Never bland or boring, my warming, flavorful vegetable soup recipe will take away your winter blues. Packed with delicious, colorful vegetables, this soup recipe is a quick and easy way to increase your veggie intake in a way your whole family will love! Yes, even picky eaters ask for seconds of this comforting veggie soup!
Add or change up the vegetables to use up what you have on hand, and you won’t eat the same soup twice! Zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, bell pepper, and leafy greens all work excellently in this soup, as either fresh or frozen vegetables. For more easy soup recipes, try my cabbage soup, easy hamburger soup, and tomato soup recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Mirepoix — chop up an onion, carrots, and celery to add depth to the easy vegetable soup and create the foundation for the flavorful broth.
Garlic — 6 cloves of minced garlic go into the pot, so this is anything but a bland veggie soup!
Tomatoes — you need a 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes for a bit of acidity that brightens the dish.
Thyme — fresh or dried thyme works well in this recipe, so use whichever you have on hand. You could also use different herbs (ideas below).
Vegetable broth — I recommend using low-sodium broth so you can control the saltiness of the soup. If you don’t need a vegan vegetable soup, you could use chicken broth instead.
Potatoes — diced Yukon gold potatoes are a great option, but you could swap them out for russet potatoes or sweet potatoes.
Green beans — they need to be cleaned, trimmed, and chopped for the veggie soup. You can use fresh or frozen!
Corn — fresh, canned, or frozen corn all work. Frozen corn is a good time-saver with great crunchy texture.
Bay leaves — add a subtle layer of herbal flavor that works well with thyme.
Peas — frozen peas add sweetness to the soup. No need to thaw them before cooking! Just drop them into the pot straight from the bag.
Parsley — chopped Italian parsley stirred in at the very end adds a pop of color and a hint of peppery flavor to the soup recipe.
How to Make Vegetable Soup
1. Start by prepping all your fresh vegetables and chopping the onions, carrots, and celery.
2. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the chopped yellow onion and allow it to brown and cook down significantly, which will take about 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Add the carrots, celery, and minced garlic to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes. If you notice that the ingredients are starting to stick and burn, reduce the heat. However, caramelized onions are ideal for adding flavor, so browning is good!
4. Add the canned diced tomatoes, fresh or dried thyme, and ground black pepper. Let the soup simmer for 10 minutes, until most of the liquid evaporates, stirring every few minutes.
5. Pour in the vegetable broth and scrape the bottom of the pot to release any stuck-on vegetables.
6. Add the diced potatoes, chopped green beans, corn, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Partially cover the Dutch oven and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size and type of potato used. Taste and add additional salt if necessary. Drop in the frozen peas and cook for 10 minutes more. Stir in the chopped flat-leaf parsley and serve with crusty bread.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- To make an extra hearty soup: Cook macaroni, orzo, or rice on the side and serve it with each serving of soup. You can also add a drained, rinsed can of white beans or chickpeas in the last few minutes of cooking time. These also add protein to the veggie soup.
- Make it spicy: A sprinkle of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper added to the sautéed mirepoix adds a delicious and subtle heat.
- Add brightness to the soup: A little acidity can make the flavors in the soup pop. A splash of red wine vinegar or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice will do the trick. Stir in right at the end of cooking.
- Don’t simmer the soup for too long. This will cause the vegetables to become mushy. You want everything to be tender, but not falling apart.
- Change up the texture of the soup. For a chunkier soup, cut your vegetables into larger pieces. Smaller vegetables yield a less chunky veg soup.
- Use different herbs: There are so many dried or fresh herbs you could use in this soup recipe. Oregano, basil, marjoram, or Italian seasoning all work exceptionally well.
Frequently Asked Questions
To thicken brothy soup, add 3 to 4 tablespoons of tomato puree or 1 to 2 tablespoons of tomato paste. Or make a cornstarch slurry by mixing together 1 tablespoon or cornstarch with an equal amount of water and add it to the soup in the last few minutes of cooking time.
This homemade vegetable soup recipe makes a tasty, nutritious side dish or a light main meal. Add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese when serving the soup for added richness and flavor. To serve the soup as a main course, I like pairing it with crusty French bread, chewy sourdough bread, or my garlic bread recipe to make it more filling.
When the veggie soup has cooled to room temperature, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat it gently on the stovetop until warmed through.
This vegetable soup recipe is ideal for batch cooking because it freezes very well. Once cooled completely, transfer individual servings into freezer bags or freezer-safe containers. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stovetop.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this vegetable soup recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Vegetable Soup
Video
Equipment
- Dutch oven or large pot
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 3 carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 can diced tomatoes (28-ounce/794g)
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (1440ml)
- 1 pound potatoes diced (450g)
- 2 cups chopped fresh green beans or frozen green beans (260g)
- 1½ cups fresh or frozen corn (214g)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 to 2 teaspoons salt
- 1½ cups frozen peas (200g)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion. Cook, stirring frequently until the onions start to brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the carrots, celery and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes. (Reduce the heat if anything is starting to stick and burn, but browned caramelized bits are good!)
- Add the diced tomatoes, thyme, and black pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Pour in the broth, scraping the bottom of the pot with your spoon to loosen any vegetables that may have stuck. Stir in the potatoes, green beans, corn, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Partially cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Taste and add more salt, if needed. Stir in the peas. Cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley just before serving.
Notes
- To make an extra hearty soup: Cook macaroni, orzo, or rice on the side and serve it with each serving of soup. You can also add a drained, rinsed can of white beans or chickpeas in the last few minutes of cooking time. These also add protein to the veggie soup.
- Make it spicy: A sprinkle of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper added to the sautéed mirepoix adds a delicious and subtle heat.
- Add brightness to the soup: A little acidity can make the flavors in the soup pop. A splash of red wine vinegar or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice will do the trick. Stir in right at the end of cooking.
- Don’t simmer the soup for too long. This will cause the vegetables to become mushy. You want everything to be tender, but not falling apart.
- Change up the texture of the soup. For a chunkier soup, cut your vegetables into larger pieces. Smaller vegetables yield a less chunky veg soup.
- Use different herbs: There are so many dried or fresh herbs you could use in this soup recipe. Oregano, basil, marjoram, or Italian seasoning all work exceptionally well.
