Simple and versatile, this easy tomato vegetable soup is easily adaptable to the vegetables you have on hand. It's one of those "clean out the fridge" recipes I make all the time. Throw in whatever you've got on hand to make this plant-based, vegan soup recipe.
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The tomato and Italian-herb-infused broth give minestrone vibes.
It's comforting when you have a cold or on a rainy day served with crusty bread.
🧄 Very useful ingredient notes
These are the non-negotiables for the base of this tomato vegetable soup:
- Onion - Sweet yellow onion is what I'd recommend here.
- Celery - You need some celery, even if what you've got is sad and wilty and lost its crunch. Just wash it well, cut off any bad parts and then dice it up and throw it in the pot!
- Carrot - Scrub your carrots well or peel them before chopping. Have some leftover carrot sticks? Baby carrots? Chop them up and throw them in.
- Garlic - Fresh minced garlic would be best. But, you could also use granulated garlic if need be.
- Italian seasoning - This gives it that Italian flare that reminds me of minestrone!
- Tomato paste - Absolutely vital to bring that strong tomato flavor to the whole pot.
The remaining vegetables and add-ins (like pasta and beans) are up to you! I've given the details for the version we make most often in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
🔪 Instructions
- Step 1: To a large dutch oven or pot that holds at least 6 quarts, add water, onion, celery, carrot, minced garlic, Italian seasoning and granulated garlic. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer until onion is mostly translucent.
- Step 2: Add in frozen green beans, corn, diced tomatoes and tomato paste (this would be the time to add any beans, uncooked white rice, potatoes or other hard, non-tender veggies you want to use at this point.) Stir well and bring up to a low bowl. Cook for about 10 minutes.
- Step 3: Finally, add in zucchini, salt and pepper (if you want to add small pasta, already cooked rice or any other tender veggie, this would be when to add it.) Cook until zucchini (and any added grains or starches) are tender.
- Step 4: Taste and adjust seasonings, as needed.
- Serve piping hot with crackers or a hearty slice of bread.
Refrigerator clean-out soup additions
This soup is easily adaptable. Start with the tomato soup base and then add whatever vegetables or other ingredients you have on hand. Anything but the kitchen sink!
Try adding these plant-based ingredients to change it up:
- potatoes
- rice
- small pasta, like alphabet (great for kids or young at heart), small shells, macaroni, rotini, farfalle
- bell peppers
- mushrooms
- kidney beans
- cannellini beans
- chickpeas
- lentils
- roasted bell peppers
- kale
- spinach
- swiss chard
- butternut squash
- asparagus
- cauliflower
- broccoli
- roasted garlic
- leeks
- green peas
- barley
Does vegetable soup freeze well?
Yes! Store cooled soup in mason jars or other freezable air tight containers and fill soup ¾ full. Label and freeze for up to 3 months.
🗺 Cultural influences
Anytime we're under the weather, I make a vat of this easy vegetable soup to cure what ails us. It's loaded with good stuff.
Years ago, my 2nd mom showed me how to make her incredible chicken vegetable soup. It was the soup she would make with whatever veggies she had on hand and in the freezer, some chicken, italian seasonings and half a jug of vegetable juice.
If she had leftover green beans or rice or corn or whatever from dinner one night, she would put them in freezer. Then, when it was time to make the soup, she pulled everything out and tossed it in!
I've adapted it to be this plant-based version and it's our go-to soup recipe.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Tomato Vegetable Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 cups water 3 quarts or vegetable broth
- 1 large sweet onion diced
- 8 stalks celery diced
- 2 cups carrot diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
- 2 cups green beans fresh or frozen (about 12 ounces), sliced into 2 inch pieces if not already cut
- 12 ounces corn kernels frozen or canned
- 30 ounces diced tomatoes canned
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 2 zucchini or yellow squash quartered lengthwise and cut into 1 inch pieces
- sea salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Fill your pot halfway with water (about 12 cups or 3 quarts) and turn on high. Then, add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, Italian seasonings and granulated garlic, stir and bring to a boil.1 large sweet onion, 8 stalks celery, 2 cups carrot, 5 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon granulated garlic, 12 cups water
- Turn heat down to medium low and simmer ingredients until the onion is mostly translucent.
- Add green beans, corn, tomatoes and tomato paste (and any beans, uncooked white rice or other non-tender veggies you want to use at this point) and turn heat to medium. Bring to a low boil and cook for about 10 minutes.2 cups green beans, 12 ounces corn kernels, 30 ounces diced tomatoes, 6 ounces tomato paste
- Add zucchini, squash, salt and pepper and cook for 5-9 minutes. (If you're going to add small pasta, already cooked rice or any other tender veggie, this would be when to add it.)2 zucchini or yellow squash, sea salt, black pepper
- Taste and adjust seasonings, as needed. The soup is done with the vegetables are tender and any grains/pasta that has been added is cooked through.
- Serve piping hot by itself or with crusty whole grain bread or crackers.
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