Nutrition-Wise Series: Easy Ways to Boost Vegetables in Your Hearty Meal Soups

Looking to get more veggies into your daily meals? Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Penny Clark offers quick, flavorful ways to add vegetables to Frontier Soups' Hearty Meal Soup Mixes.

Vegetables bring color, fiber, and nutrients to every bowl. Whether you’re cooking for picky eaters or looking to maximize your own veggie intake, these easy soup upgrades can help you pack more produce into mealtime without much effort.

Simple Tips for Adding Vegetables

• Add fresh or frozen vegetables in the final 10–30 minutes of cooking

• Use what’s in your fridge: leftover roasted veggies, pre-chopped produce, or frozen blends

• Try seasonal favorites for flavor and variety

• Keep texture in mind—softer veggies like spinach go in last, firmer ones like carrots go in earlier

California Gold Rush White Bean Chili

• Add 2 cups shredded cabbage, Brussels sprouts, or chopped bell peppers during the final 10 minutes

Colorado Campfire Chicken Stew

• Add 2 cups diced bell peppers, mushrooms, green beans, bok choy, or parsnips in the last 20 minutes

Dakota Territory Beef Barley Bean Stew

• Add 2 cups chopped carrots or cubed butternut squash for the final 45 minutes of cooking

Illinois Prairie Corn Chowder

• Add 1.5 cups chopped cauliflower, broccoli, red pepper, or leeks along with the potatoes

Indiana Harvest Sausage Lentil Soup

• Add 2 cups chopped kale, spinach, or mushrooms in final 30 minutes

• Add a diced apple or 3/4 cup raisins for a sweet-savory twist

Little Italy Wedding Soup

• Add 1.5 cups chopped patty pan squash or yellow squash with escarole

• Try fennel bulb for a new layer of flavor

Louisiana Backyard Cajun Gumbo

• Add 2 cups fresh or frozen chopped okra or wax beans with the rice

Michigan Ski Country Chili

• Add an extra can of no-salt-added tomatoes, 1.5 cups diced bell peppers, and 1/2 cup chopped carrots

Minnesota Heartland 11-Bean Soup

• Add an extra can of tomatoes

• Toss in 1.5 cups fresh or frozen halved Brussels sprouts or green beans in final 5 minutes

Nebraska Barnraising Split Pea Soup

• Add 1.5 cups chopped leeks with the soup mix

• Stir in 1.5 cups fresh or frozen green beans or peas in the final 10 minutes

New York Corner Café Minestrone

• Add 1 chopped fennel bulb with the tomatoes and Brussels sprouts

• Toss in 1.5 cups fresh or frozen peas during the last 5 minutes

Ohio Valley Vegetable Soup

• Add 1.5 cups summer squash and/or 1.5 cups celery during the final 10 minutes

Spiced & Sweet Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup

• Add 2 cups chopped carrots with the squash

Texas Wrangler Black Bean Soup

• Add 2 cups chopped carrots or sweet potatoes in final 30 minutes before blending

Vermont Farmhouse Apple Sausage and Bean Soup

• Add 1.5 cups butternut squash or shredded cabbage when adding apple pieces

Whether you’re cooking from the pantry or the farmer’s market, these veggie upgrades are simple ways to nourish every spoonful. Show us your colorful bowls @frontiersoups using #VeggieBoostSoup!