Summer’s on the way, and with it comes a bounty of vegetables straight from your garden or the local farmer’s market. Fresh produce makes everything taste better and provides plenty of nutrients in every meal.
Now, the real question is what to do with all those vegetables. A great option for summer meals is plant-based soups. Soup recipes allow you to highlight specific vegetables in a delightful dish or mix vegetables to enhance flavor. Below are some of our favorite plant-based soups to kick off the summer.
Comfort foods are as popular in summer as they are in winter. One of our favorite hearty, comforting recipes is Cumin Carrot Oat Milk Island Soup. It’s a flavorful recipe that combines vegetables and spices with the sweetness of our similarly named Organic Cumin Carrot Oat Milk Vegan Soup.
It includes garden favorites like bell peppers, kidney beans, sweet potato and surprising additions like ackee — a tropical fruit you can find canned or frozen in grocery stores — as well as coconut milk. You can spice it up with cumin, coriander and paprika.
To prepare the soup, sauté peppers in oil. Add beans, sweet potato, garlic and ginger. Mix in the cumin carrot soup and coconut milk with herbs and spices. Simmer until the sweet potatoes are tender. To finish, turn off the heat and stir in ackee and scallions, then serve.
View the full recipe: Cumin Carrot Oat Milk Island Soup
Soup lovers enjoy Italian recipes for their rich flavors and hearty ingredients. This vegan zucchini noodle soup is plant-based and loaded with spiralized zucchini and onion.
Cherry tomatoes harmonize with Pacific Foods Organic Vegetable Broth. This soup is flavored with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and vegan basil pesto.
Start by spiralizing an onion and zucchini and set aside. In a heated pot, sauté onions, tomatoes and seasonings until softened, then press the tomatoes so they release their juices. Add garlic, and when it’s fragrant, pour in the broth and bring it to a boil.
Once the soup is boiling, remove it from the heat and mix in pesto. Adjust seasoning to taste, and stir in zucchini noodles. Top with additional pesto and pine nuts.
View the full recipe: Vegan Zucchini Noodle Soup with Pesto
Yes, it’s possible to go vegan, gluten free and dairy free in one delicious soup. This soup is a nourishing dish made with sautéed onions, ginger and garlic. Carrots, white cannellini beans and Pacific Foods Organic Vegetable Broth create a luscious creamy texture — without the use of dairy.
Sauté onions in olive oil until translucent, then add garlic and ginger. Next, combine carrots, white beans and vegetable broth in the pot. Sprinkle salt and pepper and reduce to a simmer until the carrots are tender. Purée the mixture using a blender. Serve garnished with toasted cashews and cilantro, which provide a visual contrast against this stunning orange soup.
View the full recipe: Creamy Carrot and White Bean Soup
If you’re a fan of traditional Vietnamese pho, try it with spiralized zucchini noodles. This soup offers a unique plant-based twist while keeping the depth of flavor pho is known for.
The base of this flavorful vegan-friendly soup is Pacific Foods Organic Mushroom Broth. The broth gains complexity with the addition of sautéed lemongrass, sesame oil, hoisin sauce, garlic and ginger. It’s finished with spiralized zucchini noodles, sautéed mushrooms, peppers, fresh basil and cilantro to enhance its fresh, vibrant taste.
To make this dish, sauté the hoisin sauce, sesame oil, lemongrass, garlic and ginger in a large pot. Add mushroom broth and lime juice. After simmering, strain it and keep the liquid. In a separate pan, sauté mushrooms and peppers. Combine with the strained broth and zucchini noodles, simmering briefly.
View the full recipe: Pho Zucchini Noodle Soup
Another satisfying summer plant-based recipe is red lentil curry soup. It combines rich spices and nourishing ingredients.
This flavorful ensemble includes onions, garlic, ginger, curry powder, sweet potatoes, diced tomatoes, lentils and Pacific Foods Low Sodium Organic Vegetable Broth. Its savory base is complemented by the bright, creamy additions of coconut milk, lime juice and cilantro.
If you want something a little faster to prepare, there are canned, ready-to-serve options, such as our Organic Vegetable Lentil Soup.
If you prefer the homemade version, start by sautéing onions, garlic, ginger and curry powder until the onions soften. Add sweet potatoes and lentils, along with tomatoes and broth, and simmer until the lentils and sweet potatoes are tender. Stir in coconut milk, lime juice and cilantro, then garnish with more cilantro before serving.
View the full recipe: Red Lentil Curry Soup
Try a wholesome, wheat-free variation on a classic hearty dish with our version of minestrone soup. It features gluten-free elbow pasta, kidney beans and a variety of vegetables, seasoned with Italian spices.
Everything is simmered in the rich Pacific Foods Organic Vegetable Broth. You can garnish it with fresh basil and optional parmesan cheese to make it even more satisfying. Make it a bit heartier by adding any additional vegetables you have on hand.
To prepare this soup, cook and drain the gluten-free pasta while sautéing carrots, celery, onion and garlic in oil until tender-crisp. Stir in tomato paste and spices.
Add the vegetable broth, kidney beans and green beans, bringing the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer until the vegetables are tender. Mix in the pasta, season to taste and serve topped with fresh basil and optional parmesan cheese. You can also swap out the parmesan with nutritional yeast to keep this recipe fully plant based.
View the full recipe: Gluten-Free Minestrone Soup
This soup may seem more like a winter comfort food, but it’s just as big of a hit in the summer. It brings together the robust flavors of roasted vegetables with the savory taste of Pacific Foods Low Sodium Organic Vegetable Broth.
The recipe features roasted sweet potatoes and fennel. It’s combined in a soup pot with sautéed onions and cabbage, all simmered in the low-sodium vegetable broth. Fresh thyme and a bay leaf add depth of flavor. The soup is served hot, garnished with fresh herbs.
Preheat your oven and prepare the vegetables while it’s heating. Peel and cube the sweet potatoes and slice the fennel. Flavor the sweet potatoes with salt and pepper and olive oil, then roast them in the oven. While they’re roasting, sauté onions and cabbage in a soup pot until they’re soft.
Combine roasted veggies with the onion-cabbage mixture. Add the broth, then season with a bay leaf and thyme. Simmer until the flavors meld. Remove the herb stems before serving.
View the full recipe: Roasted Vegetable Soup with Cabbage
You don’t have to save your soup recipes for cold weather. Summer is a great time to try out plant-based soups, which are easy to make and simple to serve. Pacific Foods can help you discover new dishes with our summer recipes. Explore our broths and stocks online or find them at your nearest grocery store.