My mega vegetable soup is made using a variety of 17 herbs and vegetables. Each nutrient-rich serving is only 86 calories. No processed or canned food is allowed; this soup demands only fresh ingredients, preferrably organic and locally-sourced.

It is delicious, while it warms the chest, soothes the soul, and keeps us healthy. Although it has virtually no fat and no sugar, the flavors of the vegetables and herbs come together to make it naturally tasty.

Following is the recipe for 15 servings. I make big batches so that I can use the vegetables most efficiently. There are a couple of storage tips below too.

Ingredients

Garlic, 6 cloves, chopped
Jalapeño pepper, 3 medium, chopped
Tomato, 3 medium, chopped
Cabbage, 3 cups, chopped (1/2 head)
Leeks, 3 cups, chopped (3 leek bulbs)
Fennel, 1-1/2 cups, chopped (2 fennel bulbs)
Celery, 3 cups, chopped (1 head)
Green beans, 3 cups, chopped
Zucchini, 3 cups, chopped (2 medium)
Broccoli, 3 cups, chopped (3 small crowns)
Green onions, 1 cup, chopped (1 bunch)
Fresh parsley, 1 cup, minced (1/2 bunch)
Fresh basil, 3 tbsp
Fresh rosemary, 3 tbsp
Fresh thyme, 3 tbsp
Paprika, 3 tbsp
Bay leaves, 3
Red pepper flakes, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Vegetable broth*, 15 cups
Water, 1/2 cup

*I make my own broth (See How to Make Homemade Vegetable Broth). If I don’t have my own, I use Pacific organic vegetable broth, which has the best (real) ingredients I have found, and it tastes good.

Directions

1. Add the garlic to a large pot, and cook it in a 1/2 cup water on a low-medium temperature until the water has evaporated. (You can sauté the garlic in oil, if you prefer.)
2. Add the broth. Bring to a boil.
3. Add the remaining vegetables and herbs. Simmer on low for 3-5 hours until all vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaves and serve.

This is my baseline mega vegetable soup. My taste-testers and I think it tastes great on its own.  It has a nice amount of heat and flavor. However, you may wish to modify your servings a bit so you can enjoy more of a variety of flavors.

Additions to enrich the flavor include:

• Sweet onions and carrots sautéed with vegetable oil
• Green peas and corn
• Soy sauce
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Additional paprika or herbs

Tips for storage:

• I use mason jars to help maximize the storage life of soup in the fridge.
• I use freezer-safe containers to store the baseline soup in the freezer. When I am ready to heat up a serving, I decide what additions to add, if any.

Nutrition

Like my smoothies, my mega vegetable soup is delicious AND nutritious. It is especially rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, iron, potassium, and calcium.

Each serving contains 86 calories, 7 g of fiber, 18 g of carbohydrates, 3 g of protein, and 1 g of fat. A serving also provides the following percentages of the USDA recommended daily allowance (RDA) of micronutrients:

97% vitamin C
53% vitamin A
14% iron
12% potassium (412/3500mg)
11% calcium
6% vitamin B-6
3% vitamin E
3% zinc

The wholesome ingredients have health benefits beyond these nutrients too. For example, leeks and celery contain prebiotics, which are good for your gut (See  Probiotics and Prebiotics Fact Sheet), and kale has cancer-fighting antioxidants and anti-inflammatory omega 3’s (See What’s New and Beneficial about Kale).

Hooray for mega vegetable soup! 👍