Thick and Chunky Vegetable Soup
This thick and chunky vegetable soup is packed with big, hearty pieces of sweet potato, carrots, zucchini, and black beans in a flavorful tomato broth. A homemade soup spice blend makes this easy one-pot recipe especially good, and the leftovers are perfect for lunch.
- Total Time40 minutes
- Yield6 servings 1x
Ingredients
for the good soup spice blend:
-
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
-
1 tablespoon garlic powder
-
1 tablespoon dried oregano
-
1 tablespoon onion powder
-
1 tablespoon dried basil
-
2 teaspoons dried thyme
-
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
-
1½ teaspoons salt
-
1 teaspoon white pepper
for the soup:
- 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
Instructions
make the good soup blend: In a small bowl, combine smoked paprika (2 tablespoons), garlic powder (1 tablespoon), oregano (1 tablespoon), onion powder (1 tablespoon), basil (1 tablespoon), thyme (2 teaspoons), black pepper (1 teaspoon), salt (1½ teaspoons), and white pepper (1 teaspoon). Transfer to a small airtight container with a tight-fitting lid (this is what I use). Label and store in a cool, dark place.
soften the onion: Heat olive oil (1 tablespoon) in a large pot over medium heat. Add sweet onion (1) and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent. Add garlic (4 cloves) and cook for 1 minute more.
add the vegetables: Add the carrots (3), bell pepper (1), sweet potato (2 cups), zucchini (2), fire-roasted tomatoes (28 ounces), vegetable broth (4 cups), good soup spice blend (1 tablespoon), and bay leaf (1). Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer.
simmer: Cook for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
finish the soup: Stir in the black beans (1 can) and spinach (4 cups). Cook until the spinach wilts and the beans are heated through. Remove the bay leaf, taste, and season with additional salt and black pepper as needed.
Notes
the good soup blend: This makes enough seasoning for about 8 pots of soup. Use 1 tablespoon per pot and store the rest in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.
not ready to commit to a whole batch? For one pot, combine ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon dried basil, ¼ teaspoon dried thyme, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon white pepper.
vegetable substitutions: Use what you have. Aim for roughly 8–9 cups of chopped vegetables, plus the spinach. Yukon Gold potatoes or butternut squash can replace sweet potatoes, yellow summer squash works in place of zucchini, and green beans can replace bell pepper. Firmer vegetables may take longer to soften.
make it faster: Frozen vegetables work here, too. The flavor and texture won't be exactly the same, but you'll still have a good pot of soup with considerably less chopping.
add meat: Stir in shredded rotisserie chicken or sliced, precooked sausage toward the end of cooking. Let everything heat through before serving.
storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. The vegetables will soften a little more after freezing. Add a splash of broth when reheating if needed.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Meal
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Soup
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 242
- Sugar: 11.8 g
- Sodium: 454 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 39.6 g
- Protein: 11.5 g
- Cholesterol: 4.8 mg
Find it online: https://www.simplysissom.com/loadedvegetablesoup/
