I have always loved vegetables. My very favorite after-school snack was cut cucumber, tomatoes, and carrots with a little bit of ranch dressing. While my friends would hide their broccoli under piles of cheese, I went back for second helpings of Brussels sprouts and asparagus. The same does not apply to my husband!
Since we’ve been on a vegetarian diet, I’ve been making a lot of vegetable soup. This particular recipe is really easy, and it turns out well no matter how many times I’ve thought I messed it up. As long as you get all the ingredients in the pot and simmer long enough for everything to cook through, you’re going to have a pretty good soup.
This recipe tends to pop up on our home menu at least every other week, and it makes a great lunch for the week! It keeps us full because of the extra protein in the beans and lentils, but is still really healthy and gets all those veggies in.
I actually like to put a little bit of apple cider vinegar in my soup before I eat it, to make it more like a borstch. (My family did this all the time when I was growing up, and now I can’t eat vegetable soup without it!)
Let me know what modifications you made that worked best for you and your family!
| Prep Time | 20 mins |
| Cook Time | 2 hr |
| Servings |
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- 1 tbs Avocado Oil (You can substitute for sunflower oil or unflavored coconut oil instead)
- 1/2 Onion
- 3 cloves Minced Garlic
- 3 Stalks Celery
- 4 Carrots
- 1 24 oz can Diced Tomatoes
- 1 can Cannellini Beans
- 1/2 cup Dried Lentils
- 1 Vegetable Stock
- 1/2 Head Cabbage
- 3 Bay Leaves
- Dash Chili Flakes (Optional - if you like it spicy!)
- 3 Sprigs Thyme (Optional)
- Dash Salt and Pepper (Optional)
Ingredients
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- Wash and prep the vegetables
- Chop onion, celery, and carrots into 1/2 in. to 1 in. cubes; Mince garlic; Chop cabbage into 1-1.5 inch pieces. Separate and set aside
- Using a large stock pot or dutch oven, heat avocado oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and celery. Cook until onion is translucent (about 3-5 minutes)
- Add carrots. Saute for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add canned diced tomatoes, cannellini beans, dried lentils, and vegetable stock. Allow to boil, then turn heat to simmer.
- Add cabbage, bay leaves, chili flakes, and thyme (chili flakes and thyme are optional)
- Allow to simmer for at least 1 hour, up to three, until the cabbage is cooked through.
- Remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs, and serve. Add salt and pepper, if desired. (Leftovers will keep for about 4-5 days in the refrigerator).