Can I just throw different veg in a pot and make soup

[doggydesperado]

Literally just a mix of veg that I have that will be thrown out if not used, ie parsnip, potato, carrot, pepper and celery. Can I chuck them together in a pot with stock or will that be rotten

Parsnips are OK in small quantities but can impart an unpleasant sweetness if you use too many.
Gently brown the veg in a frying pan with a little oil. Add water or stock to just cover, simmer gently until everything is soft, then blitz.
At the end, you can add parmesan and /or bacon for extra flavour.
Stale bread chopped into cubes and tossed in a bit of olive oil/seasoning and roasted for croutons.

Absolutely you can! I'd use a chicken stock cube or two, as veg on its own can be a bit bland and vegetable stock cubes don't really add much. Potato will give it a nice silky thickness and a slug of cream or creme fraiche is always a good addition at the end, with a squeeze of lemon. Parsnips have a very distinct flavour that can dominate so be wary of adding too many, unless it's actually a parsnip soup - curried is good.

Start by softening any combination of onion, leek, celery and carrot (and garlic if you like) in some olive oil and/or butter, then add all the other stuff straight in with the hot stock.

Stock cube just tastes like stock cube though, if there’s no recipe. I’ve chucked out disgusting soup before when I’ve just used a soup mix and stock cube - tinned tomatoes didn’t rescue it either 🥲. Are there any good apps where you can type in your ingredients and get a proper recipe?

You absolutely can! Just seasoning it well and, once you've puréed it, make sure you taste it to see if it needs anything. I always think a vegetable soup needs a lot of black pepper and a squeeze of lemon.

I made this today. Used oxo veg stock pots rather than cubes.

Moroccan roasted vegetable soup recipe | Good Food

My soup tonight was so easy to make. Large saucepan.1 tin of tomatoes. 4 stock cubes. Lots of mixed herbs (dried). 4 large carrots. 3 large potatoes. 1 swede. Lots frozen spinach. Some chicken thighs. All thrown into the pan and topped up with water. Brought to the boil and simmered 30 minutes while I drank sherry and ate cheese while I read the paper. Served with gluten free toast. Delicious. No onion or garlic because of IBS.

Add a sweet potato and a tablespoon of cream or Philadelphia. Best stock is Marigold boullion powder.

Oh. And I use a potato masher to mash the veg a bit which thickens the soup.

You can use whatever veg you've got available. I agree with pps that you'll probably want some garlic, and lentils to thicken it up. Barley is also good and makes soup more filling, but soup generally is mostly a matter of taste, dietary requirements (as much as I love cabbage, it does not love me) and what you have to hand.

Surely you'd need stock otherwise it's going to taste like pond water

Sure we do it all the time. Big saucepan of water, 4 vegetable oxo cubes, diced potato, chopped celery, chopped leeks, sliced carrots and whatever other veg we have. Add pepper, some dried mixed herbs, it tastes great.

It is a regular meal here. A stock cube is good, a dash of soy sauce helps sometimes, or Teriyaki. DS calls it wrinkly vegetable soup as he will rummage through the fridge and veg basket to find things which are a bit past their best.

To get a good texture, use a stick blender if you have one. Blend just half of it by keeping the blender on one side of the pot. Then stir it so it is smooth with lumps in it.

See attached for a recipe

You can add some white beans and blend them to make soup creamy without dairy if you want.

This is delicious if you have these ingredients and it's flexible - I sometimes add carrots to the roasted veg or do butternut squash instead of sweet potato and I don't always add chilli

I make soup in my air fryer!
Chop all the veg in small pieces, drizzle olive oil over, add garlic and roast in the AF until slightly charred and soft. (I’d actually steam potatoes then add to the other veg). I like spicy soup so add chillies too. Then I blend the veg with a stick blender in the AF, Add a stock cube and enough water to make a nice thick soup. Add cream / cheese / whatever!

I do this all the time. I call it Fridge Soup - what's left in the fridge gets boiled to death and whizzed up into a soup. Freezes well too.

It turns out some weird and wonderful colours but tastes fine. I don't bother with stock (too salty for me) but do add a bit of seasoning. Might add a swirl of cream, or give it a bit of a warming kick with some mustard. Maybe even a sprinkle of grated cheese.

Some diced up toasted bread with garlic butter (aka 'croutons'). Sorted.

I would add parsnip. Would not add green pepper, taste is not good. Red or yellow are fine. If you use stock
cube taste before adding salt. SC can be quite salty. Can of tomatoes is good and can replace SC.

I chuck everything in. Mushrooms can make colour muddy, lots of carrot gives good colour. Lettuce, yes, cucumber, no. When it's blended you could add frozen peas.
You can't go wrong.

I'd have left the pepper out and added an onion for a root soup. Some ham stock snd chopped bacon would be lovely in it.
I hope it turned out well OP

OP I always use a tin of tomatoes, a stock cube and fresh or frozen onion. I admit I have a soup maker, chuck everything in plus water and 21 minutes later the soup is ready. I even use frozen veg. I find this to be a perfect lunch and have this several times a week.

I often make soup with whatever I’ve got, but always include onion (sweated in a little oil first) and preferably celery, for flavour.
Stock cubes are a must, unless you’ve got e.g. stock from a chicken carcass, but that’ll still need plenty of seasoning.

Not really. I only do it by roasting up the veg then blending it with stock. Much richer.

What do you mean not really? Of course you can. It may not be your preferred method but it's how the majority of soups are made.

Fridge surprise soup! Yes, use what you have plus onions and garlic or leek if you have it plus some herbs and spices. I prefer not to use stock cubes (UPF, soy sauce depending on type isn't). If the oven is on anyway, roast the veg. Lovely either way. I generally blend all or half.

i have a soup maker jug. Chopped onion, any other veg, seasoning, water, Knorr Stock pot sachet, tomato purée. Sometimes add lentils or a tin of baked beans. Switch on and it makes delicious soup every time in 20 mins. I always use the ‘blend’ button and it’s lovely and smooth.