I usually add dried herbs, (basil for sure, then maybe thyme or oregano,) after I sautee the onions, celery and carrots.

What vegetables are you using? Carrots give it a bit of sweetness and onions also give favor. I would google vegetable soup and see what spices others use.

I love vegetable soup and to tell the truth, I don't usually add much in the way of herbs and spices. I like the veggies to sing on their own.

Onions and garlic flavor it, that's for sure. I often add a teaspoon or so of fresh lemon juice which adds some brightness.

I'm curious, too, about the vegetables you like to use.

I put in a can of garlic and basil flavored diced tomatoes, always cook my soup meat first then add everything!

I think the most important "seasoning" for vegetable soup is some finely chopped fresh CABBAGE! It just isn't the same without it. I buy a very small cabbage and maybe only use a fourth of it in a huge pot. If I have my cabbage, beef broth, tomatoes, salt & (coarse grind) pepper, I can add any veggies I have and it will taste good.....Mmmmmm, can't wait for fall....

Oops, duplicate

This post was edited by redcurls on Fri, Sep 5, 14 at 20:37

Salt, pepper, basil and oregano.

Here's what I put in:

Onion-carrots-celery, of course
1/2 tomato diced
zucchini diced
shredded cabbage! I love it too.
1 small clove garlic
tsp tomato paste for color (I use the stuff in the tube)
chicken stock homemade
S&P

I did add 1t marjoram, 1/2 t basil. Out of thyme

Actually, it tastes pretty good. No carby stuff like noodles or beans, no meat.

I put up some fall decorations this weekend, now I'm making soup. Tomorrow it's to be 100 degrees, so my fall activities aren't making the season come any faster.

Thank you, everyone, for the help. (Oh, I did google recipes and more than once I saw to put a sprinkling of parm cheese on top. Mmmm...that sounds good.

I only make beef vegetable soup, I cook a chuck roast. I too like cabbage in mine and almost any vegetable you have on hand. I like sweet peppers as well. I have never put garlic in mine, but do put in peas, green beans, corn, zucchini,tomatoes and celery and potatoes as well.

Just salt and pepper for me.

Sue

I also like cabbage in mine, but I never thought about how it might add real flavor until now. I also add dehydrated onion seasoning, if I don't add fresh mince onion.

The veggies I use are onions, garlic, cabbage, celery, carrots, fresh sweet corn plus the cob scrapings, green peas, green beans, can chopped tomatoes, S&P, chicken or veggie stock.

When I make soup and it just needs something else, I pour in 2 to 4 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce. If you don't have that, use soy sauce. Actually, I just glug it in!

I add cayenne for bite.

A can of tomatoes near the end of cooking adds flavour I find is missing.

The chicken/beef base should be tasty enough on its own. Then just add any pre-cooked veggies. A bag of mixed frozen is fine. Always extra wide noodles, sometimes those super thick frozen ones. If its a big pot of chicken soup, some gets put aside for dumplings later. If a big pot of meaty beef, just thicken it up into stew.

We add one or two cans of spicy V8 juice toward the end of cooking. The 12oz cans.

I make all different versions of soup depending on what I have available! Given your list of ingredients, I'd kick it up by adding more tomatoes, more basil, just a little corn if you have it... I'd also add red kidney beans, I think, but you seem to be avoiding that kind of thing. Then I'd serve it with parmesan cheese and hot pepper flakes. :)

I love cabbage in the soup, and my father insists on okra! I also use alphabet noodles and a little bit of macaroni. Worcestershire sauce, parsley flakes, oregano, basil, bay leaves, crushed red peppers, salt and pepper. My favorite aunt taught me that her "secret ingredient" is 1/2 cup of sugar (in a large pot). It does add to it.