Vegetables are a common ingredient in most soups, even if you are cooking a soup with fish or meat. There are multiple vegetables that you can use in soup making, each of which has a distinct flavour and texture. Experimenting with a variety of ingredients will create a different soup every time, so try new ingredients. Many people enjoy using seasonal vegetables for soup making.
There are many benefits to using seasonal vegetables to make soup. Unfortunately, many people do not know which vegetables are in season in which months. Therefore, they simply buy what they see on supermarket shelves.
You can make delicious soups in your soup maker or on the hob using seasonal vegetables. To get you started, here is everything you need to know about cooking with seasonal vegetables. We have included some useful charts of seasonal vegetables for soup making. Hopefully, you will find these helpful.
Table of Contents
The Benefits of Using Seasonal Vegetables for Making Soup
You may wonder if there are any benefits of using seasonal vegetables for soup making. The simple answer to this is yes. According to Green Network Energy, there are many benefits to using seasonal vegetables. Here are just some of the many benefits of using seasonal vegetables in your cooking.
- Price: Seasonal vegetables are usually cheaper than vegetables that are not in season for two reasons. First, growing out of season vegetables often incurs greater expense to the farmers. Also, out of season vegetables are often shipped from a foreign location. Therefore, the cost of transportation is covered by the increased cost. If you are making soup in a food business and serve it from a catering soup kettle, then using cheap products can make the soup more profitable.
- Flavour: Most people would argue that seasonal vegetables have a better flavour than out of season vegetables. The flavour is especially important if you are serving soup to guests, such as a soup starter for Christmas Day or a summer dinner party.
- Health: Vegetables are at their nutritional peak while they are in season.
- Support the local economy: If you buy seasonal vegetables from your local grocer, market or grocer, then you are supporting your local economy.
Shopping for Seasonal Vegetables for Making Soup
The best place to buy seasonal vegetables is from your local greengrocer, although supermarkets do also sell seasonal produce. Supermarkets sell most vegetables all year round. They can do this as they source them from abroad. Supermarkets also source them from suppliers that use technology to grow out-of-season vegetables. Buying fruit and vegetables from your local greengrocer is also a great way to support local businesses. Furthermore, it is a fantastic way to support the British farming industry, says Countryside Online.
Growing your Own Seasonal Vegetables for Soup Making
Growing your own vegetables is the best way to guarantee you will have seasonal vegetables for soup and other dishes. So, why not give growing your own fruit and vegetables a go?
You do not necessarily need a large garden to grow your own produce. If you have a small yard, then it is possible to grow some vegetables in large buckets in your yard. Potatoes and carrots are good examples, you can also grow beetroot and many other vegetables in this way.
Those who do not have a garden at all can still grow some foods in pots on a windowsill. Some examples include cress, tomatoes, peppers, and chilli. You can also grow pots of herbs to add flavour to your soups.
Are There Some Vegetables That You Can Use Throughout the Year?
Yes, some vegetables grow well throughout the year, so you can use them in your soup-making regardless of the season. Some examples include apples, aubergine, beetroot, cabbages, carrots, and cauliflowers. Mushrooms, onions, peppers, potatoes and swedes also grow throughout the year.
Seasonal Vegetables by Season (UK)
Hereis a chart of seasonal vegetables by season so you can make seasonal soups.
| Season | Vegetables |
|---|---|
| Spring | Apples, asparagus, aubergines, beetroot, broad beans (late spring), Brussels sprouts (early sprouts), cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celeriac, leeks (early spring), lettuce (late spring), onions, parsnips (early spring), peppers, potatoes, purple sprouting broccoli, rhubarb, rocket (late spring), spring onions, swedes. |
| Summer | Apples, apricots (late summer), asparagus (early summer), aubergines, beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, cherries, courgettes, cucumbers, fennel, gooseberries, lettuce, marrows, mushroom, onions, parsnips, peas, peppers, plums, potatoes, radishes, raspberries, redcurrants, rhubarb, rocket, runner beans, spinach, spring onions, strawberries, swedes, sweetcorn (late summer), tomatoes, turnips (late summer), watercress. |
| Autumn/ fall | Apples, apricots, aubergines, beetroot, blackberries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celery, early autumn), courgettes (early autumn), fennel, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, parsnip, pear, peppers, plums, potatoes, pumpkin, radishes, raspberries, rhubarb, rocket, runner beans, spinach, strawberries (early autumn), swedes, sweetcorn, tomatoes, turnips, watercress. |
| Winter | Apples, aubergines, beetroot, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celeriac, leeks, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, pears, potatoes, pumpkins (early winter), rhubarb (late winter), swedes, turnips. |
Seasonal Fruit and Vegetables by Month: January to June
Here is the first of two charts for seasonal vegetables for soup making by month. This chart is for vegetables that are seasonal during the months of January to June.
