A Great Copycat Recipe for Frisch’s Vegetable Soup
Frisch’s Big Boy’s has become an institution throughout states like Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and other areas within that specific Midwestern region. As a former Big Boy’s affiliate that has since gone solo, Frisch’s has many fresh meals, making it a favorite throughout the area. For example, Frisch’s vegetable soup recipe is one of the best in the area and is often heavily requested by residents in the area. That’s why we presented this fantastic copycat recipe for this popular soup.
Typical Nutrition in Vegetable Soup
Vegetable soup is a traditionally fairly healthy meal, and Frisch’s vegetable soup recipe is not much different. A standard cup of vegetable soup usually has around 98 calories and 4.45 grams of fat. That fat represents about 6% of your daily intake, which isn’t bad considering the serving size. The one problem with this recipe is that you’ll get about 583 milligrams of sodium, or 25% of your intake.
It also doesn’t have a lot of fiber (2.1 grams, which is 8% of your daily intake), though has a fairly hefty amount of protein (4.12 grams) for a vegetable-based meal. It also comes with a decent amount of calcium (44 milligrams), iron (22 milligrams), potassium (508 milligrams), vitamin A (117 micrograms), and vitamin C (9.1 milligrams). Breaking down its calories shows that it gets 38% from fat, 46% from carbohydrates, and 16% from protein.
Is it possible to improve these nutrient levels? Yes, and we’ll discuss a few ways below. These mostly involved cutting back on sodium and adding healthier alternatives. We always try to keep the general nature of your meal intact with each change, ensuring that you get a taste that is as close as possible to Frisch’s vegetable soup recipe and even better when possible.
Ingredients Used In This Great Recipe
Our in-depth research has developed a pretty detailed list highlighting the different ingredients you need for Frisch’s vegetable soup recipe. As you’ll see by browsing this list, there are many common ingredients you may already feel comfortable working with. There are also likely to be a few that are new to you. Make sure that you have all these items on hand before you start cooking:
- One and one-half cups of yellow onion
- Two cups of carrots
- One and one-fourth cups of chopped celery
- Four cans of low-sodium broth
- Two cans of tomatoes
- Four cloves of garlic
- Three cups of potatoes
- One-third cup of fresh parsley
- Two full bay leaves
- One and one-half cups of green beans
- One and one-fourth cups of corn
- One cup of peas
You’ll also need two tablespoons of olive oil for cooking and taste, as well as thyme and black pepper for taste. The last two ingredients can be added at whatever level feels best for you. Some people will want more than the one-half teaspoon of thyme suggested by this recipe. Others may want more black pepper to give it more of a kick. Experiment a little to get the best results.
When adding more pepper or thyme to your meal, make sure to add small amounts first and work up to bigger doses. For example, you can add one-half teaspoon of each, taste, and decide if you need more. Ensure that you constantly stir these ingredients in carefully before tasting, as eating a large concentration may give you a false understanding of the soup’s flavor.
Preparing Frisch’s Vegetable Soup Recipe
Cooking Frisch’s vegetable soup recipe should take about 45-60 minutes, depending on how quickly and successfully you can prepare each ingredient. For example, you must clean all vegetables and chop them before following this recipe. Just as importantly, you need to make sure that you carefully flavor your soup to ensure that you get the result that you want.
If you’ve ever prepared a vegetable soup before, then you should have no difficulty quickly adapting to this recipe. It follows many of the same guidelines and steps you utilize when making a standard vegetable soup but adds different ingredients that make it a Frisch’s original. Follow these steps to produce a delicious vegetable soup that your family will love.
- Add olive oil to a large pot and heat it over medium-high heat
- Put your onions, carrots, and celery in the pot and cook them for several minutes
- When the onions become tender, add garlic and cook for several more minutes
- Put your broth in the mix, along with tomatoes, bay leaves, parsley, potatoes, and thyme
- While your soup is cooking, taste regularly and add salt and pepper to improve the flavor
- Let the soup simmer and stir regularly to mix the ingredients properly
- Pour in the green beans and cook the soup for several more minutes
- Cut the heat to medium-low and let the soup simmer with a lip for 20-30 minutes
- Add the corn and peas and cook for another five minutes on simmering heat
- Remove the soup from the stove and serve in medium-sized bowls
- Garnish with crackers or serve with your favorite bread (French or Italian works best!)
The best time to eat vegetable soup is whenever the taste hits you! However, something about a fresh bowl of veggie soup on a cold day just sits right. It’s the combination of fresh vegetables and delicious broth that does it. Note that you can add some burger or chicken to this recipe, if you like. However, that adds extra fat and calories and makes it more akin to a meat stew.
Note that you can adjust how much broth you use to change the overall effect you get with your soup. For example, more broth will create a more watery blend that may be more suitable for some people. Others may prefer using less broth for a thicker soup. Note that you can use either vegetable or chicken broth, depending on your preference. We suggest vegetable broth for a healthier alternative and chicken for a richer overall taste.
Tips for Improving Frisch’s Vegetable Soup Recipe
While we’d had to mess with perfection, we have a few tips that can improve Frisch’s vegetable soup recipe. These will both make the soup healthier and improve its taste. Try them out yourself to see which makes the best sense for your specific dietary needs.
Cut Back on Sodium
A low-sodium diet is associated with many health improvements. Minimizing how much salt you add to your soup can help with this diet. Thankfully, you can still keep the taste strong with a few tweaks.
Add Spices
If you’re bummed by the lack of salt, try adding spices like paprika, chili powder, chipotle powder, curry powder, or even some pepitas to give this soup a bit more of a kick.
Try Tofu
If you want more protein in your vegetable soup but don’t want to add meat, try adding some tender tofu to give it a thicker texture and a more protein-rich overall flavor.
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