Seriously Good Vegetable Soup
This vegetable soup recipe is seriously so good! It's easy to make, and full of healthy vegetables and fresh flavor. There's nothing "blah" about it!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on July 10, 2024
You know how most vegetable soups are pretty tired and “blah”? Not this one! This hearty homemade vegetable soup is full of fresh, wholesome flavors.
I’m excited to share this vegetable soup recipe with you. It’s honestly the best I’ve ever had, and I hope you’ll agree. You just might have all the ingredients you’ll need to make this easy soup on hand already.
I can think of so many reasons to make this soup. Warm up with a big bowl of veggie soup on a cold day. Make it for someone who’s under the weather. My husband has a cold and it’s snowing outside as I type, so this soup is just what we need right now.
Prepare a batch and you’ll have a healthy side dish ready to go for the rest of the week. This soup is a great way to lighten up heavier meals, especially as we get into the holidays. Did I mention that it’s vegetarian, vegan and gluten free for all to enjoy?
Vegetable Options for Vegetable Soup
This homemade vegetable soup is versatile by design, so you can enjoy it from fall through winter. We’ll use onion, carrots and celery as a base.
We’ll also add two cups of seasonal vegetables to make this soup more hearty and interesting. Choose from veggies you have on hand, or grab your favorites at the store. Any of these will work:
- Sweet potatoes or regular potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- Butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- Green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch long segments
- Bell pepper, chopped
- Cauliflower, cut into very small bite-sized pieces
- Zucchini or yellow squash, chopped
- Fresh greens: Kale, collard greens, chard, or spinach
How to Make the Best Vegetable Soup
We’ll use several simple techniques to build flavor as we cook this soup. Here’s how:
1) Start with the veggies.
We’ll sauté chopped onion, celery, carrots and seasonal vegetables in olive oil, with some salt. This softens them up and enhances their flavors. Adding salt during different stages of the cooking process builds more flavor than simply adding it all at the end.
2) Add fresh minced garlic, curry powder, and dried thyme.
Sautéing these ingredients for about 1 minute wakes up their flavors, but isn’t long enough to risk burning the garlic (burnt garlic tastes awful).
Curry powder is the secret to making this soup so delicious. We aren’t adding much. You probably won’t be able to pinpoint the flavor, but it adds some subtle intrigue and warmth to this soup. I’ve also used curry powder in my lentil soup and chickpea noodle soup as well, and it always works like a charm.
3) Add canned diced tomatoes with their juices.
We’ll cook them all together for a couple of minutes to reduce any tinny flavors. I used fire-roasted diced tomatoes for these photos, but regular diced tomatoes were just as good. I always recommend using Muir Glen brand of tomatoes because they taste the best and come in BPA-free cans.
4) Almost done—add some vegetable broth, water, and more flavorings.
Vegetable broth keeps this soup vegetarian/vegan. We’ll also add bay leaves, red pepper flakes, and a little more salt. If you’re sensitive to spice, you can reduce or omit the red pepper flakes. If you love spice like me, you might even want to double the amount at the end (add to taste). Regardless, we’ll let the soup gently simmer for 25 minutes so the flavors can meld together.
5) Add chopped fresh greens and finally, some fresh lemon juice.
Lastly, we’ll add chopped greens for health bonus points, and simmer for 5 minutes to soften them up. Before serving, we’ll brighten up the soup with a big squeeze of lemon juice (one of my other go-to soup tricks) and add another splash of olive oil for rich flavor. Taste the soup before and after these additions, and you’ll notice a big difference! Finally, season to taste with salt and pepper, as necessary.
Watch How to Make Vegetable Soup
Please let me know how this soup turns out in the comments. I love hearing from you, and your feedback encourages other readers to try the recipe.
