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Hearty Vegetable Soup with Couscous

We use a rainbow of heart heathy veggies and a boost of protein using white beans and couscous. Hearty Vegetable Soup with Couscous is delicious and satisfying. A truly filling and warming meal.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 5 servings
Calories 459 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the couscous:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3/4 cup Israeli couscous
  • 3 cups water, chicken, or vegetable stock

Remaining ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup onion, chopped
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced thin
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 cup fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in 2-inch pieces
  • 1 1/2 cups cauliflower, cut in small florets
  • 1 small zucchini, cut in half moon slices
  • 2 cups chopped green cabbage
  • 1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes
  • 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 (15 oz) can northern white beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 cups chopped kale or baby spinach
  • grated parmesan cheese for topping optional

Seasonings:

  • 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • pinch red pepper flakes optional

Instructions
 

Cook couscous

  • Heat a small pot over medium heat and add olive oil and couscous. Sauté 5-minutes or until golden brown in spots. Add liquid and bring to a simmer. Cook 7-9 minutes or until couscous is tender. Drain excess liquid and set aside until ready to use.

Prepare the soup

  • In a large pot or Dutch oven add olive oil, chopped onion, and sliced carrots. Sauté for 5-minutes over medium heat.
  • Add chopped celery, minced garlic, fresh cut green beans, and cauliflower florets. Cook another 5-minutes.
  • Stir in sliced zucchini, chopped cabbage, seasonings, crushed tomatoes, white beans, chicken or vegetable stock, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and cook 15-minutes stirring occasionally.
  • Once veggies are tender, add chopped kale or spinach, and cooked couscous. Cook another 2-3 minutes just until kale or spinach is wilted.
  • Serve with grated parmesan cheese if desired and enjoy!

Notes

Tips:
    • Prep ingredients and couscous before you begin cooking. Vegetable Soup comes together really quickly once the cooking process begins. It's helpful to have all the veggies chopped and ready to go, along with the cooked couscous.
    • Use Chicken or Vegetable stock instead of water when cooking the couscous. This will infuse flavor into the couscous making the soup that much better.
    • Other veggies you might like. Just about any kind of veggie can be used in vegetable soup. Use what you love or have on hand. Here are additional veggies that can be used.
    • Asparagus
    • Mushrooms
    • Broccoli
    • Parsnips
    • Sweet potatoes
    • Bell peppers
    • Winter squash
    • Add meat for extra protein and flavor. This soup is great with diced ham, shredded chicken, or ground turkey.
    • Storing and freezing. Place cooled soup in a sealed airtight container in the fridge for 5-6 days. When freezing, make sure soup is completely cooled. I like to add single portions to freezer safe containers or jars. Soup will keep in the freezer for up to 6-months or more!
 
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be understood as an estimate rather than a guarantee. The Menu Maid makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
 
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 5
Amount per serving  
Calories 459
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10.1g 13%
Saturated Fat 1.6g 8%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1438mg 63%
Total Carbohydrate 73.3g 27%
Dietary Fiber 16.5g 59%
Total Sugars 11g  
Protein 22.5g  
Vitamin D 0mcg 0%
Calcium 257mg 20%
Iron 9mg 47%
Potassium 1482mg 32%
Keyword Carrots, cauliflower, Easy dinner recipe, green beans, Hearty vegetable soup, Israeli couscous, Soup recipes, Vegetable soup, White beans, Zucchini