Pantry Soup

I sometimes call this a ‘kitchen sink soup’ - using all the common veg you have in the fridge and in your pantry, along with other pantry staples. It’s entirely flexible, see the notes for substitution ideas. Whatever you use, it will turn out delicious and comforting.

Course dinner, Soup

Keyword beans, carrots, celery, gluten-free, low-fat, oil-free, potatoes, soup, stew, sweet potatoes

Servings or more

Ingredients

3 - 4 tbsp white wine optional, can use water
2 cups chopped onion
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dill seeds
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 cups combination of sliced/chopped carrots and celery
4 cloves minced/grated garlic
5-6 cups combination of cubed potato sweet potato, parsnip, winter squash, or rutabega/turnip
2 cups vegetable stock
5-6 cups water or more if needed
2 - 3 cans 14oz beans of choice, rinsed and drained (ex kidney, chickpeas, white beans, pinto, black beans)
2 dried bay leaves
4-5 cups torn kale leaves or spinach optional, see note
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp miso optional, can season with extra salt

Instructions

In a soup pot over medium-hight heat, add wine or water, onion, mustard, oregano, rosemary, basil, thyme, dill seeds, salt and pepper. Stir through, let cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. If vegetables are sticking, add a splash of water. Add carrots/celery, garlic, and stir through to cook for another couple of minutes, reducing heat slightly to avoid garlic burning. Add the 5-6 cups of remaining vegetables, stock, water and beans. Increase heat to bring to a boil. Once at a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 10-15 minutes, until vegetables are tender (this will depend on how small/large the vegetables are cut and also type of vegetable used). Once tender, remove soup from heat. Add greens and apple cider vinegar. Remove a few spoonfuls of broth in a bowl, and make a slurry with the miso (if using). Then add it back to the soup and stir it through. Let the greens sit in the hot soup until just wilted. Once wilted, taste and season with more salt/pepper if desired. Serve immediately to maintain vibrant color of greens.

Notes

Beans Note: This stew can easily hold 3 cans of beans. Feel free to use 3 cans if you like. Two cans is the equivalent of about 3 1/2 cups, and 3 cans roughly 4 1/2 - 5 cups of cooked beans.
Kale/Spinach Note: If you have greens like spinach, chard, or kale on hand they are brilliant to add to this soup just before serving. It’s best to add just before serving, so the greens stay bright green and taste the best. Spinach will wilt much more quickly than kale. It will cook through in just a minute or so. Kale will wilt in the hot soup in a couple of minutes.
Other veg: Can you use other vegetables in this stew? Absolutely! Consider the “hardiness” of the vegetable, and add it to the soup in according cooking time. For instance, cauliflower will cook a little faster than the root vegetables, but also won’t turn off in taste or color. So, it can be added at the same time. Broccoli, however, will turn in color. So, it’s best to add that just in the last minute or two of cooking.