Craving more hearty, healthy, meatless soups this season? Me, too. Here are a few more great options:
- Classic Minestrone Soup
- Best Lentil Soup
- Chickpea Noodle Soup
- Pasta e Fagioli (Italian Pasta and Beans Soup)
- Quinoa Vegetable Soup with Kale
- Sweet Potato, Kale and Chickpea Soup
Don’t miss the hearty soups in my cookbook, Love Real Food. They’re some of my favorites!
Seriously Good Vegetable Soup
This vegetable soup recipe is seriously so good! It’s easy to make, and full of veggies and fresh flavor. If you’re feeing under the weather or just wanting to lighten up your meals, this soup is the answer. Recipe yields 6 bowls of soup.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped
- 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 cups chopped seasonal vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, green beans, butternut squash, potatoes, bell pepper, zucchini or yellow squash
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided, to taste
- 6 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
- 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, reduce or omit if sensitive to spice
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups chopped kale or collard greens or chard (thick ribs removed), or spinach
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Warm 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, seasonal vegetables and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened and is turning translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add the garlic, curry powder and thyme. Cook until fragrant while stirring frequently, about 1 minute. Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices and cook for a few more minutes, stirring often.
- Pour in the broth and water. Add ½ teaspoon more salt, 2 bay leaves and the red pepper flakes. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper. Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a boil, then partially cover the pot and reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
- Cook for 25 minutes, then remove the lid and add the chopped greens. Continue simmering for 5 minutes or more, until the greens have softened to your liking.
- Remove the pot from heat and remove the bay leaves. Stir in the lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Taste and season with more salt, pepper and/or red pepper flakes. (You might need up to ½ teaspoon more salt, depending on your vegetable broth and your personal preferences.) Divide into bowls and enjoy.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my quinoa vegetable soup and lentil soup.
Storage suggestions: This soup keeps well in the refrigerator for about 4 days. It freezes and defrosts well if you want to freeze extra portions for later!
Recommended equipment: I’m convinced that everything I cook in my Dutch oven (affiliate link) comes out extra delicious.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
YUM❗️ I followed your directions, it added a few more diced tomatoes and some tomato paste. So easy, so tasty. I will definitely make again. I enjoyed the other comments, and may add a few more veggies. Thank you for sharing this! Now I need to see some of your other ones!!!
Kathy
Love this soup!
Made this tonight….so good! Thank you!!
Great vegetable soup! I shy away from plain old vegetable soup because it’s not very interesting….not so with this one. I followed your recipe exactly, I am not a “spice wimp” but I did find it a bit spicy so next time will temper the red pepper flakes a little, or not add pepper. Thanks for this recipe! Take care.
This sounds amazing. I’m allergic to garlic, do you think it will be just as good with omitting that ingredient? Or is there a substitute? More curry?
Hi Lucy, You can omit and then adjust the other seasonings as you see fit. I didn’t try it without garlic and feel it does offer a lot of flavor.
I also have a garlic allergy. I make this without garlic and it is delicious! The curry and thyme add enough spice to make it very tasty. (Actually, I love C&K recipes for this reason – there are always enough other interesting spices that just omitting garlic is an easy option.)
Thank you for sharing, Jen!
Can you cook this soup in an instant pot? Also would balsamic vinegar be a good add to the recipe?
Hi Jeanne! I haven’t tried this in an instant pot, sorry.
Thanks for the quick reply. I did cook it in an instant pot. sauted garlic and onions then added veggies, added black beans for protein. Then added broth, wine and tomatoes. Cooked for 4 minutes, allowed 15 minutes to release pressure then added lemon juices and balsamic vinegar. DELICOUS!!!
It IS seriously good. Definite keeper. I used Not-Chick’n for the base. A touch of curry powder is a game changer in some salad dressings as well, particularly Caesar.
Thank you for this recipe! Made it for supper tonight, and it was delicious. I even fed some to my 9mnth old grandson and he liked it. I used green beans, potatoes, and red bell peppers for my seasonal veggies. I used just a pinch of red pepper flakes because my grandson was over, and it was still so yummy.
