Ingredients:

1 White Onion, diced

1/2 Large Carrot (or 1 sm-med), small dice

2-3 Celery Stalks, finely diced

3 Large Garlic Cloves, whole (intact but with slices in them and slightly crushed)

2, 28 oz. Cans Crushed Tomatoes with Basil

1-2, 12 oz. packages of Vegetable Soup Mixed Veggies (depends on how hearty you want it)

1/3 cup Celery, diced

8 oz. Russet Potato (skin on), cubed

7 cups Water

1 Tbsp White Vinegar

Vegetable Broth (just for deglazing)

Spices:

2 Tbsp Soup Herbs (see my herb mix post)

1 Bay Leaf

1 tsp Coriander, dry

1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1 dash Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Paprika

Salt and Pepper to taste.

You’ll Need:

Large Stock Pot and Cover

Food Storage Container(s)

Long Handled Stirring Spoon

Cutting Board or Mat Knife

Make cuts into the garlic and crush them a little bit but leave them intact.

Cook Time:  Approximately 45 minutes                  Makes: 6-8 Servings

Instructions:

  1. Chop all your vegetables, open your cans and packages, measure out your spices and get them ready to go. Be sure to keep the cinnamon and bay leaf separate from the other spices.
  2. After you peel the garlic, cut slits into it. Then, using the flat of the knife, carefully crush the garlic a bit.  It should still be held together when you are done.
  3. Preheat your pot and add a splash of vegetable broth to your pot and throw in the celery, onion, garlic, and carrot. Add a bit of salt and pepper (you’ll want to season every layer a bit)
  4. Sauté over med-high heat for a few minutes until the veg softens a bit and onions begin to be translucent.
  5. Add the spices (except the cinnamon) and cook 30 seconds longer.  Just until they bloom a bit.
  6. Add in the potato (along with a little salt and pepper) and saute for another 3 minutes. Use vegetable broth to deglaze here and there but don’t overdo it.
  7. Now put in the frozen vegetables, being sure to season them to taste as well.  Sauté until relatively thawed.  (As this dish cooks for a while longer, it is not necessary to completely thaw all the vegetables out.  They will have plenty of time to cook down)
  8. Pour in the tomatoes and put in the bay leaf.  Cook for a minute or two, stirring constantly.
  9. Add in 6 cups of the water. Stir this around to combine well and get everything loose.
  10. Bring this to a good boil and then reduce the heat medium or medium-low depending on your stove.
  11. Cook for 10-20 minutes.  Stir the soup every couple of minutes to prevent the vegetable from settling on the bottom and burning.
  12. Taste your soup as it cooks and adjust for seasoning.  Keeping in mind that we will be adding cinnamon and vinegar in just a bit.
  13. Also, check your potatoes at this point.  If they are relatively tender, add the vinegar and cinnamon now.  If not, cook a few minutes more and then add them.
  14. Once the potatoes are tender, check your soup for thickness.  If you like it thinner, add the reserved cup of water now.
  15. Once you have the soup to the desired consistency, add the vinegar and cinnamon.
  16. Stir and cook another few minutes.
  17. Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit for at least 30 minutes.

*Notes: 

It does require a lot of babysitting, but it is SO worth it!  And, you have meals for days! This gets better as it sits.  We eat on this throughout the week!  Bonus! It freezes well!

Don’t worry about having whole garlic cloves!  This should take long enough that all the garlicy goodness is leeched into the soup and the cloves themselves become just a soft, yummy bite! 

The veggies are very soft in this version.  If you like them with a little more bite to them, reduce the cooking time by 5-10 minutes.

Cabbage would be a fantastic addition to this!  And, save all your scraps for homemade vegetable broth!

Download the free recipe here (PDF format)

How About You?

What is your favorite soup? What do you like to have with your vegetable soup? We look forward to your comments and suggestions below!

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Last updated on May 1, 2020