Easy Homemade Vegetable Soup | Healthy, Hearty, Simple Recipe (2024)

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This easy homemade vegetable soup is flavorful, comforting, and uses NINE different kinds of vegetables! It’s the perfect recipe for a healthy dinner or meal prep (it freezes well).

Easy Homemade Vegetable Soup | Healthy, Hearty, Simple Recipe (1)

About The Recipe

The best part of this recipe is that it’s a hearty, satisfying soup that also tastes FRESH. Because it uses 9 different kinds of vegetables it has freshness & depth of flavor that you can’t find in a canned soup!

This is an easy soup to make at home because it all cooks in one pot and makes a large batch. It freezes well and is a great recipe for meal prep.

Vegetable Soup is similar in ingredients & flavors to Minestrone Soup. The main difference is that Minestrone Soup has pasta (check it out if you’re in the mood for a hearty soup)!

Tips for Making Homemade Vegetable Soup

Chop Your Vegetables First

Chop your vegetables before starting the recipe. This recipe is easy to make, but it uses lots of different vegetables. Prep your vegetables before cooking and get out all of your ingredients to save time while you make your soup.

Taste Test

Taste test your soup while it’s cooking and before serving to ensure that you’ve added enough herbs, salt, and flavor to fit your preferences. If you find that you’d like more flavor, add additional Italian seasoning. You can also use 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes for spice.

Customize Your Vegetables

If there’s a vegetable that you’d prefer not to add, feel free to leave it out. You can add a little more of your favorite vegetables to make up for it.

Easy Homemade Vegetable Soup | Healthy, Hearty, Simple Recipe (2)

Homemade Vegetable Soup Ingredients

The full recipe is at the bottom of this page, but here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need & how to make it:

Vegetables

  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 4 large carrots, thinly chopped
  • 4 stalks celery, chopped
  • 4 (14.5 oz) cans low sodium vegetable broth
  • 2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 3 medium russet or gold potatoes, diced into ½” thick pieces
  • 1 (15.5 oz can) kidney beans, drained & rinsed
  • 1 ½ cups green beans, chopped (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 ¼ cups corn (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)

Seasonings

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 1 lemon, juiced

How to Make Homemade Vegetable Soup

Step 1:

In a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and saute for 4 – 5 minutes, until the carrots and celery are barely tender and the onions are translucent.

Step 2:

Add the broth, potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, kidney beans, bay leaves, Italian seasoning, and thyme to the pot. Add salt & pepper to taste. Optionally, add red pepper flakes for spice.

Step 3:

Bring the pot to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 – 30 minutes, until the potatoes are almost fully cooked through.

Step 4:

Add the corn and peas, stir and cook for 5 more minutes. Taste and season with more salt & pepper if needed.

Step 5:

Stir in lemon juice just before serving. Optionally, garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

Easy Homemade Vegetable Soup | Healthy, Hearty, Simple Recipe (3)
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Easy Homemade Vegetable Soup | Healthy, Hearty, Simple Recipe (4)

Easy Homemade Vegetable Soup

★★★★★4.5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Megan
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
Print Recipe

Description

A flavorful vegetable soup with NINE different kinds of vegetables! This healthy soup is an easy dinner idea or perfect for meal-prep (it freezes well). It’s hearty, fresh, and comforting.

Ingredients

Scale

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 4 large carrots, thinly chopped
  • 4 stalks celery, chopped
  • 4 (14.5 oz) cans low sodium vegetable broth
  • 2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 3 medium russet or gold potatoes, diced into ½” thick pieces
  • 1 (15.5 oz can) kidney beans, drained & rinsed
  • 1 ½ cups green beans, chopped (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 1 ¼ cups corn (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes (optional, for spice)
  • Parsley, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. In a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and saute for 4 – 5 minutes, until the carrots and celery are barely tender and the onions are translucent.
  2. Add the broth, potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, kidney beans, bay leaves, Italian seasoning, and thyme to the pot. Add salt & pepper to taste. Optionally, add red pepper flakes for spice.
  3. Bring the pot to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 – 30 minutes, until the potatoes are almost fully cooked through.
  4. Add the corn and peas, stir and cook for 5 more minutes. Taste and season with more salt & pepper if needed.
  5. Stir in lemon juice just before serving. Optionally, garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
Easy Homemade Vegetable Soup | Healthy, Hearty, Simple Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What can I add to my vegetable soup to give it more flavor? ›

A squeeze of citrus, a dollop of yogurt or a drizzle of cream, a dusting of cheese or a good chile powder, a sprinkling of some herbs or croutons — all can take a perfectly fine soup into the realm of the delectable. Even a spiral of good olive oil to finish and some coarse sea salt can do wonders.

