Step 1: Prepare the vegetables
Wash and chop all the vegetables into relatively similar-sized pieces. This helps them cook evenly.
Step 2: Sauté the aromatics
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.
Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
Step 3: Add the vegetables
Add the bell peppers, potatoes, green beans, corn, and peas to the pot.
Stir everything together and cook for about 2–3 minutes.
Step 4: Add the tomatoes and broth
Pour in the diced tomatoes and vegetable broth.
Add the cooked beans, Italian seasoning, paprika, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper.
Stir well.
Step 5: Simmer the soup
Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.
Cover partially and simmer for approximately 25–35 minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are tender.
Stir occasionally.
Step 6: Add the greens
Add the chopped spinach or kale during the final 3–5 minutes of cooking.
Stir until the greens wilt into the soup.
Step 7: Adjust the seasoning
Remove the bay leaves.
Taste the soup and add additional salt, pepper, or Italian seasoning if needed.
For a richer flavor, you can also add a small splash of lemon juice before serving.
Step 8: Garnish and serve
Ladle the hot vegetable soup into bowls and sprinkle with fresh parsley.
Serve with crusty bread, crackers, or a grilled cheese sandwich.
For a Large Batch
The 71-quart amount shown in the post is a very large preservation batch and shouldn’t simply be improvised by multiplying a normal soup recipe. If you want to make and can a batch that large for shelf storage, use a tested pressure-canning recipe and follow its processing times and jar sizes exactly. Don’t water-bath-can a low-acid vegetable soup.
For everyday cooking, this recipe makes approximately 10–12 servings and is much easier to prepare, refrigerate, or freeze.
See more on the next page
