This hearty 10 vegetable soup is LOADED with...you guessed it! Lots of vegetables! This delicious recipe is easy to make, it's high-fiber, and ready to eat in less than 1 hour!
This 10 vegetable soup is incredibly flavorful and delicious. It's made with a mix of fresh and frozen vegetables to cut down on prep time (yes, please!). I used a combination of celery, onions, carrots, corn, green peas, garlic, potatoes, tomatoes, spinach, and green beans. The barley adds a delicious texture and makes it an extremely filling and satisfying meal.
This soup is perfect to enjoy all year long, not just when it's chilly out! If you're looking for a tasty and easy way to eat more veggies, this is the perfect recipe for you!
It's also a great option to make if you need to clean out the fridge (or freezer) and use up lots of leftover vegetable odds and ends. It's really customizable too, so you can use whatever vegetables that you have available.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's an easy way to eat a wide variety of vegetables because it uses 10 different types of vegetables!
- The vegetable soup is easy to make in about one hour. YAY for quick dinners!
- It's easily customizable based on what vegetables you have on hand and it doesn't matter if they're fresh or frozen vegetables.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This 10 vegetable soup is made with a mix of fresh vegetables, frozen vegetables, and pantry ingredients. Let's go over some of the most important ingredients and substitutions if you need them.
- Grains - I used pearl barley because it cooks quicker than hulled. However, you can use either for this recipe. If you want a substitute, you can use einkorn wheat berries, brown rice, quinoa, farro, white beans, or any small pasta like orzo.
- Onion, Celery, and Garlic - The perfect base to any soup! If you don't have fresh garlic, use 1 teaspoon dried and add more to taste.
- Dried Seasonings - Italian seasonings, chili pepper flakes, parsley, paprika, and the bay leaf add so much flavor to the soup!
- Russet Potatoes - Potatoes make this meal extra filling, and I love the texture that potatoes add to the soup. You could substitute with sweet potatoes if you prefer.
- Vegetable Mix - I used a bag of frozen mixed vegetables (corn, peas, carrots, and green beans) for convenience and they taste great too!
- Diced Tomatoes - The can of diced tomatoes and juice adds an extra layer of flavor. Fire-roasted tomatoes would be delicious to use too. If you need to, you could substitute 2-3 tbsp of tomato paste + 1 additional cup of water for the canned tomatoes.
- Vegetable Broth - Try to use low-sodium vegetable broth if possible so you can control how much salt is added to the soup. Mushroom broth would also be a good alternative.
- Spinach - You can use fresh or frozen spinach.
- Lemon - Lemon juice is the icing on the cake for this recipe! it brightens and enhances the flavor.
How to Make the Recipe
First, cook the grains according to the package instructions in a separate pot. When it's done cooking, drain any excess water and set it aside for later (Photo 1).
Next, saute the onions and celery until soft. Add the minced garlic, dry seasonings, and bay leaf and let it cook for a few minutes to toast the spices (Photos 2 & 3).
Then add the potatoes, diced tomatoes with the juice, vegetable mix, vegetable broth, and water to the pot (Photo 4). Bring it to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium, cover it, and let it cook until the potatoes are tender (Photo 5).
Lastly, stir in the spinach and lemon juice and let it cook for an additional 5 minutes until it's warmed through (Photo 6).
Slow Cooker Instructions
To make this hearty vegetable soup in the slow cooker, you can put all of the ingredients except the lemon juice and spinach, plus three cups of water (for the grains to absorb) into a large slow cooker and set it to cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 7-8 hours.
Check the consistency at 3 hours. If you're happy with the texture, stir in the lemon juice and spinach and let it defrost and cook thoroughly for about 10 minutes before serving.
What Goes With It
A bowl of this 10 vegetable soup is delicious served with a couple of toasted slices of whole wheat bread for dipping, a salad with vegan ranch dressing, and a loaded baked potato on the side topped with vegan sour cream and chives.
How to Store It
Store leftover vegetable soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days.
This recipe freezes perfectly! If you're planning on freezing some of the leftover soup, don't add the cooked grains to the soup. If you do, it will soak up most of the broth like little sponges.
Instead, just freeze the vegetable soup (without the grains in it) in a freezer-safe container for 2-3 months. When you're ready to defrost it, take the container out of the freezer and let it thaw for 24 hours in the fridge. Then you can reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop and cook fresh grains to go with it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it's 100% vegan! It contains no animal products or meat.
