Who doesn’t love some hot vegetable soup on a cold day? This is one of the easiest recipes – and also one of the most cost effective! I call it kitchen sink veggie soup because you are dumping everything but your kitchen sink in. It’s the perfect soup to personalize… use whatever veggies your family likes. It’s a healthy and filling soup that all ages can enjoy! Also a great way to have kids try new vegetables.
I’m all about shopping on a budget… look for sales on canned veggies anytime and simply stock up on them until you are ready to make a pot of this delicious vegetable soup. Sometimes I use frozen vegetables if they are on sale, but canned work just as well. The only fresh I use for this recipe is zucchini.
This is a recipe you can personalize – if you don’t like lima beans just don’t put them in. If you don’t like zucchini don’t put it in. You can add cooked barley if you’d like but it’s not necessary. My husband and daughter both like it with barley so I just cook that separately and add it into their bowls after the soup is done cooking.
I am not picky when it comes to the type of beef stock or beef cubes I use. I do tend to lean towards the cubes as my daughter seems to like it more than the stock. This makes a HUGE pot, so you will have plenty for dinner one night, lunch the next day, and a bunch to freeze for another day! Enjoy ~
- Large pot of water.
- 5-7 beef bouillon cubes or beef stock. Amount varies depending on how "beefy" you like it to taste. If you need the soup base to have more flavor simply add more beef stock or cubes.
- 1 bag of baby carrots chopped or peeled whole carrots peeled/chopped.
- 3 cans green beans
- 3 cans stewed tomatoes - make sure you get plain stewed tomatoes and NOT ones seasoned with garlic, jalapeno, or any other additions. lol
- 3 cans lima beans
- 3 cans corn
- 3 cans peas
- 1 zucchini
- Barley
- Heat large pot of water with beef cubes or beef stock.
- Add in carrots.
- Cook 45 minutes on medium heat.
- Drain and add in green beans, tomatoes, lima bens, corn, and peas.
- Cook 30 minutes.
- Add in chopped zucchini.
- Cook 30 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Continue stirring every 10 minutes.
- Taste test the broth to make sure it is flavored enough for you. You can always add in additional stock or cubes and cook longer.
- Taste carrots to make sure they are soft enough.
- Cook barley in separate medium sized pot. Make enough for whomever wants to add it into their bowl. I usually make 1-2 cups.
