Easy Vegetable Soup
I love this easy vegetable soup recipe and make it all the time! It’s so comforting and satisfying, made with a light tomato broth and packed with lots of healthy veggies. I’ve been making this simple vegetable soup for years. It’s light, nutritious, and genuinely makes you feel good! I make it all year round and love that the recipe is adaptable to whatever veggies are sitting in your fridge or the season. This cozy soup comes together in just one pot, making it perfect for a fuss-free, flavorful meal. I love making a big batch and keeping it in the fridge for easy lunches or dinners throughout the week! If you love creamy soups, see our Creamy Vegetable Soup. Key Ingredients Vegetables: We use a lot of veggies for this soup, but feel free to use what you have on hand. I love onion, carrot, celery, potato or sweet potato, cabbage, and peas. You can customize this vegetable soup with your favorite seasonal vegetables! In the summer, add fresh zucchini or corn. In the winter, try hearty root vegetables like parsnips or turnips. The possibilities are endless! Tomato Paste and Tomatoes: Make the base of our deliciously light broth. If you have fresh tomatoes, use them! I’ve shared how many you’ll need to substitute canned in the tips section of the recipe. Garlic, Fennel Seeds, Bay Leaves, & Red Pepper Flakes: Add a lovely flavor to our soup. I love fennel with vegetables and use either ground or crushed whole fennel seeds in this soup. Pepper flakes add a hint of heat (use as much as you like for your preferred spice level). Broth: You can use your favorite broth in this recipe. I love this homemade vegetable broth when I have it on hand (it also makes this soup vegan and vegetarian). Use chicken broth, homemade bone broth (or store-bought) for a higher protein soup. Apple Cider Vinegar or Lemon Juice: I love adding a bit of vinegar or fresh lemon juice before serving this soup. It brightens all the flavors and makes them pop. Fresh herbs do the same, so if you have some fresh parsley or other green herb in the kitchen, chop and add it just before serving. Vegetables: We use a lot of veggies for this soup, but feel free to use what you have on hand. I love onion, carrot, celery, potato or sweet potato, cabbage, and peas. You can customize this vegetable soup with your favorite seasonal vegetables! In the summer, add fresh zucchini or corn. In the winter, try hearty root vegetables like parsnips or turnips. The possibilities are endless! Tomato Paste and Tomatoes: Make the base of our deliciously light broth. If you have fresh tomatoes, use them! I’ve shared how many you’ll need to substitute canned in the tips section of the recipe. Garlic, Fennel Seeds, Bay Leaves, & Red Pepper Flakes: Add a lovely flavor to our soup. I love fennel with vegetables and use either ground or crushed whole fennel seeds in this soup. Pepper flakes add a hint of heat (use as much as you like for your preferred spice level). Broth: You can use your favorite broth in this recipe. I love this homemade vegetable broth when I have it on hand (it also makes this soup vegan and vegetarian). Use chicken broth, homemade bone broth (or store-bought) for a higher protein soup. Apple Cider Vinegar or Lemon Juice: I love adding a bit of vinegar or fresh lemon juice before serving this soup. It brightens all the flavors and makes them pop. Fresh herbs do the same, so if you have some fresh parsley or other green herb in the kitchen, chop and add it just before serving. Find the full recipe with measurements below. How to Make the Best Vegetable Soup My vegetable soup recipe is such an easy soup to make. I love it all year round. Here are my best tips for making it: Tip 1: Build a solid flavor base: Start your soup with a classic mirepoix (a mix of sautéed onions, carrots, and celery). Adding tomato paste at this stage helps to deepen the flavor and give your soup a richer color. Tip 2: Layer your aromatics: Don’t just dump all your spices in at once. After the initial sauté, stir in aromatics like garlic, fennel, salt, and pepper, and cook for a minute. This way, they get a chance to release their flavor into the soup, but won’t burn before adding the liquid. Tip 3: You only need to simmer until tender: Simmering for about 20 minutes is key to getting the vegetables tender. There’s no need to cook much longer than that. Tip 4: Add any quick-cooking ingredients last: Ingredients that cook quickly, like frozen peas or spinach, should be added at the end to prevent them from becoming mushy and maintain their bright color and texture. Tip 5: Finish with a pop of flavor: Before serving, taste your soup and adjust the seasonings. A splash of apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice at the end can brighten up the flavors and make the soup taste less one-dimensional (a problem I’ve had with veggie soups). My Favorite Vegetable Soup Variations To add protein, stir in cooked or canned beans. Try white beans, chickpeas, lentils, and black beans. See our lentil soup or this white bean soup with vegetables for inspiration. To add pasta, stir in pasta 10 minutes before the veggies soup has finished cooking. I love smaller pasta shapes like orzo in soup or adding tortellini (like in this veggie tortellini soup). To make it creamy, add a splash of cream, milk, or unsweetened dairy-free milk at the end. You can also stir in a little bit of unsweetened yogurt or sour