Meet my go-to vegetable soup! This homemade vegetable soup is healthy, easy to make, and tastes fantastic. It’s also vegan when you use vegetable broth!
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This vegetable soup recipe is easy, adaptable, delicious, and perfect for any time. I love this feel-good soup, made with a light tomato broth throughout the year. For a thick and creamy soup, see our creamy vegetable soup recipe. This veggie soup is:
- Simple:It’s easy to prepare and tastes fantastic.
- Flexible:It’s budget-friendly, and you can swap in any veggies you have on hand throughout the year.
- Healthy:It’s nutritious, comforting, and easily made vegetarian or vegan with veggie broth.
- Easy make ahead:It gets even better the next day, ideal for leftovers, lunchboxes, or a quick dinner tomorrow. Leftovers keep for 3 days in the fridge.
- Freezer-friendly:You can freeze it for 3 months!
Serve this easy vegetable soup next to your favorite salad with homemade bread, a sandwich, or corn tortillas for a filling meal.
How to make the best vegetable soup
This cozy vegetable soup comes together in just one pot, making it perfect for a fuss-free, flavorful meal. We start by sweating onions, carrots, and celery in olive oil with a touch of tomato paste.
I add more flavor with garlic, fennel seeds, salt, and pepper. Pour in your choice of vegetable or chicken broth. Then, add diced tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, and bay leaves.
Let the soup simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Then, when I have them in the freezer, I toss in frozen peas and cook them for a few more minutes to heat through.
Before serving, make sure you taste your soup and adjust with more salt and pepper, and for a pop of flavor, add a dash of apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice.
Bonus Tip: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!
How to store vegetable soup
- Refrigerator:Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Be sure to place it in the refrigerator within two hours of cooking.
- Freezer:Store in freezer-friendly containers in the freezer for up to 3 months. Consider freezing vegetable soup in individual servings or smaller batches.
- Reheating:Thaw frozen soup overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat the soup gently over low heat on the stovetop, stirring occasionally.
My Favorite Variations of This Soup
More protein: Add more protein by adding cooked or canned beans — white beans, chickpeas, lentils, and black beans would be excellent. See our lentil soup or this white bean soup with vegetables for inspiration.
Add pasta: Stir in pasta about 10 minutes before the soup has finished cooking. I love smaller pasta shapes like orzo in soup or adding tortellini like this veggie tortellini soup.
Make it creamy: Add a splash of cream, milk, or unsweetened dairy-free milk. You can also stir in a little bit of unsweetened yogurt or sour cream. We do something similar in this creamy veggie soup and broccoli cheddar soup.
Add spices: We love the combination of ground fennel, garlic, and red pepper flakes, but you can use other spices. Try Italian seasoning, Za’atar spice blend, Cajun seasoning, an Indian spice blend like curry powder, or chili powder — here’s our homemade chili powder.
Add more veggies: The number of vegetables you add to the soup is up to you. Feel free to toss in a handful of other vegetables like cauliflower, summer squash, or corn.
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Easy Homemade Vegetable Soup
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This hearty vegetable soup recipe is healthy, easy to make, and tastes fantastic. It’s also vegan when a vegetable broth is used! Since vegetables vary by seasonality, feel free to swap or add different vegetables for the ones listed below. Kale or spinach, for example, is an excellent substitute for cabbage.
Makes about 8 cups of soup or 4 to 6 servings
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
3/4 teaspoon ground fennel seed
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional for heat
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes with their liquid
6 cups (1420ml) stock or broth, see our veggie broth orchicken stock
2 cups chopped potato, 2 medium
3 to 4 heaped cups chopped or shredded cabbage
2 bay leaves
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice, optional
Directions
1Heat the oil in a stockpot pot or Dutch oven 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 the garlic, fennel, black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the red pepper flakes. Cook, while stirring, for one minute.
3Pour in the canned tomatoes and their juices and the stock/broth.
4Add 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, and then reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer.
5Simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes and other vegetables are tender. Add the frozen peas and cook for five more minutes.
6Remove 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
- Fresh tomatoes: Substitute about 1 pound (5 to 6 tomatoes) for one 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes.
- Storing: Leftover soup keeps for up to 3 days in the refrigerator and up to 3 months in the freezer.
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values. 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: Adam and Joanne Gallagher
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