Classic Vegetable Soup

5 from 4 votes

Vegetable soup is a comfort food classic, and you can make your own simple vegetable soup for canning with fresh, healthy ingredients.

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Additional Time1 30

Total Time2

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Soup Canning Recipe, vegetarian, vegetarian meal in a jar, vegetarian soup

Servings: servings, Makes 14 pints or 7 quarts

Author: Ashley Adamant

Equipment

Pressure Canner

Ingredients

2 Quart tomatoes chopped
1 ½ Quart potatoes peeled and cubed
1 ½ Quart carrots peeled and sliced
1 Quart corn whole uncooked kernel corn, off the cob
2 cups celery sliced
2 cups onions chopped
1 Quart lima beans optional, fresh or canned, not dried, see note
1 ½ Quart vegetable broth or water
1 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp Salt See Notes

Instructions

Wash all vegetables under cold water and drain.
Peel the tomatoes by blanching them 30 to 60 seconds in boiling water, then cooling them in cold water so the skins slip off. Core and set aside.
Peel the potatoes and cut into half-inch cubes. Set aside.
Peel the carrots and slice about a quarter-inch thick. Set aside.
Cut the corn from the cob. Set aside.
Slice the celery into one-inch pieces. Set aside.
Peel and chop the onions. Set aside.
Combine all vegetables with the water or broth in a large saucepan, holding back the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for 15 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, if using.
Ladle the hot soup into prepared jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe the rims, and set lids and bands to fingertip tight.
Load the jars into the pressure canner and add 2 inches of simmering water. Lock the lid, vent steam for 10 minutes, then bring to 10 lbs pressure, adjusting for altitude.
Process pints for 55 minutes or quarts for 85 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the canner return to zero pressure naturally.
Remove the jars and cool undisturbed for 24 hours. Check the seals, label, and store.

Notes

This is a full-packed (hearty) soup from the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving. The processing time and pressure are what make it safe, so do not shorten the time, lower the pressure, or water bath can it.

Whole-vegetable starting amounts: a full single batch uses about 12 medium tomatoes, 9 medium potatoes, 12 medium carrots, 8 medium ears of corn, 4 stalks of celery, and 2 to 3 medium onions. These are the amounts before peeling and cutting as purchased. The measurements listed above are prepared volumes.

You can omit any vegetable except the tomatoes, which provide the acidity and liquid. Leaving vegetables out lowers the yield, and you cannot add other vegetables to make up the difference.

Do not add thickeners, flour, pasta, rice, dried beans, or dairy before canning. Stir those in at serving instead.

Lima beans: the Ball recipe assumes fresh limas in season. Canned limas work as a swap. Dried limas must be rehydrated and cooked before going in.

Salt: home-canned soups generally use about 3/4 to 1 teaspoon of salt per quart. About 2 tablespoons across this batch is a middle-of-the-road amount. Adjust to taste, since salt is for flavor only.

Storage: Properly sealed jars keep for about 12 to 18 months in a cool, dark place, though they stay safe longer. Refrigerate after opening and use within 3 to 4 days.

Altitude Adjustments

With pressure canning, the processing times stay the same at higher altitudes, but the pressures change. Here are the altitude adjustments for pressure-canning vegetable soup:

For dial gauge pressure canners:

0 to 2,000 feet in elevation – 11 lbs pressure
2,001 to 4,000 feet in elevation – 12 lbs pressure
4,001 to 6,000 feet in elevation – 13 lbs pressure
6,001 to 8,000 feet in elevation – 14 lbs pressure

For weighted gauge pressure canners:

0 to 1,000 feet in elevation – 10 lbs pressure
Above 1,000 feet – 15 lbs pressure

Nutrition