I found this recipe one day when I was preparing to teach a lesson to my son’s Joy School group about healthy eating. I made it for the cute 3 year old boys, and half of them (the not-so-picky kids) absolutely downed it! My husband and I ate it that day for lunch too and it instantly became a favorite. This fantastic recipe is jam-packed with nutritious vegetables! It is dairy-free and gluten free (if made with GF broth), and can be either vegetarian or not! You can add some rotisserie chicken to it if you’d like some protein to round out your meal. It takes a bit more time to cook, so it wouldn’t work for a quick week-night meal; instead it would be great to make on a day that you are at home doing chores or housework and have time to let it sit and simmer. I tweaked the recipe a bit to my own preferences/ingredients, but it is based off of the Vegetable Soup recipe on www.cookingclassy.com
Serves: 8-10
Time: 1 - 1.5 hrs
Ingredients
- 1 TBS olive oil
- 1 medium/large onion, small diced
- 2 cups peeled and diced carrots (about 4 large)
- 3 large celery sticks, chopped into bite size pieces
- 4 tsp minced garlic in water
- 4-5 cups low sodium vegetable broth or chicken broth
- 4 large tomatoes, diced OR 2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
- 3 cups potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch thick pieces (about 3 medium potatoes)
- 3 medium sprigs of fresh thyme leaves
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 1.5 TBS dried parsley
- 1-2 tsp salt (to taste)
- 1-2 tsp black pepper (to taste)
- 1 1/2 cups chopped frozen or fresh green beans
- 1 1/4 cups frozen or fresh corn
- 1 cup frozen or fresh peas
- Optional: 2-3 cups diced rotisserie chicken
Method
- Heat the Oil: Heat the olive oil in a large pot on the stovetop at medium-high heat.
- Sauté the Veggies: Once the olive oil is warm, add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pot. Sauté for about 4-5 mins, then add the garlic and sauté for another minute.
- Add Broth and Boil: Next, add the broth, tomatoes, potatoes, thyme, bay leaves, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and then add the green beans.
- Simmer: Then reduce the heat to medium-low, put the lid on, and simmer for about 30-45 mins. Alternatively, put it on low heat and simmer for about an hour.
- Add Final Ingredients: Once the potatoes and vegetables are tender and well-cooked, add the corn and peas (and chicken, if using), stir, and heat through for about 5-10 mins.
- Serve: Before serving, remove the thyme sprigs and parsley. Serve warm with whole grain bread or sourdough bread on the side.