Hearty Italian Vegetable Soup
This Hearty Italian Vegetable Soup is loaded with vibrant, chunky veggies like zucchini, carrots, broccoli, and leafy greens, simmered in a fragrant Italian-seasoned broth with chickpeas and black beans for extra heartiness. At just 70 calories per serving, it’s a nutritious, vegetarian-friendly meal that’s quick to prepare and perfect for cozy evenings or healthy lunch prep.
Craving a warm, comforting bowl of soup that’s bursting with flavor yet wonderfully light on calories? Our hearty Italian vegetable soup is a true delight for the senses—vibrant, chunky vegetables perfectly seasoned and crafted with care. Savor the authentic taste of the Italian countryside in every spoonful. More than just a meal, it’s a joyful celebration of wholesome health and irresistible flavor. This easy country-style vegetable soup recipe is incredibly flavorful and satisfying.
This post contains affiliate links which means if you make a purchase we might receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
This hearty Italian vegetable soup delivers a delicious explosion of flavors while keeping things light and low-calorie. Brimming with an array of vibrant, chunky Italian vegetables, it’s as beautiful to look at as it is satisfying to eat. This recipe proves that a nutritious, low-calorie meal can be every bit as flavorful and comforting as richer options—perfectly seasoned to let every fresh ingredient shine.
We’ve discovered that starving yourself isn’t effective for weight loss and can harm your health. Instead, we’ve created a hearty Italian vegetable soup packed with a variety of vibrant veggies, delivering an abundance of nutrients in every bowl.
Bursting with colorful ingredients, this soup is as delightful to look at as it is to eat. It’s the perfect solution for a nourishing, low-calorie meal that satisfies without compromise.
Country Vegetable Soup Recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1 Zucchini
- 1 Yellow Squash
- 1 Onion
- 1 ½ Broccoli florets
- 2-3 whole Carrots
- 2 ribs Celery
- Olive Oil
- 14.5ounce can petite diced tomatoes
- 16ounce can chickpeas or Garbanzo Beans
- 15ounce can black beans
- 3 cups fresh spinach or kale
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 2-3 cups of water, chicken broth or vegetable broth
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Equipment Needed:
- Cutting Board
- Sharp Knife
- Soup pot
- Colander (to drain black beans and Garbanzo Beans)
🥣 Recipe Tips
- Boost the flavor depth — After stir-frying the vegetables until caramelized, deglaze the pot with a splash of red wine or balsamic vinegar before adding the tomatoes. This adds a rich, authentic Italian tang without extra calories.
- Make it heartier — Stir in a handful of small pasta (like Ditalini or orzo) or farro during the last 10-12 minutes of simmering. It turns the soup into a more filling minestrone-style meal while keeping it veggie-packed.
- Prep ahead for convenience — Chop all the vegetables in advance and store them in the fridge for up to 24 hours. The soup also freezes beautifully—portion it into containers for quick, healthy lunches throughout the week.
Making this Italian vegetable soup:
Begin preparing your hearty vegetable soup by chopping the Italian vegetables into bite-sized pieces.
- Peel and slice the carrots, slice the celery, and prepare the squash and zucchini by cutting them in half lengthwise, then halving those pieces again and chopping them into chunks.
- Break or cut the broccoli into florets.
- Finally, chop the onion into 1-inch chunks.
- Put all the fresh vegetables into a large Dutch oven and drizzle with just enough olive oil to coat them lightly and prevent sticking.
- Stir-fry the vegetables over high heat, stirring frequently, until the onions become translucent.
- Then sprinkle in the Italian seasoning and stir to combine.
- Give the vegetables and seasoning a quick stir to release their flavors, then continue stir-frying until the vegetables are nicely caramelized.
- Add the tomatoes along with their juice to the soup, then stir well to combine.
- Drain the chickpeas and black beans into a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold water.
- Add the rinsed chickpeas and black beans to the pot with the chunky vegetable soup, then stir to combine.
- Add the water and chicken (or vegetable) broth, then stir gently until well combined. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender.
- Add the spinach or kale and cook until just wilted (kale will take a bit longer than spinach).
- Note that both greens offer excellent health benefits, but kale holds its texture far better than spinach in soup.
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Serve the soup hot, topped with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese if desired.
This Hearty Italian Vegetable Soup is the perfect blend of wholesome ingredients and bold flavors—nutritious, low-calorie, and incredibly satisfying. Whether you’re craving a cozy weeknight dinner or a healthy meal prep option, this vibrant veggie-packed bowl will warm you up and keep you coming back for more. Give it a try and savor the taste of Italy in every spoonful!
