The Base

• Vegetable juice and broth mix to form a hearty, flavorful base for your soup. Mix 4 cups of vegetable juice and two cups of vegetable or chicken broth in a large soup pot and allow to come to a simmer. Add spices and herbs, such as parsley, basil, bay, garlic or onion powder, salt, and pepper at this time and let them steep into the base.

The Vegetables

• A combination of vegetables, fresh, frozen, or canned, add body to your soup base. Adding a bag of frozen mixed vegetables is perhaps the easiest way. Cans of corn, green beans, and carrots are nearly as simple. It takes a little more work, but fresh vegetables add a special touch to your homemade soup. Onions and garlic can be softened in a little olive oil before being added to the base. Harder vegetables, such as carrots and potatoes should be steamed before adding to the soup base.

The Meat

• Browned ground beef makes homemade vegetable soup into a filling meal. Brown a pound and a half of ground beef in a skillet, drain well, and add to the soup. All that's left is to heat the soup back to a simmer and cook until any fresh vegetables are cooked through.