Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup

Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup is a hearty meal in a bowl loaded with vegetables in a savory broth. It’s easy to make and a perfect cozy meal for busy days.

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Everyone should have a good vegetable soup in their recipe box and this one doesn't disappoint. The broth is savory with a touch of natural sweetness from the tomatoes and the bounty of vegetables makes this soup hearty enough to make it feel like a real meal.

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• Ingredients
• Step-by-Step Instructions for Slow-Cooker Vegetable Soup
• My Top Tips
• Substitutions & Variations
• Equipment
• Make-Ahead & Storage
• More Delicious "Meal in a Bowl" Recipes
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What makes this soup super delicious is the broth because the heart of this soup and any soup is the broth. It is what makes a soup irresistibly delicious from the first spoonful to the last.

This particular broth is tomato based with a few simple aromatics that make you want more, but surprisingly the ingredients are all simple pantry and refrigerator staples.

To make this soup, you mix the broth ingredients together and then add your chosen vegetables. That's it! So the prep time is a quick 15 minutes.

But the real beauty of this recipe is how it is written. You combine the ingredients for the broth first and then add the vegetables. This allows you to substitute any vegetable you have on hand or are in season as long as you use a total of 6 cups of veggies.

Oh, and did I mention that you use vegetable broth or stock? This means the soup is both vegetarian and vegan. You will be amazed at how easily and fast this tasty soup comes together. So, let's cook!

Ingredients

To make the broth for this vegetable soup you will need:

• Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes - Fire-roasted canned tomatoes have a smoky sweet flavor that is delicious. If you don't have fire-roasted tomatoes, any canned, diced tomatoes will work.
• Yellow Onions - Yellow onions have a mild flavor and add savory elements to this soup.
• Seasoned Salt – Seasoned salt generally contains celery salt that is very savory and deliciously aromatic.
• Dried Oregano – Oregano is a delicious aromatic herb used often in Mediterranean cooking. It will give the broth a pizza flavor!
• Tomato Paste - Tomato paste is the secret to adding extra rich tomato flavor to the broth.
• Bay Leaves - Bay leaves are another aromatic herb that is delicious in soups, stews, and braised dishes.
• Vegetable Broth - Use your favorite vegetable broth. For richer flavor, you can add vegetable stock for part of the vegetable broth.

You will also need these vegetables for the soup:

• Mixed Vegetables – For convenience use frozen mixed vegetables that have been thawed. I like to add additional corn, carrots, and green peas because I like them.
• Corn - You can use fresh corn or frozen corn that has been thawed.
• Carrots - Fresh whole carrots are peeled and sliced ¼” thick.
• Green Peas - Use frozen green peas that have been thawed.
• Black Beans - Canned black beans that are drained and rinsed work well in this soup.

I like to use a variety of vegetables with bright colors to make a beautiful soup that is nourishing and delicious. I like this combination, but you can use all mixed vegetables or your favorites.

Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Slow-Cooker Vegetable Soup

Add the tomatoes, onions, tomato paste, oregano, seasoned salt, and bay leaves to a large slow cooker that has at least a 5-quart capacity. Stir until well mixed.

Stir in the vegetable broth.

Add the black beans, sliced carrots, corn, green peas, and mixed vegetables. Stir, cover, and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 8 hours. Remove the bay leaves before serving.

This vegetable soup is beautiful and delicious with croutons or crackers!

My Top Tips

♡ Using fresh or frozen and thawed vegetables makes this soup special. Do not use canned ingredients in this soup, other than canned tomatoes, tomato paste, and canned beans.

Substitutions & Variations

You can substitute some of your favorite vegetables for the carrots, black beans, mixed vegetables, peas, or corn in this recipe in the same quantity (approximately 6 cups) as listed in this recipe. Here are some good choices:

• Celery - Sliced into ¼" to ½” pieces.
• Green Cabbage - Sliced and then chopped into ½ to 1" pieces.
• Kale - Destemmed and chopped.
• Swiss Chard - Chopped, including the stem which is delicious!
• Potatoes, Gold, Yellow, White, or Red - Peeled and diced.
• Snow or Snap Peas - Remove the strings and stem ends, then cut into ½” pieces.
• Chickpeas - Add a boost of extra protein to your veggie soup with chickpeas. You can use canned, but like the black beans be sure to drain and rinse them thoroughly.
• Winter Squash - Hard squashes like butternut, acorn, and honeynut can be peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks.

Soft vegetables like zucchini, summer squash, and eggplant, can be added during the last hour of cooking to keep them vibrant and not overcooked.

Equipment

This recipe is scaled for a 4-quart slow cooker. If you do not have a slow cooker that holds at least 16 cups you can simmer this soup on the stove in a large stock pot for approximately 1 hour.

Make-Ahead & Storage

Generally, all soups, stews, and slow-cooked dishes are better on the next day after being cooked and refrigerated. This vegetable soup will keep up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container or it can be frozen for up to 2 months.

More Delicious "Meal in a Bowl" Recipes

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