Hi, I can’t have nightshades. With the soup work without the tomatoes? It looks and sounds amazing! Thanks so much.
Hi Kara! Tomatoes are a big part of this one. You can leave them out if you can’t have them and adjust the flavorings to your taste.
Thanks for your prompt reply! I couldn’t resist trying, so we are chopping. I’m more of a baker than a cook. Any suggestions on adjusting the flavorings? Our seasonal veggies are sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and green pepper. Kind of random! Thanks for any ideas!
Delicious! This is definitely not the plain old veggie soup that I’ve come to think of as vegetable soup. My family scarfed their bowl of soup down and went back for seconds.
I love it! Thank you for sharing, Tig.
Yum! Vegetable soup doesn’t get any better than this. Thank you.
Hi Kate –
Can I take a moment to thank you for your format here on this world wide web? Your narrative is just enough, your format is easy to navigate, I can actually find the recipe itself before getting agitated and using foul language, your suggestions are exactly what I need, including references to other great similar recipes. And I found what I was looking for without being assaulted in a sh*t-storm of pop-up advertising. Ahh, finally, a cooking/recipe website I can have a love/love relationship with (sorry about the dangling preposition).
Looking forward to trying this recipe. Happy fall,
Jeff
Thank you for your comment, Jeff! I’m happy you love my blog and happy fall. :)
I’ve made this twice since early September and love it for lunch next day (and the next and next…). My family also loves it and it’s a great way to get a lot of veggies in. If I plan ahead I make sure to shop for the seasonal veggies and save a few for the soup. ❤️
Hi all, I just made this soup though I have to admit to sacrilege… I used my thanksgiving turkey broth (don’t be confused, I’m in Canada). This is my new favourite soup recipe. Next time I’ll remain a purist. Thank you for this! …and I concur with Jeff’s comments, your site is a breath of fresh air!
I made this for the second time tonight after discovering this recipe last Winter. It’s absolutely perfect! I always follow a recipe, as it is written, the first time a prepare it. I like to see how the flavors come together as the creator intends. This soup is fail-proof and delicious. Not a single addition needed. Thanks for a simple & nutritious soup recipe to add to my rotation. My whole family loves this one.
I made this and find it the best veg soup I have ever made . A regular in my winter meals .
So versatile too..I add chicken sometimes for my non vegetarian family. Have it on the go at the moment..kitchen smells lovely
Can you use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth?
You can, although I’m a vegetarian so I haven’t tried it. I can’t guarantee the results. I hope you enjoy it!
Thanks Kate! Love your recipes. I made my own vegetable stock to follow your recipe properly!
Great soup recipe. I didn’t have any curry or thyme and it was still wonderful. Served it with jalapeño cornbread for a perfect fall dinner.
Yes, a great soup for right now! Thank you for your review, Jann.
Delicious! I left out the chilli flakes but was generous with the black pepper which made the soup deliciously piquant. Vegetarian, low in calories but packed with flavour! What’s not to like!?
Fraser
Made this today to use up all my produce from my weekly veg share, lots of root veg. I used carrots, onion, kale, chard, celery root, shiitakes… it is seriously good! I was skeptical of the curry powder, but it is fantastic in there!
Sounds perfect! Thank you for sharing, Sarah.
Your recipes are my go to when I need inspiration. I’m never disappointed in them as written and they are a great jumping off spot. This vegetable soup is so good. I make a really good vegetable soup, but the addition of the curry and adding extra EVOO and lemon juice added so much. I used sweet potatoes and spinach as my extra vegetables. Thanks Kate!
I’m happy to hear that, Debra! Thank you for sharing.
I tried the recipe but used too much chili powder what can I add to reduce the tang of the chili
Thanks Dolores
Hi Dolores! Do you mean curry? This recipe doesn’t call for chili powder.
Yes. I did mean curry. same question applies
Thanks Dolores
Hi! I’m not sure you can really take away the tang without impacting the other flavors too much. You could try to dilute it some. Or, try in a serving of adding a little extra olive oil to your serving.