Mushrooms, artichoke hearts, sweet potatoes, or chunks of zucchini would all be delicious vegetables to add.
No, you don't need to soak it before cooking. Depending on what type you use (hulled or pearl) will determine how long you need to cook it for.
Success Tips
- Use a mix of fresh vegetables and frozen vegetables to make it easier to prep the 10 vegetables for the soup.
- Leave the skin on the russet potatoes. No need to peel them, it's just extra fiber!
- Cook the barley in a separate pot so it doesn't absorb all of the soup broth.
- Wait to add the frozen spinach until the last 5-10 minutes of cooking so it keeps its bright green color.
Want More Vegetable Soup Recipes?
10 Vegetable Soup
Equipment
- Medium Pot
- 6-Quart Dutch Oven or Large Soup Pot
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked pearl barley
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 4 medium garlic cloves minced
- 2 large celery ribs sliced
- 1 ½ tbsp Italian seasonings
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- ½ tsp chili pepper flakes
- 1 medium bay leaf
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 3 cups russet potatoes cut into small cubes
- 4 cups frozen mixed vegetables (I used a mix of corn, peas, carrots, and green beans)
- 14 oz can diced tomatoes with the juice
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- 8 oz frozen spinach
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Cook the barley according to the package instructions, drain any excess water, and then set it aside.
- In a large dutch oven, saute the onion and celery over medium heat until soft. Add the minced garlic, Italian seasonings, paprika, dried parsley, chili pepper flakes, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper to the pot. Stir to combine and let it cook for 2 minutes to toast the spices.
- Add the potatoes, frozen mixed vegetables, diced tomatoes with juice, 4 cups vegetable broth, and water to the pot. Increase the heat and bring it to a simmer and then reduce the heat to medium. Cover it and let it cook for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
- Stir in the frozen spinach and lemon juice. Let it cook for about 5 minutes or until the spinach is fully defrosted and warmed through. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
- Add a scoop of the cooked grains to a bowl and then ladle the hot soup over it. Garnish with dried parsley before serving.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days or you can freeze it for 2-3 months.
Came across this recipe in Pinterest and been in love with your blog ever since.. I tried it today with whatever I could get a hold of and it was super yummy!!! Thank you
Thank you so much, I'm so happy that you enjoy the recipes!
Thanks for listing all the different options!! I’ll have to try the Crock Pot Beef Stew soon.
This is turning into one of my favorite witch soup recipes! I make this in the instant pot with the variety in and turns of perfect every time add 3\4 C barley each extra 2 cups of water. Cook for 20 min, once done release the pressure. Add spinach and thin sliced sliced zucchini reseal of and allow to cook10-15 min in warm setting.
I'm so happy you like it! Thank you for sharing how you make it in the Instant Pot, I'll definitely give it a try that way!
I do the same with pasta.
I either make just enough for one meal or keep and store everything separately.
Exactly, Deb! I think its the best way to do it too.
This looks and sounds so good but unfortunately I can’t make it unless I have the nutrition information. Because I have Kidney disease I need to keep track of the ingredients. I hope you’ll consider giving the nutrition information. Unless you did and I missed it. Thanks for the recipe.
I made this and it's really tasty. Do you think it would freeze well?
Thank you! Yes, it freezes well. I would recommend making the barely fresh though because it will absorb a lot of the broth if you freeze it in the soup. If you do freeze the soup with the barley in it then you will need to add more vegetable broth when you reheat it.
This looks delicious. Will try. I love quick recipes that don't take so long. Thanks for sharing.
I made this recipe and it was really good. However, I was a little confused by how much barley goes in. When you cook the barley separately it is about 3 cups cooked. Should all of the cooked barley be added to the soup or just 1 cup cooked?
Hi! Yes, the recipe calls for one cup of dry barley = yields about 3 cups. My husband loves barley so I load it up! If that's too much for you, 1/2 cup dry barley should be sufficient for the recipe.
Wow, this sounds amazing, Stacey! There's no better comfort food for me than a bowl of soup. Love how you have filled this hearty dish with so many summer veggies too! It just looks so fresh and full of flavor! I really like how quick and easy it is to make as well...no one wants to be stuck cooking for hours in a hot kitchen in the summertime, right?! 🙂