Description
This Best Winter Vegetable Soup is a hearty, nourishing blend of roasted squash, yellow split peas, fresh vegetables, and aromatic herbs. Perfect for cold days, it combines the sweetness of roasted kabocha or butternut squash with savory tomato paste and earthy mushrooms to create a comforting and flavorful vegetable soup that serves 12.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Squash:
- 1½ pound cubed kabocha or butternut squash
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
For the Rest of the Soup:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 tablespoons tomato paste (3 oz, or 1/2 a can)
- 1 large onion (about 8 oz/225g), diced
- 10 cups water
- ½ cup yellow split peas (rinsed and drained)
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 8 ounces button or cremini mushrooms, diced
- 1 pound cabbage, roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 6 dried bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Roast the Squash: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). On a parchment-lined sheet pan, toss the cubed squash with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper. Spread evenly and roast for 30 minutes until tender and caramelized.
- Sauté Onion and Tomato Paste: While the squash roasts, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion and tomato paste, cooking for several minutes until the onion becomes translucent and fragrant, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- Add Soup Ingredients: To the pot, add 10 cups of water, rinsed yellow split peas, diced carrots, mushrooms, roughly chopped cabbage, dried oregano, dried thyme, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper, along with the roasted squash from the oven.
- Cook the Soup: Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium, cover the pot, and let simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on your desired tenderness of the vegetables and peas.
- Serve: Remove bay leaves before serving. Ladle the soup hot into bowls and enjoy as a comforting winter meal.
Notes
- Roasting the squash caramelizes it, adding depth of flavor to the soup.
- Yellow split peas add protein and help thicken the soup naturally.
- Adjust salt to taste towards the end of cooking to avoid oversalting.
- This soup reheats well and flavors deepen over time, making it great for leftovers.
- For a vegan option, ensure tomato paste contains no animal ingredients.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 140 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
