Everyday cooking
Mixed vegetable soup with peas
Carrots, potatoes, green beans and peas simmer in a light tomato broth.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Servings / pieces
- 4
- Topic
- Everyday cooking
A chunky vegetable soup cooks more evenly when ingredients enter the pan according to their cooking needs. Potatoes and carrots begin first, while tender peas join later. One tomato adds colour and freshness without turning the broth into a thick tomato soup. All the vegetables remain recognisable in this unblended recipe. The quantities make four bowls for a light meal with bread. When using leftover vegetables, pay particular attention to their size: consistent small pieces cook more reliably than a mixture of tiny scraps and very large chunks. Taste the firmest pieces before finishing the seasoning.
Method
Step by step
- 01
Cut vegetables
Peel carrots and potatoes and cut into roughly 1 cm pieces. Trim beans and cut into 3 cm lengths. Dice celery, tomato and onion.
- 02
Soften the base
Warm the oil over medium heat. Soften onion, carrot and celery for 4 minutes. Add potatoes and tomato, turn once and pour in the stock.
- 03
Cook beans thoroughly
Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 5 minutes. Add the beans and cook for another 10–12 minutes, uncovered or with the lid ajar. Green beans must be thoroughly cooked.
- 04
Add peas
Stir in peas and continue cooking for 3–4 minutes. Taste the potatoes and carrots; they should be tender without falling apart. Simmer a little longer if needed.
- 05
Season broth
Chop and add the parsley. Adjust salt and pepper. Reduce uncovered briefly for a stronger broth, or balance an overly concentrated soup with a little hot water.
Times are a guide. Your hob, oven and ingredients affect the result; use the cooking cues as well as the clock.
Cook green beans sufficiently
Fresh green beans cook for at least 10–12 minutes in this recipe. Thick beans may require longer. They should be tender rather than raw and crunchy. Follow packet guidance for frozen beans. Peas cook much faster, which is why they are added later.
Swap vegetables by cooking time
Courgette cubes suit a later addition, while kohlrabi enters earlier. Finely sliced white cabbage can soften with the carrots. Avoid boiling every vegetable for the same long period or the delicate ones lose their texture. Cook extra noodles separately so they do not absorb the entire broth.
Kitchen questions
One more question?
Can I use frozen soup vegetables?
Yes, use roughly 850 g in total. Follow the packet timing and add larger potato pieces separately if wanted. The mixture will change the flavour.
How can I keep the broth clearer?
Simmer gently, stir sparingly and avoid floury potatoes. The tomato will still tint the broth slightly red, which is intended here.
