What is chunky vegetable soup?u003cbr/u003e

Thick and Chunky Vegetable Soup is your new favorite make-ahead friendly lunch option.u003cspan class=u0022Apple-converted-spaceu0022u003e u003c/spanu003eIt’s loaded with nutrients, low-calorie, dairy-free and has vegan and Whole 30 substitutions available. The entire recipe comes together in about 40 minutes.

Thick and Chunky Vegetable Soup

Name: Thick and Chunky Vegetable Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Soup
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons smoked paprika; 1 tablespoon garlic powder; 1 tablespoon oregano; 1 tablespoon onion powder; 1 tablespoon dried basil; 2 teaspoons dried thyme; 1 teaspoon ground pepper; 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon white pepper; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 4 cloves of garlic, minced; 1 sweet onion, diced; 3 medium carrots, diced; 1 bell pepper, diced; 2 cups of sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1/2" cubes; 2 zucchinis, chopped into half moons; (1) 28 oz can of fire roasted diced tomatoes; 1 tablespoon soup spice blend; 1 bay leaf; 4 cups baby spinach; 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained; 4 cups of chicken broth; salt and pepper to taste

This Chunky Vegetable Soup is the perfect 1-pot meal. Fresh veggies, an assortment of spices, garlic, and broth come together to create a soup that is nutrient dense and satisfying.

Thick and Chunky Vegetable Soup in a green bowl.

Thick and Chunky Vegetable Soup is a family go-to meal when we crave a little healthy in our lives. It's warm, hearty, comforting all while packing a serious nutritional punch. The fact that this soup is LOADED with veggies is reason enough to try this recipe out, but if that's not enough, I should also mention it's 1-pot, make-ahead friendly and does great in the freezer.

Another reason we love this recipe is that it has multiple short-cut options. We all know, vegetable soup tastes best when you purchase and chop fresh veggies. That said, prep time for this recipe can be greatly reduced if you are in a time crunch by taking advantage of pre-cut frozen vegetables. The soup still comes out thick, chunky and delicious, we promise.

If you are looking for a cozy meal that comes together fast, but want vegetables + meat, check out our quick and easy turkey chili or 1-pot sausage, spinach and potato stew.

Ingredients

olive oil
garlic
onion
carrots
bell pepper
sweet potato
zucchini
fire roasted diced tomatoes
vegetable soup spice blend **
bay leaf
baby spinach
black beans
chicken broth
salt/pepper

** see recipe card for quantities

Instructions For Chunky Vegetable Soup

Step 1: Spices for vegetable spice blend in clear bowl.

Step 1: Make the soup spice blend (if you don't already have some in your pantry).

Step 2: Onions and garlic cooking in pan.

Step 2: Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onions. Cook until translucent.

Step 3: Chunky vegetable soup ingredients in pot.

Step 3: Add vegetables, broth and spices. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Season with salt and pepper. Add bay leaf.

Step 4 Spinach and black beans in chunky vegetable soup pot.

Step 4: Simmer until veggies are tender. Add spinach and drained beans to the pot. Cook until spinach wilts. Remove bay leave and serve immediately.

Hint: We recommend chopping and measuring all ingredients prior to starting on the recipe.

Vegetable Soup Spice Blend

This chunky vegetable soup gets LOTS of flavor from its homemade spice blend. Mixing up the spices is simple and should allow you to make this soup 5-7 times. DO NOT pour the entire spice blend into your soup at once. Follow the recipe as written and add 1 tablespoon per pot of soup.

To make vegetable soup spice blend you need the following ingredients in a mixing bowl:

Chunky Vegetable Soup spice blend with labeled ingredients.

smoked paprika
oregano
salt and pepper
thyme
onion powder
garlic powder
basil
white pepper

** see recipe for quantities

Substitutions

Garlic Clove: sub Dorot Frozen Crushed Garlic Cubes to avoid mincing garlic.

Vegetables: instead of fresh veggies, you can sub pre-chopped frozen vegetables for onion, carrots, bell pepper and/or sweet potato

Sweet Potato: sweet potato can be replaced with golden potatoes or butternut squash

Whole 30: eliminate black beans to make this recipe Whole 30 compliant

Vegan/Vegetarian: sub chicken broth for vegetable broth

Variations

Protein + Meat : Add shredded rotisserie chicken or pre-cooked Italian sausage at the same time you add the beans and spinach.

Spicy: Add cayenne pepper to your vegetable soup spice blend.

Storage

Refrigerator: Store cooled soup in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Freezer: Cooled thick and chunky vegetable soup can be frozen in an airtight freezer bag or container for up to 3 months.

Top Tip

Homemade chicken broth is SO easy to make and allows you to control the quality and quantity of the ingredients. We love THIS SLOW COOKER CHICKEN BONE BROTH RECIPE combined with this chunky vegetable soup.

FAQ

What is chunky vegetable soup?

Thick and Chunky Vegetable Soup is your new favorite make-ahead friendly lunch option. It’s loaded with nutrients, low-calorie, dairy-free and has vegan and Whole 30 substitutions available. The entire recipe comes together in about 40 minutes.

Can I add meat to vegetable soup?

Yes! You can add some ground sausage (throw it in after cooking the onions and garlic) OR toss in some shredded rotisserie chicken when you add the beans and spinach.

Can vegetable soup be frozen?

Yes! We recommend doubling this recipe and freezing half for later. You can portion the soup into individual servings in small freezer bags or freeze a family size amount in a gallon size freezer bag. To serve from freezer, allow the soup to thaw overnight in the fridge and then heat in a large pot over medium heat.

Recipe