Easy Vegan French Peasant Soup Recipe
When asked about eating a plant-forward diet, I tell people I eat like a queen. But when cooking meals that are hearty, healthy, and cost-effective, I’m really eating like a peasant. And everyone will love this French Peasant Soup recipe, no matter what your Royal status is!
I First Tried Peasant Soup in France
The recipe I’m sharing with you today reminds me of the French peasant soup I ate in Southern France.
In the early 1980s, I was on a group tour of Spain and France. After a harrowing bus ride through the Pyrenees Mountains, we stopped for lunch at the French border.
Our group was large, so we were seated in a room with a couple of long, wood tables and benches. The waitresses immediately brought out large carafes of rich burgundy wine and steaming loaves of coarse bread.
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Next, they brought out huge bowls of steaming vegetable stew, which our tour guide said was peasant soup. It was absolutely divine. In fact, of all the meals I ate during my trip, this soup is the one I remember the most.
What is Peasant Food?
Historically, peasant foods were dishes made from a person’s garden and whatever leftover kitchen scraps they could snag from their service at the manor. The scraps were paired with grains, vegetables, fruits, beans, and occasionally eggs or meats. They were further flavored with herbs and spices and made into hearty and filling stews, pottages, and even desserts. Since meats were so scarce, cows and chickens were usually used for milk and eggs – not dinner.
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Many foods we revere now were once considered peasant foods in various countries. (Mincemeat pie, anyone?)
Peasant foods are still made from inexpensive grains, vegetables, fruits, beans, and meats. They’re perfect for using up foods nearing their expiration dates and are quick and easy to make. Mix these goodies with some herbs and spices, and you have a wonderful and easy “French Peasant Stew.”
French Peasant Soup Ingredients
Here’s a photo of the ingredients I used for my peasant soup recipe. I use what I had on hand and include fresh herbs from my garden. Ingredients include olive oil, carrots, celery, yellow zucchini, leeks, mushrooms, vegetable broth, beans, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf. I used white kidney beans for my soup, but you can use whatever beans you prefer.
Instructions for Cooking French Peasant Soup
Over high heat, add the sliced mushrooms to the hot pan and allow the mushrooms to sweat and brown. If using fresh herbs, place them on top of the mushrooms. The steam will help subtly impart the herbs’ oils into the mixture.
Add oil, crushed garlic, leeks, carrots, and zucchini to the pan and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Add the vegetable broth and beans, then cover the pan. Cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the carrots are soft. Remove from the stove and If you used fresh herbs, be sure to take them out before serving!
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Salt and pepper to taste, then serve with a slice of crusty bread and your favorite chilled white or rose wine, or try a delicious full-bodied red wine.
French Peasant Soup
Equipment
- 1 Sharp knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Soup Pan 2-3 quart
- 1 Stirring Spoon
Ingredients
- 2 tsp Olive oil extra virgin
- 1 cup Sliced mushrooms
- 1 sprig Rosemary fresh and whole
- 1 leaf Bay leaf
- 1 tsp Fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup Celery chopped
- 1/2 cup Carrots sliced, diced, or shredded
- 1/2 cup Yellow zucchini sliced
- 1/2 cup Leeks cleaned and sliced
- 2 cloves Garlic Pressed or finely chopped
- 1 can White beans Rinsed and drained
- 4 cups Vegetable broth
- 1 pinch Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by slicing up all of the mushrooms and vegetables, and set the mushrooms aside.
- Tie the rosemary and thyme together with a string – keep Bay leaf separate for now.
- Pour the olive oil in the soup pan, and warm to medium heat.
- Add the sliced mushrooms with the herbs, and stir everything until the mushrooms are cooked and the herb flavors are infused. Remove the rosemary and thyme herbs.
- Add the vegetable broth to the pan, and stir.
- Slowly add the vegetables and the Bay leaf, and turn up the heat. Allow the mixture to come to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the rinsed beans and let the mixture cook for another 5 minutes, or until all of the vegetables are cooked.
- Turn off the heat, and remove the Bay leaf before serving.
- Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
Notes
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment below and let me know how it turns out for you! You can also share a photo of your dish on my Instagram account with the hashtag #thrivingwithless – Bon Appetit!
