Mediterranean Vegetable Soup (Printable)
A vibrant vegetable soup with Mediterranean herbs, olive oil, and white beans—ready in 45 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 large onion, diced
03 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 2 carrots, sliced
05 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
06 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
07 - 1 zucchini, diced
08 - 1 medium eggplant, diced
09 - 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
→ Broth & Beans
10 - 5 cups vegetable broth
11 - 1 can (14 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
→ Herbs & Seasoning
12 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
13 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - Salt and pepper, to taste
→ Garnish
16 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
17 - Lemon wedges, for serving
# How-to Steps:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic, sautéing for 2 minutes until fragrant and translucent.
02 - Add the sliced carrots, celery, diced bell pepper, zucchini, and eggplant to the pot. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
03 - Stir in the diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, cannellini beans, dried oregano, dried thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper until well combined.
04 - Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes until all vegetables are fork-tender.
05 - Remove and discard the bay leaf. Taste the broth and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
06 - Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and serve each portion with a lemon wedge on the side.
# Expert Pointers:
01 -
- It tastes like something you would eat at a seaside cafe with sandy feet and nowhere to be.
- Every vegetable pulls its weight, and the broth develops a richness that feels almost magical for something so simple.
02 -
- Under salted broth is the number one reason this soup falls flat, so taste and retaste before you serve.
- Eggplant acts like a sponge, so if your pot looks dry while sauteing, add another splash of olive oil rather than water.
03 -
- Dried herbs need time to rehydrate, so add them with the liquid rather than at the end for full flavor impact.
- A Parmesan rind tossed into the simmering broth and removed before serving adds an umami depth that no one can identify but everyone notices.