There is something uniquely comforting about a bowl of homemade vegetable soup. It’s more than just a meal; it’s a hug in a bowl, a gentle reset for the body and soul. This isn’t the thin, watery soup you might remember from your childhood. My vegetable soup recipe is robust, packed with chunky vegetables, and simmered in a deeply savoury, herby broth that feels both nourishing and genuinely satisfying. I’ve been making this for over 3 years, and it never disappoints, adapting to whatever vegetables I have lingering in the fridge.

What makes this particular recipe so special is the attention we pay to building layers of flavour from the very beginning. We don’t just throw everything into a pot. We gently sweat the onions, carrots, and celery to draw out their natural sweetness, creating a beautiful foundation. The result is a healthy soup that doesn’t compromise on taste—it’s bright, fragrant, and substantial enough to be a main course.

This veggie recipe is ideal when you want a nutritious meal that feels like a treat. It’s a wonderful way to use up seasonal produce, and because it’s naturally a vegan soup, it’s one of those dishes that everyone at the table can enjoy together. Serve it with a thick slice of crusty bread for dipping, and you have a truly wonderful meal for a chilly evening.

Recipe Overview

This recipe creates a hearty, flavourful vegetable soup with a clear, savoury broth and tender, chunky vegetables. The key is gently sautéing the base vegetables to develop a sweet, aromatic foundation before simmering. I’ve found that a final squeeze of lemon juice just before serving really lifts all the individual flavours and makes the soup taste incredibly fresh.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Servings: 6 people
• Difficulty: Easy

Why You’ll Love This Vegetable Soup Recipe

• Genuine Flavour: We build a rich taste from the ground up. The sweetness from the slow-cooked carrots and parsnips melds with the earthy potatoes and savoury herbs, creating a broth that is complex and deeply satisfying.
• Ready in Under an Hour: From chopping the first onion to ladling the hot soup into bowls, this entire nutritious meal comes together in about 50 minutes, making it brilliant for a weeknight dinner.
• Flexible Recipe: This recipe is a fantastic template. Don’t have parsnips? Use swede or sweet potato. Have some kale or spinach that needs using? Stir it in for the last five minutes of cooking. You can also add a tin of cannellini beans for a heartier, protein-rich version, much like in my Lentil Soup Recipe Hearty Comfort.
• Great for Batch Cooking: This soup works beautifully for meal prep. I often make a double batch on a Sunday to have warming lunches ready for the week ahead. It tastes even better on the second day!
• Family Tested: My whole family enjoys this one, which isn’t always a given with vegetable-heavy dishes! They love dipping big chunks of sourdough into the broth, and it always gets compliments.

Vegetable Soup Recipe

⏱️ 20 min prep  •  🍳 45 min cook  •  👥 4 servings

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Ingredients You’ll Need

For this recipe, we’re using a classic combination of root vegetables and aromatics. Using a good quality, low-sodium vegetable stock is important as it forms the backbone of the soup’s flavour. I often use Marigold Swiss Vegetable Bouillon powder as it has a really rich, well-rounded taste.

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 celery sticks, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium parsnips, peeled and diced
• 500g waxy potatoes (like Maris Piper or Charlotte), peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
• 1.5 litres vegetable stock
• 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 2 tsp dried thyme (or 2 fresh sprigs)
• 1 tsp dried rosemary (or 1 fresh sprig)
• 1 bay leaf
• 150g frozen peas
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• A small bunch of fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional, but recommended)

Ashley’s Tip: Using waxy potatoes is key here. They hold their shape during simmering and won’t disintegrate into the broth, ensuring you get lovely, tender chunks in every spoonful.

How to Make This Vegetable Soup Recipe

The process for this soup is straightforward. The most important part is the first step—don’t rush sautéing the base vegetables, as this is where the deep flavour is developed.

1. Build the Flavour Base: Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over a medium-low heat. Add the chopped onions, carrots, and celery. This combination is known as a soffritto and is the foundation of countless wonderful dishes. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes until the vegetables have softened and the onion is translucent, but not browned.
2. Add Aromatics: Add the minced garlic, dried thyme, and dried rosemary to the pot. Cook for another minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant. This step toasts the herbs and garlic, deepening their flavour.
3. Add Root Vegetables: Tip in the diced parsnips and potatoes and give everything a good stir to coat the vegetables in the oil and herbs. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
4. Introduce Liquids: Pour in the vegetable stock and the tin of chopped tomatoes. Add the bay leaf and season with a generous pinch of salt and a good few grinds of black pepper.
5. Simmer Gently: Bring the soup to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid, and let it simmer gently for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes and parsnips are tender when pierced with a knife. What works best for me is keeping it at a very gentle bubble, not a rolling boil.
6. Add Final Touches: Stir in the frozen peas and cook for another 3-5 minutes until they are bright green and tender. Remove the pot from the heat. Fish out the bay leaf (and fresh herb sprigs, if you used them).
7. Season and Serve: Stir in the optional lemon juice – it really brightens everything up. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed. Ladle into warm bowls, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve immediately.