See these other Hearty Soups:
🥣 Recipe
Equipment
- Cutting Board
Ingredients
- 1 Zucchini
- 1 Yellow Squash
- 1 Onion
- 1 ½ cups Broccoli florets
- 2-3 whole carrots
- 2 ribs celery sliced
- olive oil
- 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 16 ounce can chickpeas reduced-sodium
- 1 15 ounce can black beans reduced-sodium
- 3 cups fresh spinach or kale
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 2-3 cups Chicken broth or vegetable broth
- Salt to taste
- Black Pepper to taste
Instructions
Chopping the Italian vegetables into bite-sized pieces.
- Peel and slice the carrots, slice the celery, and prepare the squash and zucchini by cutting them in half lengthwise, then halving those pieces again and chopping them into chunks.
- Put all the fresh vegetables into a large Dutch oven and drizzle with just enough olive oil to coat them lightly and prevent sticking.
- Stir-fry the vegetables over high heat, stirring frequently, until the onions become translucent.
- Then sprinkle in the Italian seasoning and stir to combine.
- Give the vegetables and seasoning a quick stir to release their flavors, then continue stir-frying until the vegetables are nicely caramelized.
- Add the tomatoes along with their juice to the soup, then stir well to combine.
- Drain the chickpeas and black beans into a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold water.
- Add the rinsed chickpeas and black beans to the pot with the chunky vegetable soup, then stir to combine.
- Add the water and chicken (or vegetable) broth, then stir gently until well combined. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender.
- Add the spinach or kale and cook until just wilted (kale will take a bit longer than spinach).Note that both greens offer excellent health benefits, but kale holds its texture far better than spinach in soup.
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Serve the soup hot, topped with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese if desired.
Nutrition
Click HERE to save this Italian country vegetable soup recipe to Pinterest
Thanks for sharing this healthy soup recipe!
this looks yummy! thanks to the recipe!
MMMM super yummo…and healthy!
Looks good, Evelyn. I think I am down 3 lbs now by eating carefully and better. I can look at some things and might as well just "sit" on them as that is where it would go. *smile* Enjoy your day. It is Family Day here in Canada.
Evelyn, your soup is beautiful- I love all the colors! Good job taking care of yourself and your honey! 🙂
~Joy
amazing looking soup, i love all the veggies.
I can't tell you how much easier I've found it to eat healthy now I have found a great fruit and veg shop – that little bit of extra options makes me so much more excited about eating healthy. Looks delicious xo
Good for you! I like the tip about kale. When I use spinach in things like this, I regret it come time for the leftovers .
This looks delicious!!
This looks so tasty, I will definitely have to try it.
This looks so good and follows our family's nutrition plan. I'll definitely have to give it a try!
Looks delicious. And should fill that hunger spot.
LOVE your blog and this soup looks so delish!
Following you now:D Can't wait for more posts love!
That looks fabulous! My husband will love it.
This is a wonderful soup!!
I've been vegetarian since childhood, although I don't miss my sweet-treats
Evelyn, this looks and sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Soup is one of my favorite things! Pinned to try 🙂
This looks delicious!!
This loooks wonderful! We are trying to make healthier choices and this will be a nice option for us. Soup is so good 🙂
This sounds… and looks… not only delicious but healthy!! Thanks for sharing
Sound yummy and healthy! Thanks for sharing
I could eat this soup everyday!! Looks delicious! 🙂
Looks delicious!!
I'm a soup lover, esp on days like today… I've been bad – M&Ms called my name 3 times today already! And I answered!
Can't wait to try this; thanks for sharing!
Ooooh, yum. It's hot here, but even I could go a bowl of that 🙂
Looks delicious! I'm always trying to find ways to add more veggies to our meals. This would be perfect since we love soup! Thank you for the recipe.
I lost 35 lbs by eating veggies….I'm not good at being hungry so whenever I am, I eat veggies for snacks. Yes, I increased my physical activity too.
Hi Evelyn,
This soup looks hearty and delicious indeed. Good for you trying to eat healthier. It's not easy to turn that leaf, but it's also not that hard once you do!! The hardest part is just DOING it.
This looks like delicious soup – love that its loaded with veggies.
Ahhh — the adventures the pursuit of good health will take us on!! But this soup makes it a tasty journey!
Good for you Evelyn. I agree starving and dieting don't work.
What a great recipe!
This looks great!
Looks great, I am always looking for soup recipes! I'm going to try this one out!
Thanks, Evelyn! Good hearty food.
Sounds yummy! Thanks for sharing!
I'm working on being more healthy too. I've got two weddings to go to this year and have some baby (my youngest is 4) weight to lose. 🙂 This soup looks great.
I think I need a good dose of this soup to get me over this cold. Thanks so much for sharing.
I love all the healthy vegetables in this Italian Vegetable Soup. I PINNED IT!