VEGETABLE SOUP—HOW TO STEP UP YOUR GAME

The secret to better vegetable soup: double the quantity of olive oil.

I’m big on soup. While the weather stays cold, I make a new pot of soup a couple times a week: Last week there were turkey-mushroom-barley; black bean-green chile-vegetable, and puree of broccoli, cauliflower and cheese. My go-to favorite soup is an all-vegetable soup, a Spanish take on minestrone, with beans, lots of different vegetables and either pasta or a grain. My soups, some vegetarian, some not, are delicious, satisfying.

But I just stepped up my soup game. I came across a recipe clipping for Niçoise Vegetable Soup (Gourmet, June 1977) that called for a half-cup of olive oil, eight cups of water and about 10 cups vegetables and legumes. The soup was finished with a pistou made with another ½ cup of olive oil. That’s more than twice as much oil as I’ve been using in vegetable soup. What a revelation! The results were about twice as good as my regular soup.

Picking kale from the garden for soup.

Today’s soup is made with vegetables I’ve got in the garden and the fridge. There’s always onions or leeks, carrots and celery. I’m picking kale from the garden. Towards the end of cooking time, I’ll add diced potatoes, squash and zucchini, vegetables that would turn to mush if cooked longer. At the very end, I add a handful of broccoli florets for a crisp finish.  

Slice, dice or julienne the vegetables? It’s your choice. If you shred or cut them in julienne matchsticks, you can call it sopa juliana. Personally, I like the veggies diced. I like to chop the onions finely (food processor avoids the tears) and melt them in the olive oil. 

Slice, dice or shred the veggies?

Vegetable choices. (8-10 cups of diced vegetables) Onions, Leeks, Carrots, Turnips, Celery, Celery root, Rutabaga, Squash, Zucchini, Shallots, Red and/or green bell pepper, Kale, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Escarole, Green beans, Fava beans, Peas, Chard, Spinach, Potatoes, Beets.

Legumes. I have cooked black-eyed peas in the freezer (cooked in quantity for New Year’s), so they’re the legume of choice. Any cooked (or canned) beans can be used: cannellini beans, butter beans, black or pinto beans, black-eyed peas, chickpeas, lentils. A Spanish home cook might use leftover chickpeas, vegetables and soup stock from a previous day’s cocido for a tasty and quick vegetable soup.

Herbs and spices. The Spanish manifestation of vegetable soup usually is flavored with pimentón (paprika), either regular, not smoked, or smoked pimentón de la Vera. Smoked pimentón is especially good in vegetarian soups. Parsley and maybe a bay leaf are the principal herbs. In the winter, when fresh herbs are slim pickings, I like to use dried basil. No, it’s nothing like fresh basil, but it gives an appetizing sweetness to the vegetable mélange. Herbs (fresh or dried) and spices to use: oregano, basil, sage, thyme, rosemary, parsley, pimentón, chile powder, cumin, ras el hanout, curry powder—

Choose a carb. Vegetable soup needs a grain or another carbohydrate to make it more substantial. Whole grains such as barley or brown rice are terrific, because they don’t overcook. Or, double the quantity of diced potato. I like soup pasta such as small elbow macaroni. If the soup is going to be made and reheated over several days (perfect for a household of one or two persons), I cook the pasta separately and add it to each portion of soup.  

Add-ins. A big pot of soup is a good excuse to use up leftovers in the fridge. Cooked spinach, peas, green beans can get thrown in when the soup is nearly finished. Other add-ins: hummus, mashed potatoes, gravy, sausage, chorizo, ham, bacon, meatballs (raw or cooked)

Liquid. The vegetables cook in water, but, if available, chicken stock, bone broth, vegetable stock or tomato juice can be substituted for all or part of the water. 

Toppings. Finish the soup with flavorful add-ons or toppings. A few suggestions: garlic-pimentón oil (recipe below); grated cheese; alioli (garlic mayonnaise); pistou or pesto; fried garlic croutons; harissa (Moroccan chile paste); chopped hard-cooked eggs; chopped scallions; chopped fresh herbs; guindillas (pickled green chilies).

Use 1/2 cup or more of extra virgin olive oil for the soup.

And, don’t forget the secret ingredient for building a better vegetable soup: extra virgin olive oil, lots of it. Olive oil contributes flavor, texture, richness and, yes, calories. Good, healthful calories.

Serve soup accompanied by bread or toasts "buttered" with olive oil. 

Add a topping of olive oil with sliced garlic, chile, pimentón and parsley.

Vegetable Soup

Sopa de Verduras

Substitute stock or broth for all or part of the water. 

Top each serving of soup with a spoonful of spicy Golden Garlic and Pimentón Sauce. Accompany with bread or toasts. 

Serves 6.

½ cup (or more) olive oil

1 ½ cups chopped onions and/or leeks

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup diced celery

¼ cup chopped red bell pepper

1 teaspoon smoked pimentón (paprika)

½ cup grated tomato pulp or crushed canned tomatoes

1 ½ cup cooked or canned beans or chickpeas

8 cups water, chicken stock or bone broth

1 ½ cups chopped kale, chard or spinach

1 bay leaf

Dried herbs, to taste

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup diced butternut squash

2 cups diced zucchini

1 cup diced potatoes

1 cup soup pasta, such as shells

Broccoli florets or sliced romano green beans

Golden Garlic and Pimentón Sauce to serve (recipe follows) 

Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the onions, leeks and garlic and sauté them on moderate heat until they begin to turn golden, 10 minutes. Add carrots, celery and red pepper and sauté 3 minutes more. Stir in the pimentón and immediately add the tomato pulp and cooked beans. Add the water, kale, bay leaf, herbs, salt and pepper. (If using water rather than stock, season with at least 1 teaspoon salt or to taste.) 

Bring the soup to a boil, then simmer, covered, until vegetables are almost tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Add the squash, zucchini and potatoes. Either cook the pasta in the soup or else cook it separately and add to the soup before serving. Bring the soup again to a boil and simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are cooked, about 10 minutes. Add the broccoli or sliced green beans during the last 2 minutes of cooking.

Golden Garlic and Pimentón Sauce

Ajada para Sopa

Omit the diced ham for vegetarian soup.

¼ cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic, sliced crosswise

1 red chile, sliced crosswise (or to taste)

1 tablespoon diced serrano ham

1 teaspoon smoked pimentón (paprika)

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Heat the oil in a small skillet. Fry the sliced garlic until it begins to turn golden. Do not let it brown. Add the chile and ham. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the pimentón and immediately add the vinegar. Keep the sauce warm. Immediately before using, stir in the chopped parsley. Use 1 or 2 teaspoons of the sauce for each serving of soup.

More vegetable soups:

Galician Soup with Beans and Greens.

Navarra Pork and Vegetable Soup (Garbure).

Pottage with Kale and Beans.

Mallorcan "Dry" Soup with Cabbage.

Tomato Soup with Bacon.