Easy Veggie and Pasta Soup
This is my go-to soup whenever my son is sick at home. Ialways have all of the ingredients in my fridge and pantry, and it only takes30 minutes to make. As my son would say, “Easy-Peasy!”
Equipment
- 1 large cutting board
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 can opener
- 1 4-quart stainless steel pot or larger
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil or vegetable or canola oil
- 1 onion diced
- 2 celery ribs diced
- 2 medium carrots diced
- 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 4 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
- ½ cup dried pasta (e.g. ditalini, stars, macaroni, shells, orzo, etc.)
- 2 cups fresh spinach (optional)
Instructions
- Heat pot on medium high heat for 30 seconds. Add olive oil and heat for a few seconds. Add onions to pot and cook for 2 minutes until translucent. (If your pot is 9" in diameter or greater, go ahead and throw all of the veggies in now and cook for 6 to 7 minutes until they are soft.)
- Add celery and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrots, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and black pepper (if using). Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until carrots start to soften and brown bits start to form on the bottom of the pan.
- Add the chicken broth and diced tomatoes with juice to pot and raise heat to high. Stir contents in the pot scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pot and incorporated into the vegetables. Cover, and bring to a boil.
- Once at a boil, add the pasta and turn heat down to medium and cook the soup for 2 to 3 minutes longer than the pasta package recommends for al dente pasta. Depending on the pasta you choose, this could be a total of 11 to 16 minutes.
Video
Notes
Tips and Tricks
What meat can I add meat to this soup to make it more filling?
This soup will taste great with some leftover shredded chicken - add it when you add the pasta.
If you prefer some ground meat, cook your ground meat before you cook for vegetables in the pot, drain the fat, and then cook the vegetables.
If you are using lean ground meat and want your meat to be softer, cook the vegetables in the pot first, then add the tomatoes and a little broth and the ground meat. Cooking the ground meat with a little liquid will help to keep the meat moist and it will be much softer and tender in the final soup.
Can I use frozen spinach?
Yes, go ahead and use about ½ cup of frozen spinach. You don’t need as much frozen spinach because it is already cooked and fresh spinach shrinks a lot when you cook it.
Add it to the pot when you add your broth to the pot. The frozen spinach will reduce the temperature of the broth a lot. If you add it after adding your pasta to the soup it might affect the texture of your pasta when it is cooked.
Only got fresh tomatoes?
Not a problem! Add your diced tomatoes in the pot with your sautéed vegetables and cook for about 3 minutes before adding the chicken broth. Taste the soup to see if you need any additional salt to make up for the salt that you would have gotten from the canned tomatoes.