Vegetable soup is a common
soup prepared using
vegetables and
leaf vegetables as primary ingredients. It dates to
ancient history, and is a mass-produced food product in contemporary times.
Overview
Vegetable soup is prepared using vegetables, leafy greens, mushrooms, and roots as the main ingredients. Some fruits, such as tomato and
squash, are considered vegetables in such a context.[1] Vegetable soup can be prepared as a
stock- or cream-based soup.[2][3] Basic ingredients in addition to vegetables can include beef, fish, beans and legumes, grains, tofu, noodles and pasta, vegetable
broth or stock, milk, cream, water, olive or vegetable oil, seasonings, salt and pepper, among myriad others.[4][5][6][7] Some vegetable soups are
pureed and run through a sieve, straining them to create a smooth texture.[8] It is typically served hot, although some, such as
gazpacho, are typically served cold.[9] Vegetable soup is sometimes served as a starter or appetizer dish.[10]
Vegetable soup dates to
ancient history. A 5th-century Roman cookbook included a recipe for "a forerunner of onion soup."[15]Broth is mentioned by approximately the year 1000 and
potage by the 1400s.[16] Clifford Wright has stated that cabbage soup was important in medieval Italian cuisine.[17]
In central
Appalachia, vegetable soup, also referred to as winter vegetable soup and country soup, is a traditional
staple food and common dish during the months of December–February among Appalachian highlanders.[18]