Tag: soup

Homemade Garden Soup, Informal Recipe

I cooked a garden vegetable soup the other day (with some beef) and wanted to share the informal recipe here. Make it vegetarian too. My garden has beets, carrots and herbs, which I used for freshness.

Whenever I make homemade soup, I know it will never be the same as the last time I made it. Soup should contain local and seasonal vegetables, if possible. I choose ingredients from my garden whenever possible. Depending on the season, I will have different food to use.

I’m not a food blogger, so this is an informal list of ingredients I used along with approximate cooking times. It is meant to be a guide.

Garden Soup Ingredients

During Florida winters, we can grow root vegetables and herbs. These are the ingredients I ended up using for my soup. You certainly don’t need to use the same ones. Feel free to add more, or use less. I pulled / picked vegetables (beets, carrots, and herbs) from the garden to supplement store bought. My soup ended up delicious and flavorful.

You will notice that I do not include amounts. I add whatever I think appropriate.

Ingredients

  • Chop celery, garlic, and onions and sauté in the bottom of a pan. I used my Staub pot on the stove. Then I moved it to a single electric burner (Amazon paid link) to slow cook. (My stove doesn’t work properly 😡.)
  • Add broth. I used approximately 6 cups total of vegetable (or chicken / beef) broth. I made all the broth myself and saved it in the freezer, plus beet juice from cooking my garden beets.
  • Chop and add: Carrots, beet greens, herbs (parsley, dill, basil & a rosemary sprig – pull out the stem after cooking). Sliced beets would work here, but mine were pre-boiled so I added them at the end of the cook time.
  • 2 bay leaves (remove at the end), 1 -2 Tbs. tomato paste (or can of diced tomatoes). A slice of jalapeño pepper for added flavor (removed at the end).
Garden things
beets pulled from garden
Beets

Dried peas, lentils, and rice

Adding dried items like rice, beans, lentils or even pasta, can help absorb some of the liquid in the soup. This will help thicken up the liquid. I added a little bit of all three items to mine. One of them alone would work well. Read my post about soup basics if you are new to soup cooking. I have more advice about how to thicken soup without using flour.

  • Brown rice
  • Split peas
  • Red Lentils
Garden soup in pot
Adding the partially frozen broth, chopped greens, veggies and lentils / peas / rice.

Slow Cook

Cook the vegetables, herbs and additional ingredients on a low setting for about 2 hours, or until the vegetables are soft.

Add near the end of Cooking time

Once the main vegetables are cooked, add these and cook on low for an additional hour to heat through. Personally, I rarely add salt to food while I am cooking it, but you might want to.

  • Any vegetables that are pre-cooked. My beets were cooked ahead of time so I added them about an hour before the end.
  • Beans – I used Cannelloni white beans
  • Chopped beef brisket (or any pre-cooked meat). It’s not necessary to use any meat. I happened to have a small amount of beef to use.
  • Vinegar – small amount (tsp. or so) – optional. Helps bring out the flavors.
soup in Weck jars

Once my soup was completely cooked, I divided it up for freezing. The 2 cup Weck jars are the perfect size to store a healthy, future meal in the freezer. And I ate a bowl of it too!

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Create Homemade and Delicious Soup With Flavor and Consistency

Making a nutritional and good tasting soup is such an achievement. Homemade goodness can’t be beat. I have a few tips for making sure the flavor and consistency is there.

When the weather finally gets cool, or downright cold, here in Central Florida, I want a hearty soup. I rarely follow a recipe to the letter. Recipe tips combine with my own ingredients and knowledge to create a delicious soup.

I have cooked for many years. I have found some good ways to make sure my soups and stews are loaded with flavor and goodness. I’m sharing my ideas on this page.

Soup With Flavor Plus Good Consistency

Often the troubles that come when cooking soup have to do with blah flavor and / or watery consistency. There are simple ways to deal with these things. Easily make delicious soup every time. And, you don’t have to stir in flour or a thickener.

Flavor It

1. The best way to start a soup is to use a good broth or stock. I like to make my own and freeze it for things like this. Many places sell lovely broth as well. Read the ingredients and make sure it is good stuff. I also like organic.

One of the easiest, homemade vegetable broths is created from the water used to boil, or steam, vegetables. This is very easy to do. It’s perfect for vegans or vegetarians. Don’t pour that good nutrition down the drain. If you don’t want to save it, take it outside and pour it onto the plants!

I use Weck jars (paid link) with plastic lids, and add to them each time I have vegetable water leftover. *Be aware that only certain types of Weck jars are made for the freezer. and they must have the right type of lid that is plastic – not glass. The link goes to Amazon, but I buy mine from Weck.com.

soup in Weck jars
My Garden Soup – Recipe to come

Beef bone broth, as well as turkey and chicken broth, are popular too. It is very easy to make a stock, or broth. Use the crock pot, or an Instant pot to cook the bones on a low temperature for many hours. I always use my saved broth when cooking rice.

2. Herbs are a must. Herbs not only add flavor, they add goodness in the form of healthy nutrients. Get to know your herbs and how they taste. I’ve come to love Rosemary and grow it in a pot out back. I had never added it to soup until recently. Parsley, dill and basil are regular additions to my food. I grow them all so they are readily available at various times of the year. Dried, organic herbs are just as good and I use them too.

3. Cut and chop fresh vegetables. Fresh is key for a good tasting soup. If you are a grower, check the yard for anything that can be added. If they come from the store, find the freshest looking.

I had one pea pod – yes, only one – when I checked my garden the day I made my soup. I included about 10 little peas in my Garden Soup. Even though I may never even taste those peas, it’s the nutrition value from a backyard food that was added.

I also pulled some beets (and the chopped greens) and carrots. It all went into the soup. You can probably see why my soup comes out a little different every time I make it!

Red and golden beets pulled from garden
Beets
Garden vegetables including carrots, beans, basil and dill.
Garden carrots, beans, basil, dill, & one tiny tomato

Thickening Without Flour

There are a couple of ways I like to thicken my soups and stews. They are all easy, and don’t involve flour or cornstarch.

  • A favorite method is to blend some of the soup, without meat pieces, and include some liquid. Make sure to cool it first. Pour the blended soup back into the pot. About a cup full of soup will work.
  • Add some type of white liquid like coconut cream or milk. It doesn’t really thicken it much, but looks better!
  • Include dried things like rice, split peas, and / or lentils. They will soak up some of the liquid. (I added a little of all of them to my Garden Soup!)
bags of dried rice, lentils and split peas

Savor It and Save It

Once the soup is made it can be saved in the freezer. When I cook soup, I end up being the only one who eats it. The frozen jars of deliciousness often go camping with me. Or pull it out on a cool day when soup is appealing. Vegetable soup is a good side to other food also. Enjoy!

My Garden Soup Recipe

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