Vegetable soups are a delicious way to get your nutrients. Try ones featuring different vegetables to keep tantalizing your taste buds.
Types of Vegetable Soup Recipes
Vegetable soups recipes come in numerous versions beyond the traditional chunky vegetable soup or tomato soup.
Broths, Stocks, and Consommé
Broths, stocks, and consommés are soups created by drawing the flavor from vegetables via boiling before you strain them out. They can serve as the base for soups and sauces, or you can eat them alone and garnish them with cooked or fresh vegetables.
While these thin soups are lacking in nourishing qualities found in those made of the more solid foods, they are of value for their richness in mineral salts and for the stimulating effect they have on the appetite. When taken at the beginning of the meal, and in small quantity, they may aid in the digestion of the more solid foods.
Creamed Soups and Bisques
Another type of vegetable soup, creamed soups and bisques have a velvety texture in a thick base. They are usually made of a vegetable broth base and are thickened with roux, dairy products, and/or by pureeing some of the vegetables back into the soup. Examples of creamed vegetable soups include cream of mushroom and corn bisque.
Rustic Soups
These soups have chunks of vegetables in the broth, and may also contain grains such as rice, or legumes such as lentils or split peas. In some cases, you may puree all or part of the soup in order to add bite and texture. The result is a rustic, hearty, flavorful soup that can serve as an entire meal. Vegetable minestrone and lentil soup are examples of rustic soups.
Popular Vegetable Combinations
There are many popular combinations of flavors you can add to vegetable soups, including:
- Potatoes and leeks
- Squash or carrots and ginger
- Mushrooms, onions, and thyme
- Tomatoes and lentils
- Black beans and peppers
- Asparagus and lemon
- Kidney bean, tomato, and zucchini
Don't forget to check out potato soup recipes, too.
Making Soup
Whether you are making soup as a starter course or the main event, it makes the perfect dish for chilly fall and winter evenings. It's also a great way to add more vegetables to your diet.