Tips From My Kitchen

• The Sauté is Key: Don’t be tempted to turn the heat up high to speed up the initial cooking. A gentle, medium-low heat coaxes the sweetness out of the onions, carrots and celery. Rushing this step will result in a less flavourful soup.
• The Secret Step: I learned that adding an acidic element at the end transforms the soup. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice or even a tiny splash of apple cider vinegar awakens all the flavours and prevents the soup from tasting flat.
• Make-Ahead Magic: You can chop the onions, carrots, celery, and parsnips a day or two in advance and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. This makes assembly on the day much quicker. The soup itself can be made up to 4 days ahead; the flavours will actually deepen and improve.
• Storage: Allow the soup to cool completely before transferring to an airtight container. It will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the hob.

Equipment You’ll Need

• Large stockpot or Dutch oven
• Sharp knife and cutting board
• Wooden spoon or spatula
• Ladle
• Immersion blender (optional, for a creamier texture)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Under-seasoning: Vegetables and stock need a good amount of salt to bring their flavours to life. Always taste your soup at the very end of cooking and add salt and pepper until it tastes just right. Don’t be shy!
• Boiling Too Vigorously: Once the soup comes to a boil, you must reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. A rapid, rolling boil can cause the vegetables to break down and turn mushy, ruining the texture.
• Cutting Vegetables Unevenly: Try to chop your vegetables into roughly uniform sizes. This ensures they all cook at the same rate, so you don’t end up with hard carrots and mushy potatoes.

Delicious Variations to Try

One of the best things about this healthy soup is how easily you can adapt it. Here are a few of my favourite variations:

• Spicy Vegetable Soup: Add 1/2 teaspoon of red chilli flakes along with the garlic for a gentle, warming heat that builds with each spoonful.
• Creamy Vegan Soup: For a richer, creamier texture without dairy, blend about a third of the soup with an immersion blender until smooth, then stir it back into the pot. Alternatively, stir in 100ml of coconut milk at the end of cooking.
• Heartier Version: To make it an even more substantial meal, add a tin of rinsed chickpeas, cannellini beans, or lentils for the last 15 minutes of simmering. This is a great way to add plant-based protein, similar to how we make our Stuffed Peppers With Rice Recipe Dinner so satisfying.

What to Serve With This Vegetable Soup Recipe

While this soup is a complete meal on its own, a few simple accompaniments can elevate it further.

• Crusty Bread: A thick slice of sourdough or a warm, crusty baguette is non-negotiable in my house for mopping up every last drop of the flavourful broth.
• A Dollop of Pesto: A spoonful of fresh basil pesto stirred into the soup just before eating adds a vibrant, herby punch that complements the vegetables beautifully.
• Simple Green Salad: A crisp green salad with a sharp vinaigrette offers a lovely fresh contrast to the warm, comforting soup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Vegetable Soup

A hearty and nutritious soup packed with a variety of fresh root vegetables and aromatic herbs, perfect for a comforting and healthy meal.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: International

Calories: 310

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium onions finely chopped
• 3 medium carrots peeled and diced
• 3 celery sticks diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 medium parsnips peeled and diced
• 500 g waxy potatoes like Maris Piper or Charlotte, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
• 1.5 litres vegetable stock
• 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 2 tsp dried thyme or 2 fresh sprigs
• 1 tsp dried rosemary or 1 fresh sprig
• 1 bay leaf
• 150 g frozen peas
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• A small bunch of fresh parsley chopped (for garnish)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice optional, but recommended

Method

 

1. Build the Flavour Base: Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over a medium-low heat. Add the chopped onions, carrots, and celery. This combination is known as a soffritto and is the foundation of countless wonderful dishes. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes until the vegetables have softened and the onion is translucent, but not browned.
2. Add Aromatics: Add the minced garlic, dried thyme, and dried rosemary to the pot. Cook for another minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant. This step toasts the herbs and garlic, deepening their flavour.
3. Add Root Vegetables: Tip in the diced parsnips and potatoes and give everything a good stir to coat the vegetables in the oil and herbs. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
4. Introduce Liquids: Pour in the vegetable stock and the tin of chopped tomatoes. Add the bay leaf and season with a generous pinch of salt and a good few grinds of black pepper.
5. Simmer Gently: Bring the soup to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid, and let it simmer gently for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes and parsnips are tender when pierced with a knife. What works best for me is keeping it at a very gentle bubble, not a rolling boil.
6. Add Final Touches: Stir in the frozen peas and cook for another 3-5 minutes until they are bright green and tender. Remove the pot from the heat. Fish out the bay leaf (and fresh herb sprigs, if you used them).
7. Season and Serve: Stir in the optional lemon juice – it really brightens everything up. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed. Ladle into warm bowls, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve immediately.

Notes

For a creamier texture, you can use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup before serving. The soup stores well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

I hope you find as much warmth and satisfaction in this vegetable soup recipe as my family and I do. It’s a true testament to how simple, wholesome ingredients can come together to create something truly delicious and restorative. If you try it, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below. I love hearing from you! – Ashley