Just looking at the comments after making this several times in the last few weeks. I like spice but found the red pepper flakes too strong so I only used 1/4 tsp, but didn’t change the amount of curry (use a mild curry). That way you keep the amazing addition of curry but reduce the heat! Hope this helps.
Hi can l use water instead of broth?
Hi! Sure, you can try it. You may need to adjust your seasoning some to make up for it, so adjust to taste.
This was really good as always! I used butternut squash from my garden as the extra vegetable. Great meal prep.
Thank you, Hayley! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Made this soup for lunch for myself and two colleagues, we all had a second helping, absolutely delicious! Thank you x
Thank you for this excellent recipe, as it is an ideal base for whatever vegetables you have in your fridge. I have never been one to follow a recipe to a ‘T’, as I pursue my family’s tastes. However, your recipe is the best base for a vegetable soup I have ever come across!
Thank you, Emily! I’m happy to hear that.
Excellent soup! I had lots of veggies to use up from my CSA box as well as remnants of a pasta bag and this recipe was perfect. Curry powder was genius! Great tip from a commenter to use Balsamic vinegar instead of lemon juice. We’re having this for lunch and then taking some to a friend who’s recovering from surgery. This is a keeper.
I’m glad it’s a keeper, Sophie! Thank you for your review.
Super simple to make and I just followed the recipe. My family loved it. Though it was 6 serving bowls, we have big tummy and finished 5 serving bowls in one meal. Love it!
I’ve made this soup twice in the last week because it’s just that good. This is probably the best soup I’ve ever had, and I can’t believe that it is so simple to make!
I’m glad you love it, Laura!
Outstanding
I’m glad you loved it!
A simple and delicious soup. I loved the curry and red pepper flakes. Soooo good
This soup is fabulous! It’s now my favorite vegetable soup!!!!
Ok here’s the deal, I have never “loved”veggie soup. I mean, I like it and all but I have never found one that makes me go back for seconds or eat the entire pot myself! Until now! This soup is amazing!
Any way you make it, the end result is always a win! I’ve swapped the veggies so may times depending what I find in my fridge and it’s always the best veggie soup I have ever had! Seriously!
I’m glad this one was a winner for you, Heather! I appreciate you taking the time.
Crap. Well its gone so I can’t take a picture. This was an AMAZING recipe!!! Me and my kids LOVED it! I’m a single dad so I love being able to make a new meal for us to dig into. Simple, easy and DELICIOUS! I don’t know if it made much of a difference, but I added about 2 Tablespoons of sun-dried tomato paste while cooking the veggies. Thank you!!
I have made this twice and it is delicious!!!!
I use butternut squash,red, yellow , orange bellpeper,zucchini and yellow squash!!!! My husband loves it Thank you for the wonderful recipe
As a vegetarian for over thirty years who is also a soup lover it is so wonderful to find such a tasty new recipe, absolutely loved it and will be making it again. I suspect it will always be slightly different as you can mix and match the veg with what you’ve got in. Thank you!
I make this soup almost every week winter or summer we just love it
This is my favorite soup!!! Thank you! The curry is really a secret ingredient. It just enhances the flavors of this soup. I just put all kinds of vegetables in it. I love that it is vegetarian. I brown some ground chicken or beef or turkey with onions and shallot and will add some to a bowl for extra protein if I want it. It’s also great with some silken or firm tofu cubes. This is a winner in my family. I now make it often.
That’s great! Thank you for taking the time to review, Jaci.
Delicious!! I added 4 cups of veggies. So good!
I love that you go over the basics of a good soup. It’s a long read, but totally worth it and gives you a great understanding of how build/create your own soup. I had a bunch of veggies to use up and everything worked great together. You are so right on the curry – added some really nice depth to the soup flavor.
Just enjoyed this for dinner on a cold damp winters evening in London. I’m the worst cook and it tasted delicious. Thank you for sharing.
