friendly.
Here are a few tips for making the best vegetable potage soup:
- Make sure to sauté the onion, carrots, and celery in olive oil to draw out the flavors. This makes for a well-rounded, savory tasting soup.
- Using water instead of vegetable or chicken broth gives the soup a cleaner flavor. However, you can still use broth if you prefer.
- If you don’t have a hand blender, feel free to use a blender or food processor to make the potage.
- Adding lemon juice gives the soup a zesty, tangy taste and brings out the other flavors better.
- If you don’t have heavy cream for a garnish, use olive oil or coconut cream instead. You can even top the soup with nuts or pesto for more texture and flavor.
Immune-boosting ingredients in this delicious vegetable soup
- Garlic: This is one of the most powerful ingredients on Earth for boosting immunity. Garlic contains high amounts of sulfur, which researchers believe explains the plant’s health benefits. It also has a lot of antioxidants which help protect the body against oxidative damage. Ancient civilizations used garlic as an antifungal, antiseptic, and antibacterial.
- Sweet potato: Sweet potatoes have a ton of fiber, which helps keep you fuller longer. It also contributes to healthy gut bacteria and promotes strong digestion. Sweet potatoes are a powerhouse of nutrients as well, containing the following in just one cup:
- Vitamin A: 769% of the Daily Value (DV)
- Vitamin C: 65% of the DV
- Manganese: 50% of the DV
- Vitamin B6: 29% of the DV
- Potassium: 27% of the DV
- Pantothenic acid: 18% of the DV
- Copper: 16% of the DV
- Niacin: 15% of the DV
- Carrots: Carrots are a great beta-carotene source, a compound that gives this vegetable its rich orange color. Your body converts it into Vitamin A, which is important for vision, development, and immune function. Carrots also have a lot of fiber, Vitamin K1, potassium, and antioxidants.
- Celery: Celery is rich in Vitamins A, K, and C, along with minerals such as folate and potassium. It also contains many phytonutrients, which have been associated with reducing inflammation. Due to the high fiber content, celery can improve digestion as well.
- Onions: Onions are part of the same family of flowering plants as garlic, so their benefits are similar. Like garlic, onions have a ton of antioxidants and are a powerful antibacterial as well.
- Thyme: Thyme has natural antiviral properties which boost the body’s defenses against colds, touches of flu, and allergies.
- Bay leaves. Bay leaves are a powerful anti-inflammatory and antibacterial. They also can improve digestion and some respiratory conditions.
Final Thoughts: This delicious vegetable soup will be your new favorite meal
Vegetable potage soup has been a staple in France for centuries and is now popular worldwide. Make this soup any time of year, because everyone needs comfort food sometimes. You can enjoy this dish alone or pair it with a sandwich, salad, or plate of spaghetti. It should only take 30 minutes to make, and you can store leftovers in the fridge for a few days.
If you make this hearty vegetable soup, let us know how you liked it in the comments!
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