As promised, I am sharing my fool-proof homemade veggie soup recipe. What I love most about this recipe is that it is so versatile. I have made it numerous times and no two times have been the same. Plus this is the perfect way to get rid of some veggies that have been hanging out in your refrigerator and since it is has been so cold here in the Midwest; a simple warming soup has been much needed!
There are two ways to make this soup and which one you make really depends on whether you include uncooked rice. I will give you both the longer and the shorter versions so that you can do what works best for you!
Ingredients:
- 12 cups Broth (I like to use Vegetable Broth or Chicken Stock but this recipe would also be amazing with homemade bone broth)
- 1 cup uncooked wild rice
- 2 cans cooked beans of choice (I usually use white beans or kidney beans) or cooked protein of choice. I’ve used ground turkey before and it was delicious
- 2-4 cups chopped veggies of choice (some of my favorites are carrots, mushrooms, celery, onion, leeks, broccoli, potato or squash) [I like to make my soups fairly hearty so I include lots of extra veggies, if you like more brothy soups decrease the amount of veggies]
- 4 cups chopped kale (this is a must! You will barely realize you are even eating kale in this recipe and it’s so good)
- ½ cup chopped parsley (or other fresh herb)
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
Directions Long Version:
- Bring the stock to a gentle boil. Add the rice and veggies that take longer to cook like onion or leeks. Cover and simmer for about 40 minutes.
- Add the remaining veggies and beans, simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the veggies are cooked through.
- Add the kale, fresh herbs and salt and pepper. Simmer for about 5 minutes. (If using cooked ground turkey, chicken, or beef I would add it here)
- Taste and adjust the salt and seasonings, if desired.
That’s it! In about an hour you will have an entire pot of warming healing soup! But if you don’t have an hour to make soup then here’s a shorter version.
Directions Short Version:
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive, avocado, or coconut oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the leeks, onion, and garlic and saute for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the mixed veggies and stock as well as any option additions (if you want to include rice it will have to already be cooked as uncooked rice will not cook fully in this shorter version). Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are cooked through.
- Add the kale, fresh herbs, salt and pepper and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes (if using cooked ground turkey, chicken, or beef, I would had it here).
- Taste and adjust the salt and seasonings, if desired.
Done! These recipes can easily be scaled up or down depending on how many servings you would like to make. The above recipes make between 10-12 servings. Having this soup handy has been a lifesaver this first week of the Elimination Diet. I personally love eating it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and will routinely have it for a few meals a day. It is stocked full of healthy veggies but also keeps me full with the addition of beans or ground turkey, chicken, or beef. Below is the meal plan I followed for the first week of the Elimination Diet. If you would like more information about any of these recipes, just shoot me a message and I would be happy to share!
Saturday: Day 1
Breakfast: Very Berry Chia Smoothie and Herbal Tea
Snack: Applesauce
Lunch: Creamy Broccoli Mushroom Soup
Dinner: Creamy Broccoli Mushroom Soup and a Banana
Sunday: Day 2
Breakfast: Very Berry Chia Smoothie and Herbal Tea
Lunch: Creamy Broccoli Mushroom Soup
Snack: Applesauce
Dinner: Creamy Broccoli Mushroom Soup and a Banana
Monday: Day 3
Breakfast: Very Berry Chia Smoothie and Herbal Tea
Lunch: Creamy Broccoli Mushroom Soup
Snack: Homemade Bone Broth
Dinner: Veggie Soup and 2 rice cakes with sunbutter and raisins
Tuesday: Day 4
Breakfast: Veggie Soup
Lunch: Veggie Soup
Snack: Applesauce
Dinner: Black bean, sweet potato tacos
Wednesday: Day 5
Breakfast: Very Berry Chia Smoothie and Herbal Tea
Lunch: Black bean, sweet potato tacos
Snack: 2 rice cakes with sunbutter and raisins
Dinner: Italian Herb Salad with Rotisserie Chicken
Thursday: Day 6
Breakfast: Veggie Soup with ½ banana, and a cup of bone broth
Lunch: Black bean, sweet potato tacos
Snack: Applesauce
Dinner: 2 rice cakes with sunbutter and raisins
Friday: Day 7
Breakfast: Veggie Soup
Lunch: Black bean, sweet potato tacos
Snack: Bone Broth
Dinner: Veggie Soup
As you can see, I stick to a similar menu throughout the week. I have very little time to make dinners so I always double my recipes so that we can have plenty of leftovers. When you are making a major change in your diet the key is to always have healthy food ready to eat and to keep it simple! I didn’t try any new recipes this week and only had to cook 2 nights this week. Plus I have extra leftovers to help me start the weekend off right. I’ll be doing some meal prepping this weekend and hopefully this time I will remember to take pictures while I do it!
