Caramelized Onion-Vegetable Base Soup

Chill or freeze this soup base and then pick one of our two delicious variations to give your meal a twist.

Caramelized Onion-Vegetable Base Soup
Photo: Jacob Fox
Prep Time:
45 mins
Total Time:
45 mins
Servings:
8
Yield:
12 cups (two 6-cup batches)

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil

  • 3 cup halved and sliced onions

  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

  • 6 cup vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth

  • 1 pound carrots, sliced 1/2 inch thick

  • 12 ounce fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 2 medium red sweet peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained

  • 3 tablespoon basil pesto

  • 1 ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

  • 2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed

  • ¾ teaspoon salt

  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

Directions

  1. In a 6- to 8-qt. Dutch oven heat oil over medium-low. Add onions and garlic. Cook 12 to 15 minutes or until tender and golden, stirring occasionally. Stir in broth, carrots, beans, and sweet peppers. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining ingredients.

  2. Fill a sink half-full with ice water. Set pan in ice water and stir to cool. Divide soup between two large freezer containers. Label and freeze up to 3 months.

  3. To serve, thaw soup in refrigerator overnight. Transfer to a large Dutch oven; heat through over medium, stirring occasionally.

Pesto- Mozzarella Vegetable Soup

Prepare and freeze Caramelized Onion Big Batch Vegetable Soup as directed. Thaw one portion of soup in refrigerator overnight. Transfer to a 4- to 5-qt. Dutch oven. Heat through over medium, stirring occasionally. Preheat broiler. Arrange 4 to 6 1-inch slices Italian bread on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil 4 inches from heat 1 minute or until toasted; turn bread. Spread each slice with 1 tsp. basil pesto and sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. shredded mozzerella cheese. Broil 1 minute more or until bread is toasted and cheese is melted. Serve soup with toasts. Makes 4 to 6 servings.Nutrition analysis per serving: 276 calories, 9 g protein, 37 g carbohydrate, 11g total fat (2 g sat. fat), 8 mg cholesterol, 6 g fiber, 12 g total sugar, 189% Vitamin A, 57% Vitamin C, 1205 mg sodium, 15% calcium, 14% iron

Vegetable-Farro Soup

Prepare and freeze Caramelized Onion Big Batch Vegetable Soup as directed. Thaw one portion of soup in refrigerator overnight. Transfer to a 4- to 5-qt. Dutch oven. Heat through over medium, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cooked farro; heat through. Top servings with chopped fresh mint or Italian parsley. Makes 4 to 6 servings.Nutrition analysis per serving: 217 calories, 5 g protein, 37 g carbohydrate, 6 g total fat (1 g sat. fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 6 g fiber, 10 g total sugar, 186% Vitamin A, 58% Vitamin C, 926 mg sodium, 8% calcium, 13% iron

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

142 Calories
6g Fat
20g Carbs
3g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8
Calories 142
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 6g 8%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Sodium 918mg 40%
Total Carbohydrate 20g 7%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 51.7mg 259%
Calcium 91mg 7%
Iron 1.5mg 8%
Potassium 455mg 10%
Folate, total 44.1mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.3mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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