Simple & Cheap Winter Soup Veggies – A Caring Jar for Future-You

💛 A Romanian Winter Hack (That Actually Works)

There’s something quietly comforting about preparing a small jar of future-you happiness. And if you’re Romanian, you already know the drill: give me a grater, a bowl, and a moment of determination (or zero patience — it still works), and I can prep winter in one afternoon.

And here’s the part I love most: in the middle of winter, when life is loud and chaotic, you open that jar and think, “Wow… look at me, actually planning ahead for once.” It’s simple, cheap, and honestly one of the kindest little things you can do for your future self.

🥕 What You Need 🧺

Use what you have, but the classic Romanian winter combo is:

  • carrots
  • parsnip
  • parsley root
  • celery root
  • bell peppers
  • onion (optional)
  • tomatoes or tomato juice (optional)
  • coarse pickling salt (non-iodized)

Tip: If you like sweeter soups, add more carrot. If you like soups that taste like actual soup and not boiled water, don’t skip parsley.

🥄 About quantities

I don’t work with strict grams here — it’s more about balance and what you have on hand. For one 800 ml jar (which equals one full 4‑liter pot of soup in my house), I usually use:

  • ½ red bell pepper
  • 1 small onion
  • ⅛ celery root (just a small piece)
  • 1 parsley root
  • 2 small carrots, depending on size (they give sweetness and color)

If you’re making a smaller soup, just use half of everything. If you want to prep for winter, simply multiply these amounts by the number of jars you want to make.

🔪 Prep ✨

Everyone has their own style when it comes to prepping these veggies—and honestly, they all turn out great. Some years you have the patience for perfect layers, other years you just want to get it done. Both are valid, both are delicious.

Two years ago, I made the prettiest jars ever—layers of grated vegetables like those ornamental sand bottles from gift shops. This year? Zero patience. Everything went in one bowl, got mixed, and turned into abstract art. Equally delicious.

How I usually do it

  1. Grate all the roots (carrot, parsnip, parsley root, celery) and finely chop the rest.
  2. You can mix everything in one giant bowl or layer beautifully in the jars—whatever your inner artist decides.
  3. Fill sterilized jars (I use 800 ml jars because one jar = one entire 4‑liter pot of soup for my family of heavy soup lovers). If you make smaller batches, use smaller jars—after you open a jar, it’s best to use all of it the same day—this mix doesn’t really hold well overnight.
  4. Pack the veggies lightly. Don’t press too hard; they need space for the liquid.
  5. Add 1 tablespoon of coarse pickling salt (non-iodized) on top of each jar.
  6. Top with water until the veggies are fully covered — or use fresh tomato juice or finely chopped tomatoes with their own liquid if you want a richer, sweeter soup base.
  7. Seal the jars.

Sterilizing ♨️ (bain-marie method, safe and exactly how grandma did it):

  1. Line the bottom of a big pot with a towel.
  2. Add the jars.
  3. Fill the pot with water up to the jar rims.
  4. Place another towel on top.
  5. Once it starts boiling, time 60 minutes.
  6. Remove jars and place them in a warm spot, upside down, wrapped in a blanket.
  7. Next day, move the cooled jars to the pantry.
Layered vegetable mix in a jar for winter soups, with grated and chopped root vegetables, carrots, celery, and tomatoes, preserved Romanian-style.

🍲 How to Use 🥄

When you crave a simple, quick, warm soup: boil whichever meat you prefer, then add the contents of one jar. The vegetables are already cooked, so they only need about 10 minutes to blend their flavors into the broth.

Season with salt, pepper, and a bit of thyme. Add bors or fermented cabbage brine for acidity — and if you don’t have either, lemon juice or a splash of vinegar works perfectly too. Finish with parsley, lovage, and/or tarragon.

It’s warm, comforting, and ready almost faster than you can say “winter chaos.”

Simple Resources for Simpler Winters 🧡

Sometimes you don’t need the whole internet — just a few trusty links that feel like opening a drawer in your own kitchen. The “Lela drawer.” The one with recipes, chaos, and solutions you forgot you already had.

Here are a few friendly shortcuts for Future-You (the version of you who will absolutely thank Current-You for this).

🧡 Cook seasonally, savor slowly. #SimplifyWithLela 🧡