I made this soup according to the directions, with the exception the additional 2 cups of water. I used red bell peppers, green beans, and collards. I used the slow cooker function on my instant pot, cooking 4 hours in low, adding the collards for another hour or so. Turned out very tasty. I cooked some ground turkey to add to my husband’s bowl. I might use crushed tomatoes next time. Delicious soup for a cold, rainy day.
Hi! I’d like to try this soup, and I have lots of cabbage left in the fridge. What are your suggestions about when to add it in to the soup? I know it wilts the longer you cook it, and I would like to leave a little bite in it. Thank you for this recipe! I’m sure I’ll love it
Hi Amanda! That could be interesting. I would suggest adding it when you add your other vegetables since it is heartier. Let me know what you think!
Hi. Came home from work on Friday and needed to make something quickly. It came out delicious!! I like how you explained how to vary the soup with different seasonal veggies so next time i can use whats in the house.
That’s great! Thank you for sharing, Susan.
I’ve often followed recipes where the reviews exclaimed that that recipe was the best they’ve ever tasted. This is the only one where I can honestly say that. I tweaked it for my taste a little, using beef broth and skipping the greens (but used 7 vegetables…otherwise followed it to a tee. Best vegetable soup I’ve ever had. For Thanksgiving I did the same thing (doubling the recipe), added a pound of lump crabmeat and a bit over a pound of snow crab (for the meat but also to let it simmer with the crab shells) and a healthy portion of Old Bay. It was the best Maryland crab soup I’ve had outside of the Maryland-VA-DE area and about as good as the best I’ve had there in restaurants. And when I go East, I order it every time I see it on a menu.
I’m delighted to hear that, Dave! Thank you for taking the time to make it and report back.
Hi
First time to your blog. Could I sub the water with tomato juice?
Hi Brad, I’m not sure without trying it how it may adjust the other flavors. I would be interested to hear what you think!
Thank you, I think I will give it a try.
This looks great! Will be making tonight. Question: Do the sweet potatoes need to be cooked at all, or with they soften in the soup as it cookson the stove? Thanks!
Hi! Follow the directions for the seasonal vegetables if using sweet potatoes. Hope this helps! You start cooking in step 1.
I made this tonight and it was amazing! Definitely a keeper :) I loved the kick the spices added. I followed the recipe as was but also added a can of great northern beans when I added the kale towards the end.
Wonderful to hear, Shay! I appreciate you taking the time to review.
The BEST vegetable soup. Look no further!
Thank you for your review, Meghan!
I’ve made this soup twice and I adore it! My husbands not big on veggies soups but he even likes this one
Followed the recipe almost to the letter, and it was perfect. I was really surprised by how incredibly fresh and delicious and interesting this soup tastes!
I’m glad you loved it! Thank you for your review.
Hi! This recipe is delicious. I used a little less red pepper flakes and added 1/2 cup red lentils for some protein. It was very easy to make and I love your hints and easy to follow instructions. I have been browsing through your recipes and can’t wait to make more from your site.
Thanks!
Thank you for sharing! I’m glad you were able to change it up to fit what you needed, Karen. I appreciate your review.
Enjoyed this. I put cabbage and zucchini as my seasonal veggies. My hubby wanted meat added so we put lean ground beef in as well. This is super thick and perfect for a sub freezing days!
That was really the best vegetable soup I have ever had. Ordering your cook book now.
Thanks
I’m happy to hear you say that! Thank you for your review, Chris.
This is the first time I am commenting on a recipe and i have been using recipes that i find on the internet for about 10 years now. This soup is amazing! A party in the mouth! Made it two weeks ago and was a hit w my husband and two kids, we ate it for lunch three days in a row. Making it again now to have for lunches this week! The only change i made was to blend the tomatoes before adding them because none of us like chunks of tomato in our food.
Thank you for commenting, S! I’m glad you loved it.