Hearty Veggie Soup Recipe

Vegetable soup is one of those meals that's good for you. Along with clam chowder, I think that veggie soup are quite easy to make once you've determined the flavor that suits you. For me, I like mine with a hint of spice, so I add red chili powder for the flavor.

Basic Vegetable Soup

There are plenty of ways to make vegetable soup. From time to time, I use the following recipe while adding whatever vegetable I have, be it leftovers or just in the fridge:

Vegetable Soup
  • 1 cup chopped carrots
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 lb. tomatoes, fresh or canned, peeled, seeded, and chopped; juice reserved
  • 2 ancho chilies
  • 1 lb. mixed summer squash
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
  • 2 tbsp. corn or vegetable oil
  • 2 yellow onions, cut 1/4 inch squares
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp. red chili powder, or more to taste
  • 8 ozs. green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths
  • 4 ozs. jack or muenster cheese, grated
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
  • Whole cilantro leaves for garnish
  • 1 cup cauliflower (optional)
Here's how to cook vegetable soup recipe:

Cut the squash into large pieces. Dice the cauliflower into desired chunks. Prepare the tomatoes. Open the chili pods and remove the seeds and veins; then cut the chilies into narrow strips.

Heat the oil in a large skillet, and saute the onions over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Lower the heat, add the garlic, chili powder, cumin and coriander and stir everything together. Stir in the squash, cauliflower, green beans, and chili strips along with the cooked beans and enough broth to make a fairly wet stew. Cook slowly until the vegetables are done, about 15 or 20 minutes. Taste the stew and adjust the seasoning. Stir in the cheese and chopped cilantro, and garnish with whole leaves of cilantro.

The health benefits are undeniable. For example, cauliflower is well known for, among others, its detox properties because it contains the compound glucosinolates. Try it as snacks for weight loss.  Experts say these compound help in preventing some forms of cancer.

Vegetable Soup
Tomato Vegetable Soup


The same goes for tomatoes. Experts say that unlike most vegetable and fruits, benefits of tomatoes become more effective once cooked. Tomatoes are good against certain form of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and osteoperosis.