Hearty Winter Vegetable Soup Recipe
This wholesome soup full of antioxidant hearty winter vegetables is the perfect cozy bowl of warmth you need on cold nights. Garlic, kale, leeks, carrots, potatoes and onions create a warm revitalizing dish sure to fill you up and make you feel nourished.
About this recipe:
In the cold, bleak winter out here in Montana, we need to take very good care of our bodies to fight off cold & flu season. Daily exercise, drinking plenty of fluids and eating lots of fruits and vegetables is the perfect way to boost the immume system. Too often, people think “healthy” means a cold salad with off season hot house tomatoes- wrong!
This soup is packed with NINE vegetables, a rich broth and is so satisfying, you’ll make it over and over again this winter. Ready in about 60 minutes and less than 400 calories per bowl, make this cozy bowl of nourishment tonight.
Ingredients in Hearty Winter Vegetable Soup
- olive oil
- red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, Herbs de Provence, thyme
- tomatoes
- peas
- kale or Swiss chard
- celery
- onion
- garlic
- carrots
- Yukon gold potatoes
- leeks
- lentils
- vegetable or chicken stock
Equipment needed for this recipe:
- chef’s knife
- small bowl
- soup pot or dutch oven
- soup bowls- buy my favorite by Spode HERE
Simple Daily Habits for Healthy Living:
Change just one of these each day and at the end of the month you’ll have replaced bad habits with these good ones.
- 1. Use antique plates instead of modern dinner size plates. They can hold much less food which helps with portion control. Antique plates are up to 4″ smaller in diameter.
- 2. Drink a glass of sparkling water before dinner. It will make you feel full.
- 3. Keep a pitcher of citrus or cucumber infused water in a beautiful pitcher on your kitchen counter each day so you’ll drink more water.
- 4. Set a timer for moving every hour.
- 5. Talk a 15 minute walk after lunch or at 3:00 each day.
- 6. Leave screens off , electric devices outside of your bedroom and read before going to bed.
- 7. Eat and apple or a serving of berries every day to increase brain health.
- 8. Get 8 hours of sleep.
- 9. Practice “The Upward Spiral” – making a persons day better by smiling or engaging with them- these good moods are infectious and increase serotonin production.
How to make this Hearty Winter Vegetable Soup:
- Gather your ingredients
- Wash and chop the vegetables
- Soak the lentils
- Sauté the vegetables and lentils in olive oil
- Add spices, tomatoes in juices, and the broth
- Simmer for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are fork tender
Nutritional Information in This Hearty Winter Vegetable Soup Recipe:
How to make this Hearty Winter Vegetable soup even better:
- Add in pasta and more beans to stretch the recipe and make it budget friendly.
- Serve with a loaf of Sourdough bread.
- Add a splash of lemon juice t brighten the broth.
- Drink a glass of hot herbal tea with honey while you enjoy this soup.
- To reduce the amount of carbs, omit the potatoes and add in diced and roasted butternut squash which is 54.05% lower on the glycemic index.
Ingredients
- 2 TBSP olive oil divided
- 1 cup French or green lentils rinsed
- 1 unit large onion chopped (about 2 cups)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 unit medium carrots peeled and rough chopped
- 3 cups Baby Yukon Gold potatoes scrubbed, quartered- skins on
- 4 unit stalks celery stalks with leaves chopped
- 2 unit large leeks white part only, cut into circles and rinsed well
- 10 oz frozen kale
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 15 oz can diced tomatoes with juices- save the can
- 1 TBSP heaping Herbs de Provence
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 unit sprigs fresh thyme
- 32 oz low sodium vegetable or chicken stock
Instructions
- In a large stock pot, heat 1 TBSP of OLIVE OIL. Sauté the lentils and ONIONS until translucent- about 5-7 minutes over medium high heat. Add in the GARLIC and cook for another minute. Stir constantly so garlic does not stick and burn.
- Add another TABLESPOON of OLIVE OIL. Add in the POTATOES and cook stirring often until the potatoes begin to brown around the edges.
- Stir in the CARROTS, LEEKS and CELERY. Cook on medium high heat for 5-7 minutes until vegetables are softened.
- Pour in the CANNED TOMATOES with their JUICE to DEGLAZE the pot. Fill the tomato can with water and add to the pot. Cook for 1-2 minutes until heated through.
- Season with SALT, BLACK PEPPER, RED PEPPER, HERBS DE PROVENCE and THYME.
- Pour BROTH or STOCK over entire pot of vegetables. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer on low for 35 minutes.
- After 35 minutes, add in PEAS and KALE. Warm though for 5- 10 minutes more. Check for seasonings. Add more salt or pepper if desired.
- Serve with crusty french bread for dipping. Sprinkle with Pecorino Romano cheese if desired.
