Zero-Waste Vegetable Soup

By AislePrompt Test Kitchen · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-02 · Updated 2026-04-02

A hearty, comforting soup made from a variety of vegetables including peels and tops to minimize waste while maximizing flavor in every spoonful. This mediterranean-inspired soups (vegetarian) ready in about 50 minutes pairs carrot, stalks celery, onion for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 180 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 2 carrot
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 medium potato
• 1 zucchini
• 1 tomato
• 2 cups kale
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp salt
• a pinch black pepper

Instructions

1. Step 1: Wash all vegetables. Finely chop onion, mince garlic, and dice carrots, celery, potato, and zucchini (include peels for extra nutrients). Roughly chop tomato and kale.
2. Step 2: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent (3 minutes), then add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Step 3: Add carrots, celery, potato, and zucchini to the pot. Stir and cook for 2 minutes to release flavors, then add tomato and kale.
4. Step 4: Pour in vegetable broth, bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 25 minutes until vegetables are very tender and flavors meld.
5. Step 5: Stir in dried thyme, salt, and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. Soup should be thick enough to coat a spoon but still broth-like.