Vegetable soups can range from a hearty meal in a bowl, to a delicious accompaniment for a salad or a sandwich, to an elegant appetizer. Follow the seasons in your choice of vegetables for the best flavor; take your cue from the produce available at your local farmers' market. Asparagus is a harbinger of spring, while you can look forward to the best-tasting tomatoes in the summer. Your soup will only be as good as the quality of the vegetables you use.
Vegetable Soups With Beans
Beans are a natural accent for vegetable soups. They provide added protein and texture and set off the taste of the vegetables. Beans can turn a vegetable soup into a hearty, main-dish meal. Try a white bean and vegetable soup, using chopped red and green cabbage, onions, fresh tomatoes, celery, carrots, a potato and zucchini or summer squash. Add broth, , chopped fresh basil and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese for a full-flavored meal. Or roast vegetables such as butternut squash, carrots, tomatoes, onions and garlic. Set the squash and carrots aside and puree the tomatoes, onions and peeled garlic. Add broth and the puree to a pot with chopped kale or chard and season with thyme and a bay leaf. Simmer and add the squash, carrots and beans of your choice.
Vegetable Soups With Pasta, Rice or Barley
With the addition of pasta, rice or barley, a vegetable soup can become a more filling meal. Add macaroni or orzo to your favorite vegetable soup recipe. For a Tuscan-style minestrone, saute an onion in a soup pot and add broth, wine, sprigs of thyme and oregano and a bay leaf and bring to a boil. Add sliced carrots and red peppers, diced zucchini, chopped spinach leaves and pitted black or green olives. Simmer and add Italian rice. Garnish with Parmesan or Romano cheese. Pearl barley can be used to help thicken a vegetable soup. Add the barley to a soup stock, bring it to a boil and simmer until tender. Add peeled and diced carrots, parsnips, potatoes and rutabaga, broccoli florets and fresh thyme and oregano. Simmer until the vegetables are tender.
Creamed Vegetable Soups
Creamed vegetable soups add richness and elegance to any menu. Instead of a canned version of cream of mushroom soup, make it from scratch. Melt butter in a soup pot and add 1/2 lb. of chopped mushrooms, a chopped onion, a sliced carrot and two minced garlic cloves. Cover and simmer the vegetables for five minutes over very low heat. Add 2 tbsp. of flour and stir well. Add 1 qt. water, stir, bring it to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes. Mix the soup in a blender and return it to the soup pot. Add salt and pepper and 1 pint of cream. Reheat but do not let it boil. Sprinkle grated Romano cheese on top of each bowl. For a cream of asparagus soup, cook 1/2 lb. asparagus, one peeled and diced potato, one sliced onion and one sliced carrot in 2 qt. salted water until tender. Mix the vegetables in a blender and return it to the pot. Add 1 cup of heavy cream, 2 tbsp. of butter, salt and pepper. Stir and bring the soup to a boil. Stir, reduce the heat and cover the pot to allow the soup to simmer for 10 minutes.
Cold Vegetable Soups
Cold vegetable soups are a welcome treat in the hot summer months. Gazpacho is probably the most well-known cold soup. This is a traditional soup from Andalucia and there are many different recipes and variations. Basically, it includes vine-ripe tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, sliced sweet onion, cubes of French bread, a fruity green olive oil, sherry or red wine vinegar, salt and pepper and sugar and water, as needed. Everything is pureed in a blender to a soup consistency. Cucumbers make an excellent base for other cold vegetable soups. One version includes goat yogurt, cilantro, fresh mint leaves, some cumin seeds and a bit of minced jalapeno pepper. Adjust the flavor with some lemon juice. Or combine cucumbers, watercress, garlic, jalapeno and one large avocado in a blender for another tasty cold soup.
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