Vegetable soup with V8 juice is the fastest pot of soup you’ll ever make: a bottle of vegetable juice, a can of mixed vegetables and a little Italian seasoning, simmered for a few minutes into a warm, savory bowl. It’s ready in 10 minutes with no chopping, which makes it perfect for a cold weeknight, a quick lunch or a light supper with bread.
How to make vegetable soup with V8 juice: pour 64 ounces of V8 and a drained 15-ounce can of mixed vegetables into a pot, add bouillon powder, Italian seasoning and pepper, bring to a boil covered, then simmer uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes until hot.
Why You’ll Love It
- 10 minutes from pantry to bowl.
- No chopping: just juice, a can of vegetables and seasoning.
- Easy to bulk up with pasta, barley, potatoes or beans.
- Feeds 6 from one pot.
Ingredient Notes
V8 juice. One 64-ounce bottle is the whole soup base. Another tomato-based vegetable juice blend works too, and the spicy blend gives it a kick.
Mixed vegetables. A 15-ounce can, drained and strained. Frozen mixed vegetables work as well; they just need a few extra minutes of simmering.
Bouillon powder. A tablespoon of chicken-style bouillon powder is optional. Taste before you add any salt; the juice and bouillon both bring their own.
Seasoning. Two teaspoons of Italian seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper.
Ingredients
- 64 ounces V8 juice
- 15 ounces canned mixed vegetables, drained and strained; frozen mixed vegetables also work
- 1 tablespoon chicken-style bouillon powder, optional
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
How to Make Vegetable Soup with V8 Juice
1. Drain the vegetables. Drain and strain the canned mixed vegetables.
2. Fill the pot. Pour the V8 juice and the strained vegetables into a large soup pot.
3. Season. Add the bouillon powder if using, the Italian seasoning and the black pepper, and stir.
4. Bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
5. Simmer. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low, remove the lid, and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, or 7 to 10 minutes if using frozen vegetables, until the soup is hot all the way through.
6. Serve. Serve hot with garlic bread or bread spread with butter.
How to Make V8 Vegetable Soup a Full Meal
As written, this is a light, brothy soup. When you want it to fill everyone up, add one of these to the same pot. Each one changes the cooking time, so follow the timing for what you add.
| Add | How much | How to cook it |
|---|---|---|
| Elbow macaroni | 1/2 cup | Simmer in the soup until the pasta is tender |
| Quick barley | 3/4 cup | Simmer 10 to 12 minutes, until the barley is cooked |
| Garbanzo beans | One 15-ounce can, rinsed and drained | Stir in and heat through |
| Potatoes, carrots, celery and onion | A full pot of chopped vegetables | Slow cooker: high about 1 hour, then low 4 to 6 hours |
Pasta. Half a cup of elbow macaroni is the easiest add. Stir it in after the soup comes to a boil and simmer until the pasta is tender.
Barley. Three-quarters of a cup of quick-cooking barley makes it a hearty bowl. Simmer 10 to 12 minutes, until the barley is cooked through. A couple of bay leaves and a tablespoon of dried minced onion go well with it.
Beans. A 15-ounce can of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained, needs no extra cooking beyond heating through. A handful of shredded cabbage can go in with it, and that version uses just 2 cups of V8, so it can be built from a smaller bottle.
A big slow cooker pot. For a full vegetable soup, chop 5 medium potatoes, 2 stalks of celery, 4 carrots and half a large yellow onion, pour the 64 ounces of V8 over them, and cook on high about 1 hour, then low 4 to 6 hours. Put the vegetables in the slow cooker first, then the juice; starting on high for the first hour and then turning it to low is what USDA FSIS suggests for slow cooker soups.
Meat. Browned ground beef, chicken or turkey can go in too. Cook ground beef to 160°F and ground poultry to 165°F before adding it to the soup.
Tips for Success
Why is my soup bland?
It needs the seasoning. Add the bouillon powder and Italian seasoning, then taste and add a little salt only if it needs it. A few drops of hot sauce also wake it up.
Why are my frozen vegetables still cold in the middle?
Frozen vegetables need longer than canned. Simmer for 7 to 10 minutes instead of 5 to 7, until the soup is hot all the way through.
Variations
- Spicy: use the spicy V8 blend, or add a few drops of hot sauce.
- Broth swap: skip the bouillon powder and replace some of the juice with chicken or vegetable broth.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave, covered, until the soup comes to a rolling boil; it can go straight from frozen into a saucepan or the microwave without thawing. To thaw it first, use the refrigerator, cold water or the microwave. USDA FSIS does not recommend reheating leftovers in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
Garlic bread or a slice of buttered bread is the easy pairing; crackers with cheddar, toasted sourdough or cornbread work too. If you love a good pot of soup, try beef and barley soup, slow cooker Amish tomato noodle soup or slow cooker 15 bean soup. For heartier bowls, there’s slow cooker unstuffed cabbage roll soup, slow cooker poor man’s stew and million dollar soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is V8 juice good in vegetable soup?
Yes. Here it’s the entire soup base: the juice heats with canned vegetables and seasoning into a full pot in about 10 minutes.
What can I mix with V8 vegetable juice for soup?
Mixed vegetables, Italian seasoning and pepper are the base. Pasta, quick barley, beans, potatoes or browned ground meat all turn it into a heartier meal.
How do I make V8 vegetable soup more filling?
Add 1/2 cup of elbow macaroni, 3/4 cup of quick barley (simmer 10 to 12 minutes), a rinsed 15-ounce can of garbanzo beans, or browned ground meat cooked to 160°F. Serve it with crackers and cheddar or cornbread on the side.
Can I make it in a slow cooker?
Yes, with fresh potatoes, carrots, celery and onion in the bottom and the juice poured over: high about 1 hour, then low 4 to 6 hours. Reheat leftovers on the stove or in the microwave, not in the slow cooker.
Can I use frozen mixed vegetables?
Yes. Use them in place of the canned ones and simmer 7 to 10 minutes instead of 5 to 7.
Final Notes
Keep a bottle of V8 and a can of mixed vegetables in the pantry, and you’re always 10 minutes from a pot of soup. On nights when you need more than a light bowl, pick one add from the table above, follow its timing, and set out crackers and sliced cheddar so everyone can build their own bowl at the table. Tell me in the comments what you added to yours.
Vegetable Soup with V8 Juice
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Ingredients
- 64 ounces V8 juice
- 15 ounces canned mixed vegetables drained and strained; frozen mixed vegetables also work
- 1 tablespoon chicken-style bouillon powder optional
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Drain and strain the canned mixed vegetables.
- Pour the V8 juice and the strained vegetables into a large soup pot.
- Add the bouillon powder if using, the Italian seasoning and the black pepper, and stir.
- Cover with a lid and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
- Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low, remove the lid, and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, or 7 to 10 minutes if using frozen vegetables, until the soup is hot all the way through.
- Serve hot with garlic bread or bread spread with butter.
Notes
Nutrition
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