Mediterranean Vegetable Soup (Printer-friendly)
Hearty Mediterranean soup with fresh vegetables, white beans, and aromatic herbs in every spoonful.
# What You Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 large yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 medium carrots, sliced into rounds
05 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
06 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
07 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
08 - 1 medium eggplant, diced
09 - 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
→ Broth and Beans
10 - 5 cups vegetable broth
11 - 1 can (14 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
→ Herbs and Seasoning
12 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
13 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Garnish
16 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
17 - Lemon wedges, for serving
# How to Make It:
01 - Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic, sautéing for about 2 minutes until softened and fragrant.
02 - Add the carrots, celery, bell pepper, zucchini, and eggplant to the pot. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften and release their natural juices.
03 - Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices, vegetable broth, and cannellini beans. Season with dried oregano, dried thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Stir everything together until well combined.
04 - Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and let it cook for 20 minutes, or until all the vegetables are fork-tender.
05 - Remove and discard the bay leaf. Taste the broth and adjust the salt and pepper as needed to balance the flavors.
06 - Ladle the hot soup into serving bowls. Garnish each portion with freshly chopped parsley and serve alongside lemon wedges for a bright finishing squeeze.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It tastes like a summer afternoon on a Greek island, even when its pouring outside.
- Everything cooks in one pot, which means cleanup is almost nonexistent.
02 -
- Salt your eggplant ahead of time if it feels bitter, then pat it dry before adding it to the pot.
- Underseasoning at the start is fine because the flavors concentrate as the soup simmers down.
03 -
- Dice all your vegetables roughly the same size so every spoonful feels balanced instead of chaotic.
- A final squeeze of lemon juice does more than garnish, it brightens the entire pot in a way salt alone cannot achieve.