The broth is the heart of any soup. Master chefs know that the extra step of simmering stock with leeks, carrots, and onions infuses the base with deep, rich flavor. If you don’t have the time to do this step, skip the recipe until you do. The extra effort makes the difference between a soup that is out of this world and just so-so.
Serves 4
3 Tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups (480 ml) carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cups (480 ml) leeks, quartered, cleaned, coarsely chopped, white and light green
2 cups (480 ml) onions, coarsely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 cups (1920 ml) chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs thyme
1 clove garlic, crushed
10 peppercorns, crushed
1 medium yam, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes, about 2 cups (480 ml)
1 cup (240 ml) carrots, peeled and sliced, ½-inch thick
8 oz (226.8 g) asparagus, tough ends removed, cut into 1-inch pieces on diagonal
1 cup (240 ml) green beans, ends removed and cut into 1-inch pieces on diagonal
1 cup (240 ml) peas
1 small head Savoy cabbage, quartered and sliced
Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzle
Flat-leaf parsley leaves
- For the broth: Heat oil in an 8- to 10-quart pot over medium. Add carrots, leeks, and onions, and stir to coat in the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 30–35 minutes until vegetables are slightly cooked. Add the chicken stock, bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns, and garlic. Increase heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes. Strain the broth into another pot. Discard the vegetables and herbs. Set broth aside.
- For the soup: Place yams, carrots, and a pinch of salt in a medium pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender but slightly resistant. Drain.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Have ready a bowl of water ice. Put asparagus into strainer, immerse in boiling water and blanch for 1 minute. Remove and pour asparagus into the ice bath. Repeat with the green beans, 3 minutes; the peas, 1 minute. Add cabbage to the boiling water and blanch just until tender. Chill in ice bath. Drain all the blanched vegetables.
- Bring the broth to a simmer. Adjust seasoning. Add the blanched vegetables and return to simmer to heat vegetables. Remove from heat and serve, drizzled with olive oil and garnished with parsley leaves.
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Hearty vegetable soup starts with a proper broth — carrots, leeks, and onions gently sweated for half an hour before the stock even goes in. Then blanched asparagus, green beans, peas, cabbage, and yam cubes float in that golden broth like a farmers market in a bowl. This is the soup that makes homemade stock worth the effort.
Pro Tips
- Sweat the broth vegetables the full thirty to thirty-five minutes over medium-low heat. That patient, slow cooking builds a sweetness you cannot shortcut.
- Strain the broth before adding the soup vegetables. The flavor is already in the liquid, and discarding the mushy aromatics keeps the final bowl clean and bright.
- Blanch each vegetable separately and shock it in the ice bath. Different vegetables need different times — asparagus a minute, green beans three — and the ice bath locks in their color.
- Add the blanched vegetables to the simmering broth only to heat through. Boiling them again would undo everything the ice bath just did.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this vegetable soup ahead?
Make the broth and blanch the vegetables a day ahead, then combine and reheat just before serving. The soup keeps its fresh color that way instead of going army green.
Can I use frozen vegetables?
Frozen peas work well, but the blanched fresh asparagus, beans, and cabbage are what give the soup its texture and color. If using frozen, skip the blanching and add them at the end.
Is this soup a full meal?
With the yam cubes and two cups of vegetables per bowl it is plenty for lunch. Serve it with a protein on the side — roast chicken or a soft-boiled egg makes it a complete dinner.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Have ready a bowl of water ice.
- Put asparagus into strainer, immerse in boiling water and blanch for 1 minute.
- Remove and pour asparagus into the ice bath.
- Repeat with the green beans, 3 minutes; the peas, 1 minute.
- Add cabbage to the boiling water and blanch just until tender.
- Chill in ice bath.
- Drain all the blanched vegetables.
- Bring the broth to a simmer.
- Adjust seasoning.
- Add the blanched vegetables and return to simmer to heat vegetables.
- Remove from heat and serve, drizzled with olive oil and garnished with parsley leaves.
