Hearty Vegetable Tomato Soup

 

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 celery stalks, diced
• 1 potato, diced 
• 1  can diced plum tomatoes, with juice
• 1 big tomato
• vegetable broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Leek
• peas (optional)
• sugar

Instructions

Sauté the aromatics. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften.

Stir in the minced garlic and the tomato (chopped) and cook for another minute until fragrant. Be careful not to let it burn.

Stir in the diced potatoes, the peas, the canned diced tomatoes with their juices, the vegetable broth, bay leaf, and dried oregano.

Simmer. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cover the pot and cook for at least 30 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender. For a heartier flavour, you can let it simmer for an hour or longer.

Adjust and finish. Remove the bay leaf before serving. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper as needed. For extra texture, use the back of a wooden spoon to gently mash some of the tender vegetables against the side of the pot.

Serve. 

Tips for a hearty, chunky texture

Embrace the simmer. The long, slow simmer is what allows the vegetables and tomatoes to break down and create a naturally thick, chunky base without any mashing or blending.

Add starch for thickness. Including a starchy ingredient like potatoes or rice helps thicken the soup as it cooks, creating a richer texture. You can also add chickpeas or cannellini beans for extra substance.

Enhance flavor. For a deeper, more robust flavor, add a tablespoon of tomato paste along with the tomatoes.