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End-of-Market Vegetable Soup

A flexible, no-waste vegetable soup designed for all those little bits of produce left after market day.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Soup
Cuisine: American
Calories: 180
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 2 carrots sliced
  • 2 celery stalks sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 cups mixed vegetables cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 can 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes, with juices
  • 4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley optional
Use whatever you have. Good choices include:
  • Zucchini
  • Green beans
  • Corn
  • Peas
  • Bell peppers
  • Cabbage
  • Mushrooms
  • Spinach
  • Potatoes
  • Roasted vegetables left from another meal

Method
 

Start with the aromatics.
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
Add the garlic.
  1. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
  2. Add the vegetables.
  3. Add your remaining vegetables to the pot. If you're using potatoes or other firm vegetables, add those first. More delicate vegetables such as zucchini, spinach, or already-roasted vegetables can be added later.
Add tomatoes and broth.
  1. Pour in the diced tomatoes and broth. Stir in the Italian seasoning, parsley, black pepper, and salt.
Simmer.
  1. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20–25 minutes, or until the firmest vegetables are tender.
Add delicate vegetables.
  1. If you're using spinach, leftover roasted vegetables, or other already-cooked vegetables, stir them in during the last 5 minutes.
Taste and adjust.
  1. Taste the broth and add additional salt or seasoning if needed.
Serve.
  1. Ladle into bowls and finish with fresh parsley.

Notes

🌾 The End-of-Market Rule
There are really only three rules for this soup:
Use what you have.
Use what needs to be used first.
Don't overthink it.
If the zucchini needs to be used today but the carrots will be perfectly happy for another week, the zucchini goes into the soup.
If you have leftover roasted vegetables from earlier in the week, they can go in, too.
If you have a lonely tomato sitting on the counter, dice it up and add it.
This is not a recipe where someone needs to run to the grocery store because they are missing one particular vegetable.
The refrigerator is the ingredient list.