Cooking for one or two people can be tricky. Making big batches that can be frozen into smaller portions means you can have home-cooked meals every day, without the hassle or waste. A good place to start: this hearty vegetable soup recipe.

Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped celery
- Salt & Pepper
- 1 can diced tomatoes (28 ounces)
- 8 cups mixed fresh or frozen vegetables, such as carrots, corn, green beans, broccoli, peas or potatoes
- 2 cups chopped onions or shallots
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
- 1 green onion, chopped
- 3 cans reduced-sodium vegetable broth (14 1/2 ounces can)
- 3 cups water
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
Directions
- Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onions, celery, and herbs; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, 5 to 8 minutes.
- Add broth, tomatoes and their juice, tomato paste, and 3 cups water to pot; bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
- Add vegetables to pot, and return to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. Top with chopped green onion. Let cool before storing.
- Freeze soup in small containers, then pull out only what you need; there’s no need to thaw the soup before reheating.