Parmesan Veggie Soup (Printer View)

Hearty vegetables simmered in rich Parmesan broth for a comforting Italian-inspired meal ready in 50 minutes.

# Components:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
07 - 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
08 - 1 cup green beans, trimmed and chopped
09 - 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
10 - 4 cups vegetable broth

→ Dairy & Cheese

11 - 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
12 - 1 Parmesan rind, optional

→ Seasonings

13 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
14 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
15 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
16 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

# Method:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic; sauté for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and translucent.
02 - Add diced carrots, celery, zucchini, potato, and green beans. Cook while stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
03 - Stir in diced tomatoes with juice, vegetable broth, dried Italian herbs, salt, and pepper. Add Parmesan rind if using.
04 - Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes until vegetables are tender.
05 - Remove Parmesan rind. Stir in grated Parmesan cheese until melted and soup reaches creamy consistency.
06 - Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
07 - Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh chopped parsley and additional Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like someone who actually knows what they're doing made it, but honestly takes less than an hour.
  • Parmesan does the heavy lifting here, turning simple vegetables into something velvety and rich without cream.
  • The flexibility means you can use whatever vegetables you have hanging around, and it still works beautifully.
02 -
  • Don't rush the initial sauté of onion and garlic; those first few minutes build the entire flavor foundation, and skipping it makes the soup taste flat.
  • Add the Parmesan slowly at the end rather than all at once, stirring constantly, so it melts smoothly instead of clumping up in the heat.
  • If your soup tastes good but boring, you're likely under-seasoning; start conservative and keep tasting because you can always add more salt but you can't take it out.
03 -
  • Mise en place is your friend here, meaning chop everything before you start cooking so you're not scrambling mid-sauté.
  • Use a Microplane grater for the Parmesan if you have one, since the cheese becomes a silky powder that integrates into the soup almost instantly instead of sitting in little chunks.
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