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.
I made this exactly as per your recipe, using liquid stock from the supermarket and potatoes and green beans as my seasonal vegetables. And I can hand on heart confirm that this soup lives up to it’s title of “seriously good”. I would definitely recommend this soup as a winter staple to anyone.
Many thanks from Australia xx
I made this soup twice. The first time I used oil as the recipe calls for. The soup was good but I didn’t like the oil. The second time I omitted the oil, sauteed the vegetables in vegetable broth instead. It’s delicious!
This soup was truly lovely. Full of vegetables and flavour. The little touches of curry powder, thyme and lemon juice were subtle but definitely lifted the soup. Will be making it again.
Thank you! I’m happy you loved it, Carol.
This soup is truly LIFE CHANGING!!! Thank you Kate for being the one who helps me actually enjoy eating vegetables.
I had borrowed your cookbook from a friend here in Germany so many times that she bought me a copy for my birthday. I wish I could give all my friends a copy of your book. Every recipe of yours that I have tried is truly my favorite.
Thank you for blessing the world.
Love, Heather
Life changing! That’s high praise. I’m glad you loved it.
Made it! Loved it! Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! I’m glad you loved it, Margot.
Making it tonight. I will be adding beans or lentils. Not sure which yet but I have learned that I stay full if I add beans or lentils. Not using the oil. Doing the water method for the veggies. I have a package of mushrooms. Thinking about adding those. I also have some microgreens and I am also contemplating whether to use that or kale or spinach. Looking forward to it. Sounds delicious all around and I love how you numbered the steps. I have brain problems and have messed up recipes in the past but the numbers and wording make this really simple and I think I will be okay.
I made this tonight and it was super delicious and filling. Your recipes are my absolute fave and I love how you write them with all of the variations and explanations. Thank you for sharing these tasty meals with all of us. I look forward to getting your book!
Thank you, Tracy! I hope you love my cookbook, too.
Can I purée your veggie soup as I’m going for gum graphing and can’t chew.
Delicious! Added lemon grass and less red pepper flakes. Will be making this again.
I am eating a bowl of this soup for lunch right now and it is so good I have to leave a “thank you”! I was a little skeptical that the 1/2 tsp of curry powder would get lost in this amount of soup…but it is perfect. Same with the red pepper…it adds just the right touch of heat. The only deviation I made was to use shredded cabbage instead of the kale. I am so glad it made a large batch…I have lunch for the week! I made it on Saturday and it just keeps getting better each time I eat it. Mmmmmm!
Yes! Finally a mixed vegetable soup my 9 year old happily ate! Thank you – I thought it was delicious.
It’s actually quite good!
I’m glad you liked it, Barry!
This is a go to recipe for me! I love it for dinner, or for lunches during the week. I can’t say enough about this recipe and the nutrient density of it all the while, tasting delicious! Today I only had Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes and WOW, that took this soup to the next level! Thank you again for your recipes. They are life changing!
Thank you for sharing, Kayla!
Amazing soup…so glad I found you
This is my go-to vegetable soup recipe!
I made the seriously good vegetable soup and it is no lie that it is SERIOUSLY GOOD! Delicious veggie soup that can be changed up depending on what you have around. Will be putting this one into rotation for sure! I also would like to say that all the recipes of yours that I have made have been consistently fantastic while being healthy and when I make a new soup or stew, my husband asks “Is it Cookie & Kate?” Thank you-
I’m happy you agree this one is the best Debra! Thank you for your review.
Do you think I could make this in the crock pot? If so, how would you suggest?
Hi Stacey, I didn’t try it in a crockpot and highly recommend cooking the vegetables as stated. You could check the comments to see if others recommend it or not!
Tripled the recipe so that I could freeze some. Used green beans, yam and nugget potatoes for the chopped veggies. Also added in red and white kidney beans and parsley with the kale. Tasted delicious! Will definitely make again and may try using garam masala instead of the curry to change it up next time. Thank you!!
Thank you for sharing, Jennifer!
Wow! This was so delicious and nutritious! Added a can of rinsed black beans to make it a bit more filling. The garlic, curry powder and red pepper flakes helped take the spice level up a notch.
Holy cow! So delicious!!! You sure know how to incorporate spices. Thanks Kate!! Another keeper…
Seriously! This is truly the best Veggie Soup I either made or even eaten. ♥️ I made it to recipe in my crockpot and then added fresh kale at the end! I added the lemon and then some Tabasco because I like spicy. I can’t wait to try it with sweet potatoes next time. I didn’t have any bay leaves and it I didn’t notice. Thank you!
I’m happy you love it! Thank you for your comment, Cindy. I’m happy you love it.
This is the second time I have made this soup and it’s even better than I remember! I used, carrots, celery, kale, zucchini, and green beans and added some leftover red lentils for protein. It was perfect!
I completely omitted the salt and used low sodium vegetable browth (trying to be mindful of sodium intake) and didn’t miss the extra salt one bit! I like heat so I added extra red pepper and topped off with some hot sauce and nutritional yeast. DELISH.
Heavy rotation in our house now…plus it freezes beautifully!
Thank you!!!!
You’re welcome! Thank you for a detailed comment, Sarah.
Delicious!
Thank you, Michelle!
I love this soup. I make a huge batch and freeze it in meal size portions for lunches. I make many of your recipes and always have success. Thank you!
