Recipe: March Vegetable Soup
March celebrates the return of Spring, and the beginning of Washington’s long growing season. March is also National Nutrition Month and Governor Ferguson just named it Washington Agriculture month. Agriculture contributes10-13% of the state’s GDP, and over 300 food crops are grown here.
In March, farmers harvest a variety of vegetables for the markets:
Brussel sprouts
Sturdy greens like kale and rapini
Root vegetables like beets, parsnips, potatoes, rutabaga, sweet potatoes, and turnips
Winter squash
Onions and leeks
Mushrooms
Dry beans – all varieties
Different combinations of these vegetables make delicious, filling, and nourishing soups and stews for early Spring lunches and dinners. Try this simple vegetable soup recipe, and make it your own, using your favorite veggies.
Dry beans – all varieties
March Vegetable Soup:
6-8 servings
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, preferably olive oil
- 1 onion, peeled and diced, ½” or 2 leeks, white section, ½” slices
- 2 parsnips or carrots – peeled and diced, ½”
- 2 stalks celery – ½” slices
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup mushrooms – ½” slices (optional)
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 2 cups potatoes or sweet potatoes, or a combination
- 1 rutabaga (optional) – peeled and diced, ½”
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 -8 cups water or broth (use 8 cups if you prefer a brothy consistency)
- 2 cups Brussel sprouts (trimmed, halved or quartered depending on size) or kale leaves – ½” slices
- 1 cup cooked beans (optional)
- ½ lemon (optional)
Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (preferably olive oil) in Dutch oven or soup pot.
Add diced onion, carrot and celery, sauté on medium high heat until soft, about 10 minutes.
Add garlic and sauté for one more minute or just until fragrant and not browned.
Sprinkle dried herbs over the vegetables and mix in well to coat them.
Sauté mushroom slices until soft and they have released moisture, 8-10 minutes.
Add diced root vegetables.
Season with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper
Pour in 6 cups water or broth to cover the vegetables. Cover and simmer on medium low for about 25-30 minutes until root vegetables are tender.
Add green vegetables and optional cooked beans, and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasonings. Squeeze a tablespoon of lemon juice over the soup to brighten the flavor.
For a hardier soup, add cooked pasta or rice and simmer for a few minutes to warm the grains and meld the flavors.
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.