Nothing hits the spot quite like a bowl of cozy and comforting vegetable soup filled with an array of colorful veggies, a good pinch of seasoning and the finishing touch of fresh herbs!
Vegetable Soup, Deliciously Healthy and Simple
I was never one of those kids that didn't eat their veggies, funny enough. I've always actually quite enjoyed them, crunching and munching on them whether cooked or raw!
I grew up eating homemade vegetable soup prepared by my mom's loving hands, and always enjoyed every soothing bite. It was filled with whatever vegetables she had on hand that she wanted to make sure to use up while they were still fresh, as well as lots of herbs and seasonings.
And even though that delicious vegetable soup was pretty basic, made without the addition of any meat and simmered in a basic broth, little was quite as comforting and enjoyable as a nice, big bowl of it with some warm bread on the side.
So naturally, soothing, comforting and healthy vegetable soup has always been one of my favorite soups. A favorite because it is loaded with all sorts of wonderfully colorful veggies gently simmered in a light yet gloriously flavorful broth—so belly warming and healthy, two of the best possible combinations.
This simple little meal always lifted my spirits!
How to Make Vegetable Soup
The beauty of a vegetable soup recipe is that it truly is deliciously healthy and simple, made pretty much with whatever vegetables one has on hand.
It's a stellar way to make tasty use of the veggies that are begging to be used up in that veggie drawer in the fridge!
And since a good vegetable soup needs not much more than an array of vegetables, some rich vegetable stock or broth (you can even use chicken stock or chicken broth for more flavor), a couple of good pinches of seasoning, and a fresh, colorful and a flavorful sprinkle of fresh herbs to finish. It typically only takes about 20 minutes to whip up, which means you'll be enjoying it in no time.
Vegetable soup is ideal as a quick and healthy meal that doesn't require much muss or fuss, only the time it takes to roughly chop things up and simmer just until everything is tender yet still has a bit of crispness.
The steps are simple:
- Cut your desired vegetables into small, bite-sized pieces. Some wonderful veggies to use are carrots, celery, leek, parsnips, rutabaga, kale, tomatoes, peas and corn—you can be as creative as you'd like!
- Place a medium to large-size soup pot over medium-high heat, and add in a little of both olive oil and butter, as this will give the vegetable soup some added flavor and depth.
- Saute the hard vegetables such as carrots, celery, parsnip along with aromatics like leeks, garlic or onion for a few minutes in the oil and butter, just until they begin to soften slightly. Then, sprinkle in your seasonings such as a pinch of dried herbs. You can also add in diced tomatoes at this time if you are using them.
- Add your stock or broth (either vegetable or chicken—your choice), and simmer for about 15-20 minutes with your lid askew or covering, just until the veggies are tender yet still have a bit of bite to them.
- At the end, with the heat off, stir in any leafy veggies such as kale or spinach, along with any peas or corn and fresh herbs, as they will easily wilt and/or warm up in the hot liquid. I even like to add a squeeze of lemon to brighten things up as well.
- Then, simply ladle into bowls, and enjoy!
Tips & Tidbits for Vegetable Soup:
- Choose your veggies: You can get as creative as you'd like here—use the veggies that are your favorite! I personally love the combination of earthy, sweet and savory flavors when choosing my veggies; I like to use carrots, parsnips, leeks, kale, and diced tomatoes to list a few.
- Combo of oil and butter for flavor: While you can certainly use only olive oil, or your preferred kind of oil, or even all butter, I like the combination of both oil and butter for added flavor and richness. This gives a little something extra to the flavor of the soup!
- Add your leafy greens and more delicate veggies at the end: While the harder veggies can withstand a good simmer, it's best to leave the kale, the herbs, and the peas and corn (if using) for last. I add these in after I've turned off the soup, as the residual heat will wilt/cook/heat through these ingredients. It will also help keep the green veggies green longer, making for a more attractive soup to serve!
- Fresh herbs: I like to use a combination of both dried herbs and fresh in my soups. I add the dried as part of the seasoning to be added in as part of the cooking process, and use the fresh herbs to serve as finishers.
- Vegetable broth or chicken broth, your choice: To make a completely vegetarian version of this soup, use vegetable broth or stock; but for a little extra flavor, use chicken broth or stock.
- A squeeze of lemon: A little squeeze of lemon will add a tiny hint of brightness to vegetable soup, or any other soup, frankly! Just a teaspoon or two will enliven things deliciously.
- Make ahead: Soup always deepens and becomes more flavorful a day or two after it's been prepared, so feel free to prep it a couple of days before you plan to serve it—it'll be delicious! (Just add the leafy greens, peas, corn, and any herbs after you have reheated it and just before serving...)