What gives vegetable soup that depth of flavor? ›

**Herbs and Spices:** Use a variety of herbs and spices such as thyme, rosemary, oregano, bay leaves, cumin, coriander, or smoked paprika to enhance the taste. 3. **Broth or Stock:** Choose a flavorful broth or stock as the soup base. Vegetable, mushroom, or a combination of vegetable and chicken broth can add depth.

What is the most important ingredient in soup? ›

For clear, brothy soups, stock is your most important ingredient. If you want to make a good soup, you need to use an excellently flavored stock — otherwise, the entire pot could be tasteless.

What are the best vegetables to put in soup? ›

Veggies That Make Healthy, Tasty Soups
  • Cucumber. 1/14. This nutritious veggie is one of the ingredients in the cold soup called gazpacho. ...
  • Butternut Squash. 2/14. ...
  • Lentils. 3/14. ...
  • Broccoli. 4/14. ...
  • Potatoes. 5/14. ...
  • Mushrooms. 6/14. ...
  • Fresh Spring Peas. 7/14. ...
  • Dried Split Peas. 8/14.

How do you fix tasteless vegetable soup? ›

Roast or caramelize your vegetables before adding them to your soup to bring out their natural sweetness. Add ingredients like mushrooms, tomatoes, soy sauce, miso, or seaweed to enhance the flavor of your soup. Use fresh herbs like parsley, cilantro, basil or thyme to add fresh flavor to your soup.

What is the flavorful liquid that adds more flavor to a vegetable meal? ›

A stock is a very flavorful liquid that is made by gently cooking bones and other ingredients such as vegetables in a liquid.

What is the key to flavorful soup? ›

All soups and stews must have three major components in order to be tasty: an undercurrent liquid, aromatics, and volumizing ingredients.

How to make soup really flavorful? ›

Use fresh vegetables, high-quality meats or broth, and fresh herbs to add depth of flavor. Add acidity: A squeeze of lemon or lime juice, a dash of vinegar, or a splash of wine can brighten the flavors of a soup and make it taste more complex.

What not to do when making soup? ›

Common mistakes with soups:
  1. Using inferior stock. Most of my soups are based on good stocks usually made at home. ...
  2. Not sautéing onions, celery and garlic before adding. ...
  3. Adding ingredients in the wrong order. ...
  4. Not adding umami. ...
  5. Not garnishing. ...
  6. Not tasting.
Feb 5, 2021

What is the No 1 soup in the world? ›

According to the Taste Atlas Awards, the international food database, the Filipino favorite, Sinigang, is hailed as the best soup in the world.

What are 2 principles of soup making? ›

The document provides 5 basic principles of preparing soup: 1) Starting with cold water. 2) Cutting vegetables to an appropriate size. 3) Selecting a protein such as beef, chicken, pork, or fish. 4) Simmering the soup for 4 hours.

What is the best thickener for vegetable soup? ›

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.

What seasonings are good in vegetable soup? ›

The Best Spices for Vegetable Soup
  • Black Pepper – Probably the second most commonly used spice in your cabinet. ...
  • White Pepper – Slightly milder than black pepper. ...
  • Red Pepper Flakes – Use these alone or in conjunction with other peppers for a burst of flavor and heat.
  • Cayenne – For a deeper spice and heat.
Jul 11, 2023

Do you cook vegetables before putting them in soup? ›

While certain vegetables can work just fine added directly to simmering soups and stews (say, carrots and celery), other vegetables (onions, garlic, and the like) will almost always need at least a brief sweat in a fat-based liquid before adding the remaining ingredients.

How do I fix bland tasting soup? ›

If a soup is tasting bland in the bowl, consider adding acid rather than salt. A squeeze of lemon or lime, or a dash of yogurt or sour cream can add brightness to the bowl. Our Lemony Chicken Soup will make your mouth water.

How do you liven up vegetable soup? ›

A little tomato sauce, garlic, salt, and bay leaves while cooking was Patty's recommendation. Barbara said, “I add a beef billion cube, oregano, basil and garlic.” That would definitely spice up the soup. The bullion usually adds a lot of sodium so you get a lot of salty flavor. “Six pepper, sparingly”, Laureen said.

What gives soup rich flavor? ›

Some of our favorites are Dried Shallots, Dehydrated Red Bell Pepper, Dehydrated Green Bell Pepper, Tomato Flakes, Minced Onion and Roasted Garlic Flakes. Or, add a bay leaf to your recipe. The bay leaf will give the soup a little something extra without overwhelming the dish.

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