cream. Or blend all the ingredients like we do with this creamy vegetable soup. Or, add more veggies! You can add as many vegetables as you like to this vegetable soup recipe. Feel free to toss in a handful of other vegetables, such as cauliflower, broccoli, summer squash, or corn. To add protein, stir in cooked or canned beans. Try white beans, chickpeas, lentils, and black beans. See our lentil soup or this white bean soup with vegetables for inspiration. To add pasta, stir in pasta 10 minutes before the veggies soup has finished cooking. I love smaller pasta shapes like orzo in soup or adding tortellini (like in this veggie tortellini soup). To make it creamy, add a splash of cream, milk, or unsweetened dairy-free milk at the end. You can also stir in a little bit of unsweetened yogurt or sour cream. Or blend all the ingredients like we do with this creamy vegetable soup. Or, add more veggies! You can add as many vegetables as you like to this vegetable soup recipe. Feel free to toss in a handful of other vegetables, such as cauliflower, broccoli, summer squash, or corn. Easy Vegetable Soup Recipe PREP 10 mins COOK 30 mins TOTAL 40 mins PREP 10 mins COOK 30 mins TOTAL 40 mins This hearty vegetable soup recipe is healthy, easy to make, and tastes amazing. It’s also vegan when you use vegetable broth. Since vegetables vary by seasonality, swap or add different vegetables for the veggies listed below. Kale or spinach, for example, is an excellent substitute for cabbage. 4 to 6 Servings (8 cups) Watch Us Make the Recipe You Will Need 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 cups chopped onion, 1 large 1 ½ cups chopped carrot, 3 to 4 carrots 1 ½ cups chopped celery, 2 to 3 stalks 2 tablespoons tomato paste 4 teaspoons minced garlic, 4 cloves ¾ teaspoon ground fennel seed ½ teaspoon ground black pepper ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional for heat 1 (15oz) can diced tomatoes with their liquid 6 cups stock or broth, see our veggie broth or chicken stock (1.42L) 2 cups chopped potato, 2 medium 3 to 4 heaped cups chopped or shredded cabbage 2 bay leaves 1 cup frozen peas ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice, optional Directions 1Sauté the vegetables: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and tomato paste. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables have softened and the onions are translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. 2Add aromatics: Stir in the garlic, fennel, black pepper, ½ teaspoon of salt, and the red pepper flakes. Cook, while stirring, for one minute. 3Build the soup base: Pour in the canned tomatoes and their juices and the stock/broth. Add the potatoes, cabbage, and bay leaves. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a boil. Partially cover the pot with a lid, then reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer. 4Simmer: Simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes and other vegetables are tender. Add the frozen peas and cook for five more minutes. 5To finish: Remove the pot from the heat and remove the bay leaves. Stir in the cider vinegar (or use lemon juice). Taste and season with more salt, pepper, or vinegar. Serve. 1Sauté the vegetables: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and tomato paste. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables have softened and the onions are translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. 2Add aromatics: Stir in the garlic, fennel, black pepper, ½ teaspoon of salt, and the red pepper flakes. Cook, while stirring, for one minute. 3Build the soup base: Pour in the canned tomatoes and their juices and the stock/broth. Add the potatoes, cabbage, and bay leaves. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a boil. Partially cover the pot with a lid, then reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer. 4Simmer: Simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes and other vegetables are tender. Add the frozen peas and cook for five more minutes. 5To finish: Remove the pot from the heat and remove the bay leaves. Stir in the cider vinegar (or use lemon juice). Taste and season with more salt, pepper, or vinegar. Serve. Adam and Joanne's Tips Storing: Homemade vegetable soup lasts in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. I love freezing individual servings of this soup. To thaw, leave it in the refrigerator overnight and gently reheat the next day. Fresh tomatoes: Substitute about 1 pound (5 to 6 tomatoes) for one 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Calculations included vegetable broth. Storing: Homemade vegetable soup lasts in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. I love freezing individual servings of this soup. To thaw, leave it in the refrigerator overnight and gently reheat the next day. Fresh tomatoes: Substitute about 1 pound (5 to 6 tomatoes) for one 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Calculations included vegetable broth. Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1 cup / Calories 137 / Total Fat 5.7g / Saturated Fat 0.8g / Cholesterol 0mg / Sodium 677.5mg / Carbohydrate 20.3g / Dietary Fiber 4.9g / Total Sugars 7.5g / Protein 3.2g AUTHOR: Joanne Gallagher We’re Adam and Joanne, a couple passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? To inspire you to get in the kitchen and confidently cook fresh and flavorful meals.More About Us