Winter Vegetable Soup Recipe

This Winter Vegetable Soup Recipe is inspired by classic farmhouse cooking. It is a nutritious and comforting recipe, which calls for root vegetables and fresh spinach. It’s a healthy, foolproof recipe, ready in about 45 minutes.

Winter Vegetable Soup Recipe Ingredients

• 45 g (1 1/2 oz) butter
• 1 leek, trimmed and diced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1 small potato, peeled and diced
• 1 turnip, diced
• 1 small carrot, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1.5 litres (2 1/2 pints) vegetable or chicken stock
• 250 g (8 oz) spinach, coarsely shredded
• 3 spring onions, thinly sliced
• salt and black pepper

How To Make Winter Vegetable Soup

1. Soften the leeks: Begin by melting the butter in a large saucepan over a gentle heat. Add the diced leek and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. You want the leeks to become soft and sweet without taking on any brown color.
2. Sauté the root vegetables: Once the leeks are soft, add the chopped onion, celery, potato, turnip, carrot, and crushed garlic to the pan. Stir well to coat all the vegetables in the butter and cook for another 8 minutes. This initial sautéing helps to release the natural sugars in the root vegetables, creating a much deeper flavor base for your soup.
3. Simmer the broth: Pour in the vegetable or chicken stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Once bubbling, turn the heat down, cover the pan with a lid, and simmer gently for about 25 minutes. Give it a stir every now and then; the soup is ready for the next step once all the vegetables are completely tender when pierced with a knife.
4. Finish with greens: Add the coarsely shredded spinach and the sliced spring onions to the pot. Stir them through and cook for just 3 minutes. This short time is enough to wilt the spinach while keeping it a vibrant, bright green color.
5. Season and serve: Remove the pan from the heat and season generously with salt and black pepper. Taste the broth to ensure the balance is just right, then ladle the hot, chunky soup into bowls and serve immediately.

Recipe Tips

• How to shred spinach perfectly: Remove any tough stalks and stack several leaves on top of each other. Roll them up tightly like a cigar and cut crosswise into thin shreds for a professional look.
• Why use a mix of root vegetables: The combination of turnip, carrot, and potato provides a balance of sweetness, earthiness, and starch, which naturally thickens the soup without needing extra flour.
• Can I blend this soup: Absolutely! If you prefer a smooth texture, you can use an immersion blender to puree the soup after step 2, then stir in the spinach and spring onions at the very end.
• How to keep the spinach bright: Only add the spinach in the last 3 minutes of cooking. If you simmer it for too long, it will turn a dull olive color and lose its fresh flavor.

What To Serve With Winter Vegetable Soup?

This Winter Vegetable Soup Recipe is a nutritious, comforting main dish that needs a starchy or savory pairing! A thick slice of Multigrain Bread or a Warm Crusty Roll is the quintessential choice for a satisfying meal. For a balanced lunch, a side of Sharp Cheddar Cheese or a simple ham sandwich adds a lovely protein boost that pairs perfectly with the root vegetables! A few Homemade Garlic Croutons or a sprinkle of Grated Parmesan pairs wonderfully with the earthy, savory notes of the turnip and leek.

How To Store Winter Vegetable Soup

• Refrigerate: Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat it gently on the stovetop until piping hot.
• Freeze: This soup freezes very well for up to 3 months. However, the spinach may become a little softer upon thawing; for the best results, freeze the soup without the spinach and add fresh leaves when you reheat it.

Winter Vegetable Soup Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 153
• Total Fat: 7g
• Cholesterol: 15mg
• Sodium: 680mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 18g
• Dietary Fiber: 4g
• Protein: 4g

Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.

FAQs

Winter Vegetable Soup Recipe

Recipe by Emily HartwoodCourse: SoupsCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

153

kcal

This Winter Vegetable Soup Recipe is a healthy and vibrant one-pot meal featuring a medley of seasonal root vegetables and fresh, shredded spinach.

Ingredients

• 1 leek, 1 onion, 1 celery stalk

• 1 potato, 1 turnip, 1 carrot

• 3 garlic cloves, crushed

• 45 g butter

• 1.5 litres stock

• 250 g shredded spinach

• 3 spring onions

• Salt and black pepper

Directions

• Melt butter in a large pan and soften the diced leek for 5 minutes.
• Add the onion, celery, potato, turnip, carrot, and garlic; cook for 8 minutes.
• Pour in the stock and bring to a boil.
• Cover and simmer for 25 minutes until all vegetables are tender.
• Stir in the shredded spinach and spring onions; cook for 3 minutes until wilted.
• Season well and serve hot with crusty bread.

Notes

• Sautéing the root vegetables in butter before adding the stock is the secret to developing a rich, caramelized flavor.
• Shredding the spinach into thin strips ensures it distributes evenly throughout the soup and cooks almost instantly.
• Adding the spring onions at the very end provides a fresh, sharp contrast to the sweet, slow-cooked root vegetables.