Winter Lunch Hearty Soup (Printable Version)

Warming soup with seasonal vegetables and beans for a cozy lunch.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium onion, diced
03 - 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
04 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
05 - 2 parsnips, peeled and diced
06 - 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 small leek, cleaned and sliced
09 - 2 cups chopped kale or Swiss chard, stems removed

→ Broth & Legumes

10 - 6 cups vegetable broth
11 - 1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
12 - 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice

→ Spices & Seasoning

13 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
15 - 1 bay leaf
16 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Finishing Touch

17 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
18 - Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, and parsnips. Cook for 5–6 minutes until softened.
02 - Incorporate potatoes, garlic, and leek into the pot. Cook for 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
03 - Pour in vegetable broth, cannellini beans, diced tomatoes with juice, dried thyme, dried oregano, and bay leaf. Bring mixture to a boil.
04 - Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes until vegetables are tender.
05 - Stir in chopped kale or Swiss chard and continue to simmer for 5 minutes until greens are wilted.
06 - Remove bay leaf and season with salt and black pepper according to taste.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with chopped parsley and optional grated Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than you'd expect, leaving plenty of time to read or sit quietly while it simmers.
  • The vegetables soften into something almost creamy without any cream, and the beans add a subtle richness that keeps you satisfied for hours.
  • It tastes even better the next day, which means less thinking about dinner when you're already tired.
02 -
  • Don't skip the step of letting the first vegetables soften before adding the potatoes; it changes the whole flavor profile and makes the soup taste more developed.
  • If your soup tastes flat at the end, it's probably just asking for more salt; taste as you go and don't be shy about seasoning it properly.
  • The bay leaf is doing more work than you think, so make sure you fish it out before serving because nobody wants to bite into one.
03 -
  • If your soup is too thin at the end, let it simmer uncovered for a few extra minutes so some of the liquid evaporates and everything concentrates.
  • Prep all your vegetables while the oil is heating so you can move through the recipe without stopping to chop anything in the middle of cooking.

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