Spicy Vegetable Soup

5 from 7 votes

This Spicy Vegetable Soup is absolutely packed with flavor. Never again will you dread eating a bowl full of vegetables. In fact, you'll crave this super comforting, secretly plant based soup! Make a big batch of this to use up all of your fridge veggies, and eat it all week!

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Total Time50

Course: Side Dish, Soup

Cuisine: American

Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free, Low Calorie, Low Fat, Low Lactose

Servings: servings

Calories: 107kcal

Author: Briana

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium leek thinly sliced, light green and white parts only, dark green tops discarded
1 medium yellow onion diced
2 stalks celery diced
1 large carrot peeled and cut into rounds
1 medium bell pepper diced
2 whole jalapeños, diced diced, seeds removed if you prefer less spice
1 tablespoon kosher salt to taste
10 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons lemon zest zest of 2 lemons
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary minced, optional
1 tablespoon fresh thyme optional
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes to taste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional and to taste
8 cups green cabbage about 1 head, core removed, and roughly diced
16 ounces mushrooms thinly sliced
1 medium zucchini cut into half moons
4 cups vegetable broth
3 ½ cups crushed tomatoes about 28 ounces or 1 large can
3 whole bay leaves
2 cups baby spinach about 8 ounces
2 cups fresh cilantro about 1 bunch, chopped and divided
2 cups fresh parsley about 1 bunch, chopped and divided
½ cup green onions about 5, sliced into rounds and divided
¼ cup lemon juice juice of 2 lemons

Instructions

In a large Dutch Oven or stock pot over medium heat, add your olive oil and then sauté your leeks, onions, carrots, celery, jalapeños, and bell peppers with a good pinch of salt until softened. This should take around 7-10 minutes.
3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 medium leek, 1 medium yellow onion, 2 stalks celery, 1 large carrot, 1 medium bell pepper, 2 whole jalapeños, diced, 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Once vegetables are softened, add in garlic, lemon zest, fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, and dried seasonings and cook until garlic is fragrant, stirring often, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon dried basil, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, 10 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons lemon zest
Add in cabbage, zucchini, and mushrooms with a big pinch of salt until the vegetables soften slightly, about 2-3 minutes.
8 cups green cabbage, 1 medium zucchini, 16 ounces mushrooms
Now, add in your vegetable broth, crushed tomatoes, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover for 15-20 minutes, until vegetables are cooked to your liking.
4 cups vegetable broth, 3 ½ cups crushed tomatoes, 3 whole bay leaves
Once your veggies are nice and soft, remove bay leaves and discard them. Stir in some cilantro, parsley, green onions, and fresh spinach to wilt. This should only take a few minutes. Add in lemon juice. Taste, adjust seasonings and dig in, and top with more fresh green onions, cilantro, and parsley to taste. Serve and enjoy!
2 cups baby spinach, 2 cups fresh cilantro, 2 cups fresh parsley, ½ cup green onions, ¼ cup lemon juice
Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 7 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes

All seasonings are to taste. Add slowly and to suit your preference. This soup is seasoned to be quite spicy (which is generally our personal preference) so please keep this in mind!
All vegetables are interchangeable to suit your personal preference. Add more of what you like and less of what you don't like.

Nutrition