Food & Cooking Recipes Soups, Stews & Stocks Soup Recipes Hearty Winter-Vegetable Soup 4.1 (168) Chilly winter days call for this rustic, filling soup. Close Credit: Brie Goldman Prep Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 35 mins Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Servings: 12 Jump to recipe This hearty vegetable soup recipe is chock-full of winter vegetables like butternut squash, potatoes, escarole, and carrots. Chickpeas make it even more filling power while leeks and garlic add a savory backbone. It's an incredibly simple recipe that results in a flavorful, satisfying meal that will warm you up without weighing you down. Feel free to switch up the vegetables depending on what you have at home or the produce you prefer: sweet potatoes, parsnips, turnips, or other greens like chard or kale would all be excellent additions. Just don't skip the fresh lemon juice and herbs at the very end; they lend delicious acidity and brightness to the soup that you don't want to miss. 22 Winter Soups That Will Keep You Cozy All Season Key Ingredients for Hearty Winter-Vegetable Soup Leeks: Mild flavored leeks take the place of the more typical onions for this vegetable soup recipe. Since leeks grow mostly underground, it's essential to wash them thoroughly before cooking. To do so, trim off the dark green leaves (rinse and freeze them for a future chicken or vegetable stock), then slice off the roots. Halve leeks lengthwise, cut into one inch pieces, and rinse very well using a colander. You can also swish them around in a bowl of water to remove any dirt before lifting them out and draining. Butternut squash: This recipe calls for a one-pound butternut squash, but you may only be able to find larger squashes at your market. If that's the case, plan to add three to four cups of peeled and cut squash to the pot. Potatoes: We prefer a waxy potato like Yukon gold for soups like this. They hold their shape much better than starchier potatoes like russets and won't become overly mushy as they cook. If you can't find Yukon golds, use red-skinned potatoes. Escarole: A member of the chicory family, mildly bitter escarole is a soup superstar. As it wilts, it becomes wonderfully tender while still maintaining some structure (unlike baby spinach, which can practically disappear in soups if simmered too long). If you can't find escarole, try swapping in chopped kale or Swiss chard instead. Chickpeas: A can of chickpeas adds filling fiber and protein to this recipe, but you can use another bean like Great Northern, cannellini, or navy instead. Prefer to skip the beans? Feel free to leave them out; the soup will still be plenty hearty without them. To increase the protein quotient and bulk up the soup even further, try stirring in some shredded rotisserie chicken or sliced or crumbled chicken or pork sausage. How to Make This Winter-Vegetable Soup Ahead This soup is an excellent recipe to make ahead of time and reheat for a future meal. We recommend waiting to add the lemon juice and herbs until you plan to serve it to ensure their flavors shine through and to keep the mint from turning brown. Let soup cool to room temperature, then divide among airtight containers and either refrigerate for up to four days or freeze for up to three months. Directions Credit: Brie Goldman Cook vegetables and red pepper flakes: Heat oil in a 6-8 quart Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Cook leeks, celery, carrots, garlic, red-pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon salt, stirring occasionally, until leeks are translucent, about 5 minutes. Credit: Brie Goldman Add stock and water: Add stock and 1 1/2 cups water, and bring to a boil. Credit: Brie Goldman Add squash and potatoes: Add butternut squash and potatoes. Return to a boil. Credit: Brie Goldman Reduce heat and simmer: Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Credit: Brie Goldman Add escarole and chickpeas and heat; add lemon juice and herbs for serving: Stir in escarole and chickpeas, and return to a boil. Stir in lemon juice and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Credit: Brie Goldman How to Store Leftover Vegetable Soup Leftover soup can be refrigerated for up to four days or frozen for up to three months. Let soup cool to room temperature before packing it up and storing. Thaw frozen soup overnight in the refrigerator. To reheat, bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat on the stovetop or microwave until hot throughout, about three minutes. What to Serve With Our Winter-Vegetable Soup We love pairing this substantial soup with tender, golden popovers, which are easier to make than you might think. It would also be delicious with dinner rolls (try this no-knead recipe) or some crusty bread. If you're looking for a salad to serve alongside it, try this hearty Tuscan kale recipe or our kale salad with apples. And if you'd like to serve this soup as a precursor to a meatier meal, check out our recipes for breaded chicken cutlets, our perfect roast chicken, or this couldn't-be-simpler roast salmon with butter. More Vegetable Soup Recipes to Try: Everyday Vegetable Soup Vegetable-Bean Soup Customizable Vegetable Soup Martha's Greenhouse Vegetable Soup Lentil-Vegetable Soup Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.