| Month | Fruit and Vegetables |
|---|---|
| January | Apples, aubergines, beetroot, Brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celeriac, leek, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, pears, peppers, potatoes, purple sprouting broccoli, rhubarb, swedes, turnips. |
| February | Apples, aubergine, beetroot, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, leek, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, pears, peppers, potatoes, purple sprouting broccoli, rhubarb, swedes, turnip. |
| March | Apples, aubergine, beetroot, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, celeriac, leek, mushrooms, onions, parsnip, peppers, potatoes, purple sprouting broccoli, rhubarb, swedes. |
| April | Apples, asparagus, aubergine, beetroot, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, celeriac, leek, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, peppers, potatoes, purple sprouting broccoli, radishes, rhubarb, rocket, spring onions, swedes. |
| May | Apples, asparagus, auberges, beetroot, broad beans, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celeriac, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, peppers, potatoes, purple sprouting broccoli, radishes, raspberries, rhubarb, rocket, spinach, spring onions, strawberries, swedes, watercress. |
| June | Apples, asparagus, aubergine, beetroot, blackcurrants, broad beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cherries, courgettes, fennel, gooseberries, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, peas, peppers, plums, potatoes, radishes, raspberries, redcurrants, rhubarb, rocket, spinach, spring onions, strawberries, swedes, tomatoes, turnips, watercress. |
Seasonal Fruit and Vegetables by Month: July to December
Here is a chart of seasonal vegetables for the second half of the year so you can check seasonality for these months.
| Month | Fruit and Vegetables |
|---|---|
| July | Apples, apricots, aubergine, beetroot, blackberries, blackcurrants, blueberries, broad beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cherries, courgettes, cucumbers, fennel, gooseberries, lettuce, marrows, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, peas, peppers, plums, potatoes, radishes, raspberries, redcurrants, rhubarb, rocket, runner beans, spinach, spring onions, strawberries, swedes, sweetcorn, tomatoes, turnips, watercress. |
| August | Apples, apricots, aubergine, beetroot, blackberries, blueberries, broad beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, courgettes, cucumber, fennel, gooseberries, leek, lettuce, marrow, mushrooms, onion, parsnip, peas, peppers, plums, potatoes, radishes, raspberries, redcurrants, rhubarb, spinach, spring onions, strawberries, swedes, sweetcorn, tomatoes, turnips, watercress. |
| September | Apples, apricots, aubergine, beetroot, blackberries, blueberries, broad beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, courgettes, cucumbers, fennel, gooseberries, leek, lettuce, marrow, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, pears, peas, peppers, potatoes, pumpkin, radishes, raspberries, rhubarb, rocket, runner beans, spinach, spring onions, strawberries, swedes, sweetcorn, tomatoes, turnips, watercress. |
| October | Apples, apricots, aubergine, beetroot, blackberries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, courgettes, fennel, leek, lettuce, marrow, mushrooms, onion, parsnip, pear, peppers, plums, potatoes, pumpkin, purple sprouting broccoli, raspberries, redcurrants, rhubarb, rocket, runner beans, spinach, spring onions, strawberries, swedes, sweetcorn, tomatoes, turnips, watercress. |
| November | Apples, aubergine, beetroot, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celeriac, leek, mushroom, onions, parsnip, pears, peppers, plums, potatoes, pumpkin, raspberries, spring onions, swedes, turnips, watercress. |
| December | Apples, aubergine, beetroot, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celeriac, leek, mushrooms, onion, parsnip, pears, peppers, potatoes, pumpkin, swede, turnip. |
Seasonality by Vegetable: A to M
If you find it easier to search by vegetable, then use this chart of seasonality by vegetable. It will help you to find seasonal vegetables for making soup.
| Fruit and Vegetables | Seasonality |
|---|---|
| Apples | All year |
| Apricots | July to October |
| Asparagus | April to June |
| Aubergine | All year |
| Beetroot | All year |
| Blackberries | July to October |
| Blackcurrants | June to August |
| Blueberries | July to September |
| Broad beans | May to September |
| Broccoli | June to October |
| Brussels sprouts | August to April |
| Butternut squash | September to November |
| Cabbage | All year |
| Carrots | All year |
| Cauliflower | All year |
| Celeriac | November to May |
| Celery | June to October |
| Cherries | June and July |
| Courgettes | June to October |
| Cucumbers | July to September |
| Fennel | June to October |
| Gooseberries | June to September |
| Leek | August to April |
| Lettuce | April to October |
| Marrow | July to October |
| Mushrooms | All year |
Seasonality by Fruit or Vegetable: N to Z
You can use this chart to search for the seasonality of fruit and vegetables. They are arranged in alphabetical order from N to Z, so you should find it easy to find the vegetables you want to use.
| Fruit and Vegetables | Seasonality |
|---|---|
| Onions | All year |
| Parsnip | July to April |
| Pears | September to February |
| Peas | June to September |
| Peppers | All year |
| Plums | June to November |
| Potatoes | All year |
| Pumpkin | September to December |
| Purple sprouting broccoli | January to May |
| Radishes | April to October |
| Raspberries | May to November |
| Redcurrants | June to August |
| Rhubarb | January to October |
| Rocket | April to October |
| Runner beans | July to October |
| Spinach | May to October |
| Spring onions | April to November |
| Strawberries | May to October |
| Swedes | All year |
| Sweetcorn | July to October |
| Tomatoes | June to October |
| Turnips | June to February |
| Watercress | May to November |
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