Description
This super green sheet pan soup is the perfect recipe to make when you need an extra dose of vegetables. It's packed with nutritious ingredients like leeks, zucchini, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes and peas and it's topped with the most delicious pesto grilled cheese croutons. This is an easy 45-minute recipe that everyone will love!
Ingredients
Soup:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large leek, trimmed, washed & cut into 1” pieces
- 1 head garlic
- 1/2 of a head of cauliflower, chopped into florets
- 1/2 of a head of broccoli, chopped into florets
- 1 medium-large zucchini, diced
- 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 1/2-2 tsp kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup frozen peas
- Juice from 1 large lemon (3 tbsp)
- 2 cups spinach
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley
- Optional: 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Pesto Grilled Cheese Croutons
- 1-2 tbsp butter
- 2 slices of bread (we used sourdough)
- 4 slices pepper jack cheese
- 2 tbsp pesto
Instructions
Soup:
- Preheat oven to 400˚F.
- Slice off the top of the head of garlic, exposing the cloves.
- Place the leeks, cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, potatoes and garlic on a large sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, 1 tsp salt and pepper and toss gently. Roast for 30 minutes, until all vegetables are fork tender.
- About 10 minutes before the vegetables are done, add the broth and peas to a small pot and heat until simmering.
- Add all of the vegetables (only add half of the garlic cloves) to a blender, along with the hot broth + peas, lemon juice, spinach, parsley, remaining 1/2-1 tsp salt (this depends on your preference and type of salt used) and red pepper flakes and blend until smooth.
Grilled Cheese Croutons:
- To make grilled cheese croutons, add butter to a pan over medium low heat. Begin toasting bread in the pan until it's golden brown and caramelized, then flip one piece over and add 2 cheese slices to the caramelized surface. Spread the pesto on top of the cheese, then place the other 2 cheese slices on top (this prevents the bread from getting soggy). Place the other slice, cooked side down, on top of the cheese.
- Cover with a lid. Cook until bottom is brown and crispy, then flip again and cook until other side is brown and crispy, and cheese is completely melted. Remove from heat and slice into small cubes.
Notes
Heat the broth: To ensure your final soup is hot, make sure the broth you're adding has been heated up in a sauce pan until simmering. We also add the peas to the broth so they are cooked before blending.
Heat safe blending: Be sure your blender is heat safe before blending. Heat safe blenders typically have vents on the top cap that allow heat to escape. If your blender isn't heat safe, you will need to make sure the top isn't completely closed so that steam can escape as you blend.
Customize: Feel free to use whatever veggies you like. However, we wouldn't recommend skipping the potatoes and cauliflower, as they add body to the soup.
Croutons: These are totally optional, but they're easy to make and add a nice crunch and heartiness to the soup.
Storage: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Reheat over medium-low heat until warmed through.
Freezer: You can also freeze this soup for up to 4-6 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
NUTRITION INFORMATION does not include grilled cheese croutons.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soups
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 298
- Sugar: 7.3 g
- Sodium: 952.2 mg
- Fat: 11.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 46.5 g
- Fiber: 6.2 g
- Protein: 7.8 g