Garden Vegetable Soup – Preparing and Canning
This is the best vegetable soup recipe you’ll ever try!
My granny made the best soup around. I’ve never tasted any better. I get pretty close with my recipe. You may be tempted to leave the okra out, but it makes this vegetable soup recipe sing. The okra thickens the soup and brings all the flavors together.
Using fresh vegetables makes all the difference in the world in the flavor. As a bonus, you’ll want to serve this soup with Fried Cornbread. It’s truly amazing. Beware…you’ll need to make a triple batch. The minute you make it, it disappears. It’s just that good!
Below is a close variation on my Granny’s time-tested vegetable soup recipe. I make it with tomatoes fresh from my garden or canned from the last harvest, but grocery-store tomatoes will work just fine, too.
You can used canned peeled and crushed tomatoes, and of course, you can omit the dashes of hot sauce if spiciness doesn’t agree with you.
Feel free to improvise and adjust this recipe to your family’s taste and what you have on hand, as my Granny often did. Her soup was never exactly the same, but it was always delicious.
For more garden-fresh recipes, check out my book Stacy Lyn’s Harvest Cookbook: Cook Fresh Food Every Day of the Year. From Fried Green Tomatoes to Duck Meatballs and Cinnamon Pear Buns, you’ll find time-tested southern recipes plus my best advice on keeping bees, raising chickens, and so much more. Read what people are saying about Harvest HERE.
Granny's Garden Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 2 pounds okra sliced 1/4 inch thick rounds
- 8-10 tomatoes peeled and crushed
- 3/4 cup butter beans
- 4 ears corn (1 cup) cut off the cob
- 1 tablespoon basil chopped
- 1 tablespoon thyme chopped
- 3 dashes hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 lemon
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add celery, onions, and garlic and heat for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add okra, tomatoes, beans, corn, basil, thyme, hot sauce, salt, and pepper to the pot. Squeeze the lemon over soup. Add enough water to just cover the soup.
- Bring mixture to a boil, and then reduce to simmer. Cover and let simmer for 1 hour.
- Serve immediately with jalapeño cornbread (page 56 of Harvest Cookbook) or use pressure canner method of canning to can this recipe.
This soup really looks good. How can I get the recipe?
Thanks
It is the greatest soup. When I make it and eat it, it evokes so many great memories. My kids love it too. I am working on my next cookbook right now and the soup recipe is in it. As soon as it is released I will let you know.
Yum! That is what I love! Gardening, cooking, canning, fishing! Haven’t done the chickens or hunting yet but it is on my bucket list! Great show and video and look forward to many more!
Thanks so much. If there is ever anything that you would like me to do a video or blog on, please let me know. THanks again for commenting!
Looks delicious!
I just sent out your book! Thank you! I love this recipe too!! I hope it becomes a favorite in your home!
May I substitute broth for water? Can’t wait to try canning this soup!
Hi Karen! Yes, you can substitute broth for water. It will work just fine if canned properly. It will taste great.
Do you put sweet corn in your vegetables soup.
I do Hope!! It’s so so good in it.
Hi Stacy Lyn, my friend,
This soup sounds great, as does the Potato Salad recipe that led me to this pageCan’t beat Granny’s cooking with a great big stick! katie
Hey Katie!!! So good to hear from you. Granny’s cooking is always best. I totally agree! Hope you are great.
Can I sub celery seed for celery?
Sure, you can add celery. The celery see would give it a little different taste, but I think it will be good.