My Favorite Winter Veggie Soup (Detox Soup)

I have been making versions of this soup for almost 6 years now, and it is truly a staple in my diet. My very first Detox soup was a Tuscan Minestrone (click on the pink for my recipe)- a very hearty soup with a more tomato-based broth that included leeks, cannellini beans, tons of garlic and rosemary.  I made that soup every week for almost four years and never tired of it. Version number 2 included fire-roasted tomatoes, no leeks, and the rosemary was replaced with dried thyme. It was delicious! For my next recipe I was craving something lighter; a clearer broth with no beans and a lot more veggies. This most recent adaptation is by far my favorite and the best part is I can throw it together in my Insta Pot and in less than an hour I have an amazing meal that will feed a family of 8 with leftovers, or just little ole me for the next ten days. And thanks to my sweet Mom In Law – there are TWO versions of this wonderfully healthy soup!

I enjoy a bowl of this for lunch most days during the week, and I love it so much I will occasionally have it for dinner too. There are many variations on the theme of the Detox soup, and the key is to add what you like and what makes you happy, use no salt or salt-reduced products, and no oil. I have found that adding Nutritional Yeast to all my soups (this is one of my favorites and I buy this one for the larger size) is a great replacement for grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (much healthier, and if you are on a dairy-free diet it it is perfection). This soup is complemented by a loaf of crusty French bread, and I think it tastes best when dining in front of a raging fire (ok not really, but you get the picture!)

This recipe is specifically for the Insta Pot, but can also be made on your stove top (it just takes longer).

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My Favorite Winter Veggie Soup (Detox Soup)

Ingredients:

1 large onion, diced

1 cup carrots, peeled and diced

1 cup celery, diced, leafy greens included

2 zucchini or yellow squash (or a combination of both), cubed

1/2 tsp of garlic powder or granulated garlic (you can use fresh garlic, but I find it a bit overpowering and prefer using the spice)

1/4 tsp each crushed red pepper flakes (or more, to your liking), dried basil, dried oregano, and a dash of dried Thyme

One 28-ounce can of Whole Peeled Tomatoes, with juices

4-6 cups of small grape tomatoes, cut in half (I like the orange and yellow ones best)

4-6 cups shredded Napa Cabbage

4 – 6 cups Butternut squash, cubed

8-10 cups veggie stock (I use enough to fill my insta pot or if you are cooking on the stove, to completely cover all ingredients)

To Cook:

I cannot express how easy this soup is. You put EVERYTHING in your Insta Pot or large soup pot. For the Insta Pot, I set the pressure to one hour – it can be done in as little as 35 minutes but I prefer the longer cooking time. It is fine to let it warm in the pot after the cooking is finished, and only gets better the longer it warms. For the stove top version, bring the ingredients to a gentle boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1-2 hours.

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My Favorite Winter Veggie Soup (Detox Soup)

Author: Gay Van Beek for Canterbury Cottage Designs

Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion diced
• 1 cup carrots peeled and diced
• 1 cup celery diced, leafy greens included
• 2 zucchini or yellow squash or a combination of both, cubed
• 1/2 tsp of garlic powder or granulated garlic you can use fresh garlic, but I find it a bit overpowering and prefer using the spice
• 1/4 tsp each crushed red pepper flakes or more, to your liking, dried basil, dried oregano, and a dash of dried Thyme
• One 28-ounce can of Whole Peeled Tomatoes with juices
• 4-6 cups of small grape tomatoes, cut in half I like the orange and yellow ones best
• 4-6 cups shredded Napa Cabbage
• 4 - 6 cups Butternut squash cubed
• 8-10 cups veggie stock I use enough to fill my insta pot or if you are cooking on the stove, to completely cover all ingredients

Instructions

1. I cannot express how easy this soup is. You put EVERYTHING in your Insta Pot or large soup pot. For the Insta Pot, I set the pressure to one hour - it can be done in as little as 35 minutes but I prefer the longer cooking time. It is fine to let it warm in the pot after the cooking is finished, and only gets better the longer it warms. For the stove top version, bring the ingredients to a gentle boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1-2 hours.

Recipe Notes

Serve piping hot with warm French bread. Top with a bit of Nutritional Yeast.

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You can serve this soup two ways, and as I mentioned above this was a genius idea from my mom in law. She loves my veggie soup, but does not like the chunks of vegetables (my husband is the same!) So she had a great idea – puree it! You can do this in the blender or use an immersion blender. Either way, this is the perfect soup to get you through the long winter months. I love it both ways, and I know you will too.

Pictured below are both versions:

Serve steaming hot with a crusty loaf of French bread. Now head on over to that raging fire and enjoy.

The Insta Pot can be a bit intimidating to use at first. If you have any questions just let me know as I have used it dozens of times and it’s really much easier than it looks.

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