One of the most satisfying things you can do with a food
dehydrator is turn vegetables that are past their best into
something genuinely useful. This homemade dehydrated vegetable
soup mix uses up whatever you have in the fridge or vegetable
rack — reducing waste and giving you an instant, flavoursome
soup base that's ready in minutes.
Why Make a Dehydrated Soup Mix?
Most households throw away a significant amount of vegetables
every week — slightly soft carrots, wilting celery, onions
going soft at the edges. None of this food is bad — it's
simply past its prime for eating fresh. Dehydrating it
transforms it into a concentrated, flavoursome ingredient
that lasts for months.
What You'll Need
Use whatever vegetables you have available.
This combination works particularly well:
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 2 sticks celery sliced
- 1 onion diced
- 1 leek sliced
- 2 cloves garlic sliced thinly
- 1 courgette diced
- Handful of fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
How to Make Dehydrated Vegetable Soup Mix
Prepare:
1. Wash and prepare all vegetables
2. Blanch carrots, celery and leek in boiling
water for 2 minutes then cool in iced water —
this preserves colour and speeds drying
3. Pat all vegetables completely dry with
kitchen paper
Dehydrate:
1. Preheat Ezidri FD1000 to 55°C
2. Spread vegetables in a single layer on
mesh sheets — keep different vegetables
on separate trays where possible
3. Dry at 55°C for 6 to 10 hours until
completely dry and crisp
4. Allow to cool completely
Assemble:
1. Mix all dried vegetables together
2. Season with salt and pepper
3. Store in an airtight jar
To use as soup:
1. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of mix per person
to a pan
2. Cover with 400ml boiling water or stock
3. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until
vegetables have fully rehydrated
4. Blend or leave chunky according to preference
5. Season and serve
Storage
Store in an airtight jar away from light and
moisture for up to 6 months.
Tips for Best Results
- Use any vegetables approaching the end of
their fresh life — this is a zero waste recipe
- Cut vegetables to a similar size for
even drying
- Add dried herbs like thyme and rosemary
to the mix for extra flavour
- Make a large batch whenever you have a
fridge full of vegetables that need using up
Want more ideas for reducing food waste at home?
Visit our Reduce Food Waste page for more inspiration.