Do you remember eating those (what seemed so delicious at the time), canned vegetable soups? They were perfect for a quick and easy meal, but unfortunately lacked in nutrition and flavour due to the pasturisation process.
However, we still loved them and they are loved by many to this day, but how about making your own? This way you can be sure exactly what goes into your homemade soup for better results.
This Heinz copycat vegetable soup is nourishing and healthy and best of all, FRESHER and tastier, than canned versions by a country mile. Oh yes, the freshness of making your own soup is well worth the effort required!
Is Fresh Soup Better Than Canned?
The answer to this is a resounding YES, and here’s the reasons why:-
- Fresh soups, homemade from scratch means you can control ALL ingredients and ensure no chemicals, stabilisers or other nasties are in there to lower nutritional value.
- Making you own soup is always better because the flavour from your herbs and spices will be fresh and tantilising.
- You can easily make your own soups without any added oils, unlike most canned versions. Whole foods plant based soup is super easy and tastes every bit as good as versions with added, unhealthy oils.
- You can control the amount of sodium/salt you add to your homemade soup.
- You can use any vegetables/ingredients that you prefer.
- Homemade soup is usually lower calorie, due to less oils and fats.
- You can batch cook your own soup and eat it for days.
- You can easily freeze your soups (including this fake Heinz vegetable soup) in portions ready for whenever you need them.
Reasons not to use canned soups include:-
- They only come in very small portions and are therefore not cost effective in the long run, especially when you buy branded versions.
- Canned soups are usually very high sodium which is used to add flavour, preserve the soup, and make them palatable. However, too much salt, especially the cheap kind, is very unhealthy and can cause problems in the body. Therefore, making your own food at home gives you much more control.
- Canned soup does not have the same nutrition as fresh, homemade soups like this copycat Heinz version. The pasturisation process that canned goods go through destroys many key nutrients.
- Anything canned usually contains BPA in the lining of the can. This is a potential endocrine disrupter that can cause problems in the body.
What To Serve With Vegetable Soup
This soup contains potatoes, which makes it super filling and hearty and peas make it higher protein to fill you up and leave you satisfied. Therefore, you can eat this Heinz copycat vegetable soup on its own if you wish and be having a complete meal from it.
But, most people do love a hunk of crusty bread and butter with their soup, and why not? Adding some kind of bread will make your soup go further, plus it just tastes great dipped in the soup juices.
When To Eat This Veggie Soup
You can eat this soup any time you please, of course. However, it is light enough to be a lunch if you stick to a small bowl. Or heavy enough to be dinner if you have a large bowl with a nice piece of crusty bread and butter.
Another good use for this soup is to heat it and add it to your flask, making it portable for your workplace lunch. Good quality flasks can keep food warm for up to 12 hours, especially if you pre-heat the flask with boiling water first.
This soup could also make the perfect camping food. Store in an air-tight container in a cool bag and reheat over the fire or on your camp stove. It’s sure to warm the cockles on a chilly night!
Can I Use Other Veggies In This Soup?
We have used potatoes, green peas, onions, parsnips, carrots, cabbage, veggie stock, tomato paste, mixed herbs, fresh rosemary and fresh garlic. This is a classic veggie combo that is similar to the Heinz version, albeit much healthier.
Alternatives to the green peas could be red or green lentils, kidney beans, chickpeas or other legumes. It’s always good to add a protein element to make the soup a complete meal and much more filling.
You could also experiment with other veggies such a butternut squash, sweet potatoes, celery, Swiss chard (or other greens), swede, celeriac or any root veggies of choice.
Copycat, Heinz Vegetable Soup Recipe (Tastier Than Canned!!)
Equipment
- Chopping board
- 1 Large saucepan
- Chopping knife
Ingredients
- 4 medium sized white potatoes. The size of a balled fist is a good guideline for a portion. Chopped into roughly half inch squares.
- 3 medium sized carrots Chopped into roughly half inch squares.
- 2 cups green peas Frozen peas are perfect.
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 large parsnip Chopped into roughly half inch squares.
- ½ medium swede Chopped into roughly half inch squares.
- Half head cabbage of choice Optional
- Enough veggie stock to fully cover vegetables
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 5 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 heaped tbsp mixed herbs
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary
- Cracked black pepper
Instructions
- In a large saucepan that you can also fry in, add your chopped onions and garlic and fry until caramelised. You do not need oil in this process, instead keep adding splashes of hot water so things don't stick too much. Add your potatoes about 5 minutes in to get them started on cooking. This process will take around 10-15 minutes on high heat.
- Now add your other veggies to the pan (except cabbage), along with your spices. Fry for a further few minutes.
- Add your fluids and tomato paste and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer on low heat for around 25 minutes (or until all veggies are tender, especially potatoes). Stir occasionally to check for sticking. Add your chopped cabbage if using around 5 minutes before end of cook time as you don't want it to go too soggy.Add more stock if you need to. Usually adding enough to cover your veggies is a good amount. Your potatoes should have slightly broken down at the sides, which is usually enough to thicken your soup. If they haven't done this, and you're not happy with the texture, feel free to add some cornflour to thicken. If using cornflour you must first mix with a little cold water to a paste before adding to your soup, otherwise it will end up a lumpy mess.
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