This soup was EXACTLY what I was looking for. Hearty. Veggie-packed, and not bland at all (which I find can be an issue with vegetable soups…like carrots in tomato water I often say). My veggie combo was potato, zucchini, green beans, and kale at the end – used more like three cups of veg and kale each. And had some fresh thyme in the house to used that – Just right. Saving to my fav soup recipes. Thank you!
I’m glad it was just what you were looking for! Thank you for your review, Rachel.
This soup is simply amazing.
Well done!
Thank you for your review, James!
Holy samoli – this is seriously good soup!! I made a double batch because I had a lot of vegetables that needed using up, I figured I’d freeze most of it. We’ll be lucky if any of it makes it to the freezer – it is amazing!!!
I’m glad you agree, Wendy!
This recipe is the best! I made the soups using potatoes and zucchini for hearty veggies. From now on this my vegetarian soup for all seasons. Thank you.
I woke up yesterday and decided to make vegetable soup. I have never made it before so I perused many recipes and chose this one. OMG! This was soooooo good. I made it as described but, if there were any changes, it would be that I had more than 3 cups of vegetables. I will be making this again as I’m not sure that I can go back to canned vegetable soup.
made the soup in tunisia with winter veggies including turnips and large leeks and harrissa. it turned out delicious. THANK YOU
Loved it! And so versatile which is great!
Wonderful, Emma! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
Made this tonight in an attempt to eat more vegetables, wow it did not disappoint! My husband even loved it, which is high praise.
I love this soup! The red pepper flakes, curry, and lemon make all the difference! I personally prefer regular diced tomatoes versus fire roasted, but super tasty and a great way to get your veggies in your daily diet! Thanks :)
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Love this soup!! Thank you for another amazing recipe!
You’re welcome, Jennifer! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
The recipe’s name totally fits the outcome – a brilliant soup! Brava!
Could I add pasta to this recipe? Similar to a minestrone soup?
Hi! Sure, but your liquid would likely need to increase. If you try it, let me know!
I adore your recipes! Made this soup tonight and its another winner!!
Finally!!! A delicious vegetable soup that was totally worth all the chopping!!! My 6 year old grandson helped with chopping, and he loved this soup! He normally does not like cooked veggies and his bowl was empty when he was done eating. We put in half the curry (which I never cook with, but I will from now on), and half the red pepper flakes. Wow. I had thirds and now my tummy is full! Thank you, Kate, for the best vegetable soup ever!!!
I’m happy you think so, Linda!
Hi
Does this recipe require fresh or dried bay leaves? Thanks, can’t wait to make this soup!
Hi Lorri, I use dried.
This was yummy! I used half the amount of diced tomatoes and 4 cups of water/2 cups veggie broth since I ran out. Took me forever to peel the sweet potato and butternut squash but it seemed worthwhile! I also added more red pepper flakes – that and the curry powder really make this soup great!
Thank you for sharing, Sarah! I appreciate your review.
Great soup I used stewed tomatoes in place of diced cut out the cores and cut up.they have so much more flavor. Also added 2 tablespoons of tomato paste with the garlic and about 1/4 teaspoon of Worcestershire and only 1 cup water.
Thank you for sharing, Tom!
This was so good! We just had it for lunch and our four kids devoured it. I was hoping to have it again later this week but there’s not enough left!
In addition to the vegetables listed in the recipe, I also added corn, which appealed to the kids. I wasn’t sure about the cauliflower but it was a great addition!
Thank you for sharing, Sarah! I’m happy to hear that.
Deliciosa!
The tiny touch of curry powder is the game changer. This addition takes the same ole same ole to a new height. Thanks!
I’m glad you agree! Thank you for your review.
This is the best vegetable soup I have ever made! The broth was so tasty – I love the curry powder and the tablespoon of olive oil at the end. Your recipes never disappoint!
Going to get my husband to make this for me. I’ve just had my appendix removed so I’m all into soups looks good, I send a message when I’ve had it .. cheers
I hope you have a speedy recovery, Arlene! Take care.
Thank you x
You’re welcome, Arlene!
This is my first vegetable soup that I’ve made from scratch… This is excellent vegetable soup, which I will make often! My son commented, “I love the flavor.” Who knew veggie soup could taste so good!
To make my prep easier: I used Wegman’s veggie stock, pre-cut sliced carrots, pre-cut sweet potatoes chunks, baby spinach, frozen peas and frozen corn. The frozen peas and corn went in 6 minutes before the end of the simmer time. (Next time I’ll add canned corn instead of frozen.) The baby spinach was added at the very end. I did not add the 2 cups water so I added very little salt.
Thank you for sharing how you approached this recipe, T. I’m glad you were able to enjoy it.
This soup is great! I’ve been making your recipes for years and I’m never disappointed.
Thank you, Kerri! I appreciate your review.
After a lifetime of enjoying soup, I decided to make homemade soup for the first time tonight, and I used your recipe. It’s delicious. You can label this “novice friendly.” I will have enough to last the rest of the week and I won’t be surprised if it gets better every day.
Anything I need to know about reheating for subsequent days?
Hi! I’m happy you loved it. I found it worked great reheating in the microwave.
I made this soup on Monday during this really cold winter weather. Recipe is spot on and delicious! I used sweet potato and zucchini for my winter veggies and I loved them. I might need to cut back a dash on the hot pepper. Recipe is a keeper and I’ll make again.
Perfect soup to warm up with! Thank you for sharing, Nancy.