I’ve been making this simple vegetable soup for years. It’s light, nutritious, and makes you feel good. It’s also adaptable to veggies in season or your fridge! This cozy soup comes together in just one pot, making it perfect for a fuss-free, flavorful meal.
Key Ingredients
Vegetables: We use a lot of veggies for this soup, but feel free to use what you have on hand. I love onion, carrot, celery, potato or sweet potato, cabbage, and peas. You can 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! Tomato paste and tomatoes: Make the base of our deliciously light broth. If you have fresh tomatoes, use them! I’ve shared how many you’ll need to substitute canned in the tips section of the recipe. Garlic, fennel seeds, bay leaves, and red pepper flakes: Add a lovely flavor to our soup. I love fennel with vegetables and use either ground or crushed whole fennel seeds in this soup. Pepper flakes add a hint of heat (use as much as you like for your preferred spice level). Broth: You can use your favorite broth in this recipe. I love this homemade vegetable broth when I have it on hand (it also makes this soup vegan and vegetarian). Use homemade bone broth (or store-bought) for a higher protein soup. Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice: I love adding a bit of vinegar or fresh lemon juice before serving this soup. It brightens all the flavors and makes them pop.
How to Make the Best Vegetable Soup
You’ll start by sweating onions, carrots, and celery in olive oil with some tomato paste. Then, stir in more flavor with garlic, fennel seeds, salt, and pepper. Pour in your broth (try homemade veggie or homemade chicken broth). Then, add canned tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, and bay leaves (or add your favorite veggies). You will allow the soup to simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Then toss in frozen peas and cook them for a few more minutes to heat through. Before you serve, taste the soup and adjust with more salt and pepper. For a pop of flavor, add a dash of apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice.
Vegetable Soup Variations
To add protein, stir in cooked or canned beans. Try white beans, chickpeas, lentils, and black beans. See our lentil soup or this white bean soup with vegetables for inspiration. To add pasta, stir in pasta 10 minutes before the veggies soup has finished cooking. I love smaller pasta shapes like orzo in soup or adding tortellini (like in this veggie tortellini soup). To make it creamy, add a splash of cream, milk, or unsweetened dairy-free milk at the end. You can also stir in a little bit of unsweetened yogurt or sour cream. Or blend all the ingredients like we do with this creamy vegetable soup. Or, add more veggies! You can add as many vegetables as you like to this soup. Feel free to toss in a handful of other vegetables, such as cauliflower, summer squash, or corn.
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 or chicken 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 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, 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.
