Leftover-Vegetable Soup

By
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.
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Updated on 07/22/21
Leftover-Vegetable Soup

The Spruce / Loren Runion
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
194 Calories
11g Fat
20g Carbs
6g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 194
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 13%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 3mg 1%
Sodium 293mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 20g 7%
Dietary Fiber 5g 18%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 6mg 29%
Calcium 43mg 3%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 370mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

On any given day, most of us have some random, leftover vegetables in the fridge drawer: a bit of cauliflower, a few broccoli florets, a handful of spinach, a lonely single leek. Got a few potatoes in the pantry, not nearly enough to mash? Are your scarce cilantro leaves not enough for chimichurri and too many for a vinaigrette? Instead of trying to fit each little piece into a separate dish, the easiest way to save all your micro-leftovers of produce is to make a delicious soup. The perfect way to save your money, and to feed your family with a fabulous and easy dish, the best part about the leftover-vegetable soup is that anything goes. We bring you a template, but swap or add to your liking because there's no wrong way of cooking this wholesome meal.

In general, making a soup requires a good aromatic base, generous seasoning, and spices and herbs. First, take stock of what you have and sort the vegetables; use only what's still in good shape and discard what seems too soft or mushy. Secondly, look for aromatics, such as sautéed onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. If you don't have any fresh, powdered onion or powdered garlic will do the trick. Finally, choose your cooking liquid, a good stock or broth is ideal but in a pinch use water and a splash of white wine if you'd like. Spices and fresh herbs complete the flavoring and add brightness to the soup. Cilantro, basil, parsley, thyme, or rosemary work wonders, and using the dried versions also adds a ton of flavor.

Our basic recipe freezes well and is certainly a friendly way to freeze vegetables and meal prep for the weeks ahead. Having soup in your freezer ready to reheat is a time-saving trick for busy weeknights when a bowl of hot soup and a loaf of crusty bread will make a wonderful and flavorful dinner. For extra richness, serve with a dollop of sour cream on top, or a generous amount of grated Parmesan.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil

  • 1 large onion, finely chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

  • 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped into bite-sized chunks

  • 2 celery ribs, chopped into bite-sized chunks

  • 3 cups vegetables, chopped into bite-sized chunks

  • 2 1/2 cups stock, vegetable, beef or chicken

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 1 teaspoon five-spice powder, optional

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Leftover-Vegetable Soup ingredients

    The Spruce / Loren Runion

  2. In a large stockpot or soup pan, heat the vegetable oil.

    pot with oil

    The Spruce / Loren Runion

  3. Add the onions and gently cook until they begin to soften.

    onions cooking in a pot with oil

    The Spruce / Loren Runion

  4. Add the garlic, carrots, and celery and cook for another 5 minutes, without burning the garlic.

    Add the garlic, carrot, and celery to the onions in the pot

    The Spruce / Loren Runion

  5. Add the chopped vegetables and stir.

    add the rest of the vegetables to the pot

    The Spruce / Loren Runion

  6. Add the stock, bay leaf, and any spices you're using.

    Add the stock, bay leaf, and spices to the vegetables in the pot

    The Spruce / Loren Runion

  7. Cook until all the vegetables are soft and cooked through, or about 20 minutes.

    cook the vegetable soup in the pot

    The Spruce / Loren Runion

  8. Carefully, blend the soup in the pot using an immersion blender or pour into a food processor and blend. Make it as creamy or chunky as you'd like. Cook the soup for an additional 5 minutes to reduce slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

    Leftover-Vegetable Soup, blended with an immersion blender

    The Spruce / Loren Runion

  9. Enjoy!

Use Caution When Blending Hot Ingredients

Steam expands quickly in a blender and can cause ingredients to splatter everywhere and lead to burns. To prevent this, fill the blender only one-third of the way up, vent the top, and cover with a folded kitchen towel while blending.

What Vegetables to Use in the Soup?

Any vegetables are great for making this soup. If you're unsure on what to use, here are a few ideas:

  • Parsnips, celeriac, leeks, sweet potatoes, or any other winter roots help thicken the soup and add a lot of texture and flavor. No matter which you use, make sure all of the vegetables are cleaned, peeled, and cut into similar size chunks.
  • Leafy greens like spinach, watercress, kale, cabbage, collard greens, and arugula add color and brightness to the soup.
  • Cooked and roasted vegetables also have a place in this recipe. Simply add them toward the end of the cooking time to make sure they are thoroughly heated through. Even mashed potatoes can go in, and it surely will add a delectable creamy texture.
  • Cooked grains are also a perfect addition as they make for a richer texture. Rice, quinoa, farro, barley.

How to Thicken Your Soup

If your resulting soup lacks body and texture, there are a few things you can do to thicken it. Depending on what you have at hand and your dietary preferences, you could thicken your sop by:

  • Adding a can of mashed beans, like navy, or a can of lentils.
  • Blending half of the soup and pouring it back into the pot, allowing the liquid to reduce further.
  • Adding a cup of heavy cream or full-fat plain yogurt.
  • Making a roux with butter and flour and adding it to the soup.
  • Adding a couple of cups of day-old bread.
  • Adding cooked pasta.
  • Making a slurry of cornstarch and water and adding it to the soup.

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