Description
Harvest Vegetable Soup is a hearty, flavorful, and nutritious soup combining sweet potatoes, butternut squash, kale, and mushrooms in a spiced vegetable broth. This comforting dish is perfect for cozy fall or winter meals and is enhanced with smoky and spicy seasonings for depth and warmth.
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
- Half of a medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into small cubes
- 1 large carrot, sliced into discs
- 3 large portabella mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 1 bunch of kale, washed and chopped, tough stems removed
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Liquids
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or butter
- 1 32 oz carton vegetable stock
- 1 15 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- Hot sauce (such as Franks Red Hot), to taste (optional)
Herbs & Spices
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, removed from stem
- 3 fresh bay leaves
- 1-2 tsp smoked sea salt
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½-1 tsp chipotle pepper
- ½-1 tsp cayenne pepper
Thickener (Optional)
- Cornstarch slurry (2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water)
Instructions
- Prepare and saute vegetables: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil or butter in a heavy-bottomed stock pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, add chopped onion, sweet potato, butternut squash, and carrot. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the onion starts to soften. Add minced garlic and thyme leaves, cooking until aromatic, about one more minute. Pour in the vegetable stock, stirring to deglaze the pot and lift any browned bits.
- Add main ingredients and seasonings: Stir in chopped portabella mushrooms and the can of fire roasted diced tomatoes. Season the soup with smoked sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, dried basil, dried oregano, chipotle pepper, and cayenne pepper. Add the fresh bay leaves and stir thoroughly to mix all flavors.
- Simmer the soup: Reduce heat to medium, cover the pot, and let the soup simmer gently for 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. During this time, wash and chop the kale, removing any tough stems.
- Check tenderness and finish soup: After about 10 minutes, test the tenderness of the sweet potatoes and squash. If they need more cooking, allow additional simmering time. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and optional hot sauce to taste. Once vegetables are tender, add the chopped kale and stir until wilted. If desired, stir in the cornstarch slurry to thicken the soup slightly.
- Serve: Remove the bay leaves from the pot. Serve the soup immediately with crusty bread on the side, if desired.
Notes
- Adjust the amount of chipotle and cayenne peppers to control the soup’s spiciness.
- The cornstarch slurry is optional and should be added only if a thicker soup is preferred.
- For a richer flavor, use butter instead of olive oil.
- This soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
- Remove tough kale stems to avoid bitter bites and improve texture.