Feast your eyes on these, or just jump to the recipe:
Recipe
Vegetable Soup
by Ingrid Beer
Yield: Serves 6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 leeks (white part only), quartered and sliced thinly
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced small
• 3 parsnips, peeled and diced small
• 3 ribs celery, diced small
• 2 small red potatoes, peeled and diced small
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 1 teaspoons dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 1 (14.5 / 411 gram) can whole tomatoes, drained and seeded, and diced small
• 6 cups vegetables broth or chicken broth
• ½ cup peas
• ½ cup corn kernels
• 1 ½ cups finely chopped kale
• 1 tablespoon chopped, fresh parsley
• Small squeeze of lemon
Preparation:
-Place a medium-large soup pot over medium-high heat, and add in the butter and the oil; once melted together, add in the leeks, carrots, parsnips, celery and diced potatoes, plus a pinch or two of salt and black pepper, and cook those together for about 3-4 minutes, or until they begin to become slightly translucent.
-Add the Italian seasoning and the dried parsley, along with the garlic, and stir those in to incorporate; add the tomatoes followed by the vegetable or chicken stock, and bring to the boil; once boiling, reduce the heat so that the soup is gently simmering, cover, and allow to cook for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender yet have a slight bite still.
-Turn the heat off the soup, stir in the peas, corn kernels, kale, chopped parsley and the small squeeze of lemon, and taste to see if any additional salt/pepper is needed, and serve.
Looking for more delicious soup recipes? Check out this Lemony Chicken & Spring Veggie Soup, or this Summer Corn Soup with Shrimp!
Roseanne
This looks absolutely delicious, Ingrid! xo
The Cozy Apron
Hi Roseanne, thank you!
Dorothy
Making this for dinner tonight. Will let you know what I think.
Mary
Making my second batch of this delicious soup. I substituted book choy for the kale . Easy to make . So glad I found it !
The Cozy Apron
Fantastic, Mary! Thrilled you're enjoying the recipe, and your bok choy substitution is perfect!
Daniella
Hi Ingrid!! It's been a long time. Hope all is well with you and your family. I see that you have been very busy, that's so great.
So today is Ingrid day in our house. This soup for lunch and for dessert tonight, your raspberry swirl yogurt cake. I've been craving something sweet and this looks perfect! Can't wait to make it.
I have been wanting to make this soup for a while but it's been way too hot here in Toronto. Just two days ago it was 42 Celsius. Today it only 20 Celsius, so a perfect day to make it. It was just as yummy as it looks. I love veg soups and I love that bit of lemon, I do the same with my soups. Will definitely be making this again.
Can't wait to try your Octoberfest potato with sausage. It's so funny, Jeff's always saying, " look what Ingrid posted today" with a big smile on his face lol. So it looks like I will be making those too.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes Ingrid.
Dani
Ingrid Beer
Hi sweet Dani,
It has been a long time! So great to hear from you! 🙂
Aw...I was really touched that it was "Ingrid Day" in your house today, lol...so happy you enjoyed this light and tasty soup, and I hope you enjoy the raspberry swirl yogurt cake as well! (I just made my apple cake yesterday, as I, too, was craving something sweet!)
Yes, I see Jeff on Instagram quite often—always love seeing his beautiful photography that he posts, and appreciate his support for my posts, too!
I hope life is treating both of you very well, and that there is lots of love, peace, joy and harmony in both of your lives!
Sending lots of love and hugs to you Dani...xoxo
Jill Schacter
This is a delicious vegetable soup. I highly recommend it. I added some orzo which I love but I'm sure it's fabulous just as written.
The Cozy Apron
Jill, thank you so much for commenting!
I love your addition of orzo—I think this delicate pasta goes wonderfully with this broth-y soup. So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
TW
Delicious!!
The Cozy Apron
Thank you so much! So glad you enjoyed...
Despina
Was looking for a Veggie soup recipe to make last night and stumbled upon this one. I'm only just getting started with cooking, and i have to say.. this recipe was absolutely YUM!!! SO easy to make, the steps were very straight forward, the ingredients so easy to find and the taste was simply rewarding. Highly recommend this to anyone looking to wow their taste buds! Thank you for such an amazing recipe XX
The Cozy Apron
Oh, Despina, I'm so happy to read that! Glad you enjoyed the soup so much.
Congrats on getting into the kitchen and starting your journey with cooking—I think it will be a fulfilling and nourishing one, both physically and spiritually!
Hope you enjoy more of our recipes!
Kelly
Hello! This looks amazing. I will be trying this ASAP! I saw someone put orzo in the recipe- at what step would I put that in? Thanks!!!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Kelly!
I always recommend that any pasta or quinoa, etc. be cooked up separately from the soup. That way, it doesn't absorb all that good broth and make the soup super thick if you have some leftovers.
It's easy enough to simply spoon your desired amount of orzo into your bowl and ladle the hot soup over it.
Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Ania
Thank you very much for the base of a fantastic soup I make often. You can do so much here, and with keen imagination you can make variations that never get old.
Sometimes to add little bit of a smokey flavor to it I place a chunk of onion on my burner and then add it to the broth. My mom used to do it when I was a kid.
The Cozy Apron
Thank you for sharing, Ania!
This sounds delicious and unique, and it's so true—the possibilities are endless with the base!
Sue
Delicious! It is always the little things that raise a dish from good to fantastic. In this soup, I think it is the butter and the squeeze of lemon. Thank you for a great recipe. It is a keeper!
The Cozy Apron
Sue, that is so, so true—it is the little things that make all the difference, in this case the little squeeze of lemon as well as the butter bring a little something extra. 😉
So glad you enjoyed, and I appreciate you sharing your experience with me!
Marguerite
How can I make this ahead of time? Sauté veggies the. Add broth and put in fridge? Then next day boil?
Or can I do crockpot?
Thank you!!!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Marguerite, it's actually a lot less complicated than that—go ahead and prepare the recipe all the way through!
The wonderful thing about soup is that you can prepare it 2-3 days ahead of when you'd like to serve it, and the flavors will only get more intense and delicious. So go ahead and just make it start to finish, ahead of when you'd like to serve it, and just keep it in the fridge.
Hope you enjoy!
Ashley
Hey! What would happen if I used beef broth?
The Cozy Apron
Hey! I think it'd be mighty tasty!
Wendy
I made this soup for my mom who is undergoing cancer treatment and has no appetite for ANYTHING, and she loved it! I did leave out the tomatoes to cut the acidity a little, and went with herbes de Provence instead of Italian seasoning. Threw in a bay leaf for good measure. Might be the best soup I've ever made! Big thanks from my mom and me.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Wendy, I am so touched by your comment. First and foremost, please know my heart goes out to your mom, going through chemotherapy. I am familiar with this difficult process as well through my own mom's experience.
My hope is that she can find some strength and nourishment, and this soup is perfect for this. I am beyond thrilled that she enjoyed it so much (with your terrific alterations), and I hope it comforts her and lifts her spirits.
Sending lots of love and wishes for full healing for your momma, Wendy. And perhaps you'll even be able to find a few more light and simple recipes here on the site that your precious momma may enjoy. xoxox
Jeanie
My ‘vegan’ daughter stopped by yesterday. We prepared this recipe, as written, for dinner. It was so good, very healthy. I’ll definitely make this again. Thanks for the recipe.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Jeanie, that's fantastic—perfect vegan-friendly pick!
So glad the two of you enjoyed this healthy-yet-hearty soup and were warmed by it, and truly I appreciate you taking some time to share your experience with me. 🙂
Happy cooking, Jeanie!
Barb
Soup looks delicious. But with potatoes, it cannot be frozen. Should be an added comment for anyone who wants to freeze this soup.
Christine Scanling
Thank you for a great recipe I’ve made this soup 3 times now ..adding barley too..
It is a recipe that turns out as written..Keeper definitely..
The Cozy Apron
Christine, that's fantastic! Very happy to read the soup has been on repeat for you, and the barley will be such a delicious add in. 🙂
Jae
I’m excited to make this soup as I’ve been under the weather lately! I was wondering how you felt about adding wild rice to this recipe?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Jae, so sorry to read that you're under the weather...but you are right, this soup will definitely help you to feel better! 🙂
I think the addition of the wild rice would be terrific. I would advise that you NOT add it directly to the soup, as it will suck up all the yummy broth and dramatically thicken your soup, especially if you have leftovers and the soup sits.
So cook up and keep that rice separate, and just add spoonfuls directly your bowl as desired. (I do this with pasta, quinoa, etc. whenever I make soup.)
And if you're reheating, then you can add some directly to your soup and reheat together to warm up the rice. But definitely keep it separate until ready to eat.
Hope you feel better, Jae! Happy soup making!
Phoebe Smith
What happened to the corn? Its in the ingredient list but doesnt say when to add it. I am making it right now and I can tell it will be delicious already.
Thank you
The Cozy Apron
Hi Phoebe, oops! So sorry about that...you're the first to let me know! Goes in with the peas and kale, and I made that correction. Thanks so much for letting me know. 🙂
Hope you enjoy the soup!
Amanda
Hi, I'm just getting over covid and it's way too hot for me to be cooking on the stove, so I'dlike to make this in the instant pot. Would you recommend about 5 minutes cook time in the instant pot?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Amanda, so sorry to read that! Hope you're feeling better.
I don't see why you couldn't prepare this soup in your instant pot. Unfortunately, I'm not the best at advising on settings/times, as I don't own one myself; but since the veggies don't take long to cook, whatever time you feel would get them tender would work.