I love a tasty bowl of soup, especially during cold weather, and January being National Soup Month couldn’t be more fitting!

Here in the Mississippi, a winter freeze is expected this weekend, and there’s nothing better than keeping warm with a good bowl of soup. Not only is soup comforting, but it’s also an easy way to pack in vegetables, lean protein, and flavor.

Here’s a quick, flavorful soup recipe featuring winter vegetables.

Winter Vegetable Soup

Servings: 4
Serving Size: About 1½ cups

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium carrots, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1 (14.5 oz) can low-sodium diced tomatoes

4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth

1 (15 oz) can white beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup fresh chopped kale or spinach or ¾ cup frozen kale or spinach

½ teaspoon dried thyme

Salt and Black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and carrots; sauté for 4–5 minutes until softened.
2. Stir in celery and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
3. Add diced tomatoes, broth, white beans, thyme, black pepper, and salt (if using). Bring to a gentle boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
5. Stir in fresh greens (or frozen greens straight from the freezer) and cook for 2–3 minutes, until wilted and heated through.
6. Serve soup warm with whole-grain crackers or a slice of crusty bread.

As Julian Childs would say, “Bon Appétit!”

Enjoy your soup!