Is there anything more wholesome than the humble vegetable soup? Transport your taste buds to the cozy heart of Ireland with our Irish Country Vegetable Soup. A warm embrace of wholesome goodness, this hearty soup is a celebration of vibrant, locally sourced vegetables simmered to perfection. Imagine the rich aroma of carrots, potatoes, leeks, and hearty greens mingling with aromatic herbs, creating a symphony of flavors that comfort and nourish. Whether you’re chasing away the chill or simply savoring a taste of Irish homeliness, each spoonful is a journey through a garden-fresh haven. Embrace the warmth, tradition, and simplicity of this soup, and let every bite tell a story of comfort and culinary charm.
Irish Country Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 1 can Red kidney beans – strained (or your favorite canned bean)
- 1 White onion – diced (about 1 cup)
- 3 Carrots – diced small
- 1 Turnip – diced small (or celery root or rutabaga)
- 3 Celery stalks – diced small
- 8 Mushrooms – diced small
- 8 cloves Garlic – minced
- 1/2 cup Olive oil
- ½ cup Irish Country Ketchup (or your favorite ketchup)
- 2 Bay leaf (dried)
- 2 Sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 Potato – diced small
- 1 Eggplant – diced small
- 1 Zucchini – diced small
- 2 cups Penne pasta
- 3 quarts Water
- ½ cups Butter
- 2 cups pinach – coarsely chopped
- 1 cup Parsley – chopped
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 tsp Dried chili
- 1 cup Peas (frozen is fine)
Instructions
- Strain your beans.
- Mince the garlic cloves and dice the veg into small-dice. You want the pieces to be small enough to fit onto a spoon of soup. Set the potato, eggplant & zucchini aside to be added later.
- In a large pot heat olive oil to low, add onion and sauté until translucent for 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic, celery, turnip, carrot, bay leaves, thyme, dried chili, and stir.
- Remove from the heat, stir in Irish Country Ketchup and mushrooms.
- Add beans, penne, potato, zucchini, eggplant, water and stir.
- Bring to the boil, then lower heat to a steady simmer until the pasta is al dente.
- This should be about 15 minutes depending on the pasta you use. There is still one more step, which requires about 5-10 minutes cooking, so make sure not to over cook the pasta. The pasta is going to absorb some of the water and release its starches, which help to thicken the soup. We used penne but you can use any pasta you have; any small bite size pasta works.
- While this is simmering chop the spinach and parsley.
- Add in spinach, parsley, salt, butter and peas. Simmer for a further 5-10 minutes.
- Return to a low heat then simmer for five minutes.
- Garnish with reserved celery leaves and a drizzle of fine olive oil serve with grilled bread and enjoy.