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–+ servings
A spoon resting in a red tomato based vegetable soup topped with parmesan cheese.
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5 from 2 votes

Hearty Homemade Vegetable Soup

An easy homemade chunky vegetable soup recipe that's healthy, hearty, and full of Italian flavors. It is also incredibly filling, perfect for lunch or dinner paired with farmer's bread or a salad on the side.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Soups and Salads
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories: 246kcal
Author: Mariska Ramondino

Equipment

  • 6-quart (5.6 L) stockpot with lid

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 to 4 scallions or spring onions stem ends removed and chopped 80 grams (or replace with 2 shallots)
  • 1 ½ pounds red or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into small ¾-inch chunks 640 grams
  • 1 red or orange bell pepper 210 grams, chopped
  • 1 carton vegetable broth 32 fl ounces/946 ml
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 ½ cups frozen baby lima beans 240 grams
  • 1 can tomato paste 7 ounces/200 grams
  • 5 large rainbow chard leaves and stems finely chopped (about half of a bunch)
  • 1 cup packed chopped fresh Parsley 35 grams
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 1 teaspoon white onion powder or 1 teaspoon more based on taste.
  • Serve with Parmesan cheese on the side Optional

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook and stir for one minute to release their aroma.
    Sauteed chopped shallots in olive oil in a Dutch pan.
  • Stir in the potatoes bell pepper, and season with a few pinches of salt. Continue to cook for 5 minutes more, stirring frequently.
    Chopped potatoes, onions, and red bel pepper in a Dutch pan.
  • Add the vegetable broth, water, the tomato paste, and the lima beans.
    Red tomato paste added to chopped vegetables and broth in a Dutch pan.
  • Cover the pot and increase the heat to high to bring the liquid to a steady simmer.
  • Once simmering, reduce the heat back to medium, partially cover the pot and cook the vegetables for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are just tender.
    Lima beans and vegetable in a red tomato base soup in a Dutch pan.
  • Stir in the chard.
    A hand stirring chopped rainbow chard in a red tomato based vegetable soup.
  • Season to taste with salt, pepper, and white onion powder.
    Seasoning added to a vegetable soup in a Dutch pan.
  • Cook for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. At this point, the lima beans should be soft too.
    Homemade vegetable soup in a Dutch pan with rainbow chard and lima beans.
  • Add the parsley and cook for one more minute.
    Chopped parsley added to a vegetable soup in a Dutch pan.
  • Remove from heat.
    Homemade vegetable soup in a Dutch pan with rainbow chard and lima beans.
  • Serve with Parmesan cheese and your favorite bread on the side (optional).
    A tomato based vegetable soup with potatoes served in a wooden bowls, topped with grated Parmesan cheese and served with pieces of bread on the side.

Notes

For extra seasoning, add a teaspoon of dried oregano, Basil, or dried Italian seasoning; a teaspoon of garlic powder.
Garnish: I like to garnish each bowl with grated Parmesan cheese, but feel free to use extra fresh chopped Parsley or Basil leaves. Stir in a few pinches of vegetable broth seasoning for a creamier touch and to keep it vegan-friendly.
Storage & meal prep:
  • Store cooled leftover vegetable soup in an airtight container. It lasts at least up to 4 days in the fridge.
  • You can freeze any leftovers the same way for up to a few months.
  • You can reheat it directly on the stove over low heat and use a stainless steel thermos to pack reheated soup for (school) lunch.
Alternative options:
  • Use a shallot or 4 cloves of garlic, chopped instead of scallions, spring, or green onions.
  • Add carrots or, when in season, zucchini or yellow squash instead of the red bell pepper.
  • You can use green beans instead of baby lima beans.
  • Instead of chard, use other greens like kale or broccoli (you can make the soup more filling by adding up to 350 grams of broccoli florets).
  • If you don't have any tomato paste, replace it with 455 grams of Campari tomatoes, quartered. Saute them for five minutes with the onions before adding any liquid. Or stir in leftover tomato sauce.
  • Don't have vegetable broth on hand, then use water only and add 2 to 3 vegetable bouillon cubes. Bouillons tend to be saltier than store-bought broth, so taste test before adding more salt. But consider adding more seasonings like black pepper or the dried herbs mentioned above to get a fuller flavor.
  • Chicken broth is another great option.
  • Add more vegetables than suggested in this recipe.
Instant pot instructions:
  • Cut the vegetables and set them aside.
  • Set the instant pot on SAUTE mode and press START.
  • Add the olive oil when the pot is hot.
  • Add the onions or garlic, potatoes, bell pepper, and chopped Parsley, and season with a few pinches of salt, black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of onion powder.
  • Cook and stir for 5 minutes until veggies have softened a bit—make sure that onions don't burn.
  • Add the vegetable broth, water, tomato paste, and lima beans. Give it a good stir, and add any additional seasoning at this point, if preferred.
  • Lock the lid in place and close the steam vent.
  • Press the SOUP/BROTH button and choose High pressure/Less (with the KEEP WARM button off), and cook for the default time of 20 minutes.
  • When the timer beeps, quickly release all pressure.
  • Carefully remove the lid and stir in the chard to combine.
  • Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning, if preferred.
  • Return the lid and let the kale sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.
  • Serve hot with extra fresh Parsley or Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition

Calories: 246kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 349mg | Potassium: 1219mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 4481IU | Vitamin C: 84mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 4mg