Southwestern Vegetable Soup

5 from 5 votes

Pressure canned Southwestern Vegetable Soup is a mix of corn, tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, and bold southwest spices. Enjoy it on its own, or stir in beans or meat at serving for a hearty meal.

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Canning time1 25

Total Time2 10

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: Soup Canning Recipe

Servings: servings, makes 4 quarts or 8 pints

Equipment

Pressure Canner
Canning Funnel
Canning Jars, Lids and Bands

Ingredients

1 1/2 quarts corn kernels uncooked
1 quart tomatoes peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 cups tomatillos chopped
1 cup carrots sliced
1 cup onions chopped
1 cup red bell pepper chopped
1 cup green bell pepper chopped
3/4 cup banana peppers chopped
1/4 cup jalapeno peppers chopped
3 Tbsp cilantro minced
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne powder optional, for heat
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 quarts tomato juice
1 cup water or vegetable broth
4 tsp hot sauce

Instructions

Wash and chop all of the vegetables. Peel and seed the tomatoes, and husk the tomatillos.
Combine all of the ingredients in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Prepare a pressure canner and hot jars.
Ladle the hot soup into the jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace.
Remove air bubbles, wipe the rims, and apply lids and bands to fingertip tight.
Process at 10 lbs pressure for a weighted gauge canner or 11 lbs for a dial gauge, 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. Cool the jars undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours, then check the seals before storing.

Notes

This is a full-packed (vegetarian) soup from the Ball Blue Book of Preserving. Because it contains low-acid vegetables, it must be pressure canned and cannot be water bath canned. Do not shorten the time or lower the pressure.

Whole-vegetable starting amounts: a full batch uses about 12 medium ears of corn, 16 medium tomatillos, 2 medium carrots, 2 medium onions or 1 large, 1 large red bell pepper, 1 large green bell pepper, 3 to 4 banana peppers, and 2 to 3 jalapenos. These are the amounts before prepping, and the recipe ingredients above lists the prepared amounts.

Peppers: the recipe uses about 3 cups of peppers in total. You can use any mix of sweet and hot peppers, or all one type, as long as you keep that total the same. Pickled banana peppers work too. Do not increase the total amount of peppers.

For a lighter soup, use all vegetable broth in place of the tomato juice. Do not add thickeners, flour, pasta, rice, dairy, beans, or meat before canning. Stir those in at serving instead.

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.

Serving Suggestions: This soup is delicious on its own or served with sour cream and tortilla chips. Add home-canned beans or meat to turn it into a hearty stew, or mix with other jarred soups for a quick, creative meal.

Altitude Adjustments

Adjust your pressure for elevation:

Dial Gauge Canners

0–2,000 ft: 11 lbs
2,001–4,000 ft: 12 lbs
4,001–6,000 ft: 13 lbs
6,001–8,000 ft: 14 lbs

Weighted Gauge Canners

0–1,000 ft: 10 lbs
Above 1,000 ft: 15 lbs

Nutrition