Vegetable Soup
177 Comments
Updated Sep 20, 2024
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This easy vegetable soup is packed with flavor and uses simple, everyday vegetables to their full potential. But there’s plenty of room for customization — use any fresh or frozen vegetables you have on hand. It’s the perfect blank canvas to work with for soup season!
A simple vegetable soup like this is my absolute favorite. It’s nourishing, comforting, fresh, and light, yet filling enough to be a full vegetarian meal. But truth be told, I was never a fan of vegetable soup until I started making it myself at home, with this recipe. Because other versions I had tried were always been a bit bland and boring.
So what makes my version unique (and better)? The vegetables are sautéed with Italian seasoning and loads of garlic, then simmered in a savory broth with fresh lemon juice and parsley. And that punch of fresh lemon really brightens and enhances the flavor!
But similar to my cabbage soup, lentil soup, or tomato soup, you can customize this recipe to your liking. If you have a handful of kale or spinach you need to use up, toss it in. If there’s still a frozen bag of green beans sitting in your freezer, use those instead. It’s the perfect way to use up any leftover vegetables that you might otherwise toss away or not know what to do with!
Vegetable Soup Ingredients
- Fresh Vegetables: We’re going all in on fresh vegetables here! I’m using carrots, celery, onions, green beans, and potatoes, along with canned diced tomatoes. But if you want to swap them for others, go for it! Zucchini, radish, sweet potato, and even leafy greens are a few delicious ideas.
- Frozen Vegetables: Frozen vegetables are optional, but are extremely convenient, especially if you already have some in your freezer! I’m using frozen peas and corn, but use any other frozen vegetables you’d like.
- Vegetable Broth: The soup base is made from vegetable broth. And given the simplicity of ingredients, consider the vegetable broth a star ingredient in it’s own right. So opt for a high-quality one. I’ve linked my favorite brand in the recipe card below.
- Herbs and Seasonings: A mix of Italian seasoning, bay leaves, fresh parsley, fresh lemon juice, garlic, salt, and black pepper gives this soup the best flavor imaginable.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below
How To Make Vegetable Soup
Saute the veggies. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onions, and saute for 4 to 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, and saute another 30 seconds.
Add more veggies. Add the potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, bay leaves, and broth. Stir together and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are just fork tender.
Add the frozen veggies. Add the frozen peas and corn, stir, and cook about 5 to 7 minutes longer.
Serve. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice and parsley for the final touches! You can ladle the vegetable soup into serving bowls or store it away for later (storage instructions written below).
Common Questions
You always want to saute any mirepoix vegetables (carrots, celery, and onion) first. Then, add in the remaining fresh vegetables with the broth. And if you’re using frozen vegetables, you’ll add those later in the process, as they take less time to cook.
Absolutely! You can add shredded chicken or sliced beef chunks to make this a meatier vegetable soup. But make sure to cook the meat first and add it towards the end along with the frozen vegetables. For a plant-based protein, you can also add lentils or chickpeas (which will be cooked earlier in the broth).
Storage Tips
- To store for the week: Let your soup come to room temperature before storing away in the fridge in an airtight container. It will keep for 4 to 5 days, which means it’s a great meal to enjoy throughout the week when you need a soupy pick-me-up!
- To freeze for later: Once the soup has cooled, pour it into a freezer-safe container or silicone freezing tray for pre-made servings. It will stay good for up to 3 months in the freezer.
- For reheating: To reheat a single serving, pour it into a bowl and microwave it for 1 to 2 minutes until warmed through. For a bigger batch, pour the soup back into a pot and warm it up on the stovetop.
More Easy Soup Recipes
When stuck in a dinner rut, you can always count on a big pot of soup or chili. These are some of my favorites for something easy yet flavorful. But honestly, all these soup recipes fit that bill!
- White Chicken Chili: This is hands down one of my favorite chili recipes!
- Black Bean Soup: You’ll be surprised how good this soup is. Perfect for those Mexican food cravings.
- Turkey Chili: A healthy chili that’s both meaty and flavorful — gotta love that.
- Potato Leek Soup: This creamy delight only requires a few ingredients!
I hope you enjoy this vegetable soup all season long! If you make it, drop a comment below on how it turned out. Your review will help other readers in the community.
Easy Vegetable Soup
Description
Video
Equipment
- Dutch Oven This soup makes a large quantity, so you'll need a large pot!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
- 3 celery ribs, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 ½ cups chopped fresh green beans
- 2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 to 8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, depending on how brothy you'd like it
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Saute the veggies. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and saute for 4 to 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, and saute another 30 seconds.
- Add more veggies. Add the potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, bay leaves, and broth. Stir together and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are just fork tender.
- Add the frozen veggies. Add the corn and peas, stir, and cook about 5 to 7 minutes longer.
- Serve. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice and parsley. Ladle the vegetable soup into bowls.
Lisa’s Tips
- When I filmed the video above I accidentally added 1 teaspoon of black pepper instead of ½ teaspoon. And I have to say, I really enjoyed the extra peppery flavor. So feel free to add a bit more, either in the soup or sprinkled on top at the end!
Nutrition
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Since nobody answered my question the first time, I’m asking again. Can this be done in a crockpot? If so, is there anything differently that I should do?
Hi Jayla – I have not personally made this in a crockpot, so can’t comment on the timing or changes needed. Though I’m sure it can be done!
I’ve made this before but we are expecting a big snow tomorrow so I have a pot simmering right now! Love your recipes!
The perfect soup for a snowy day! Happy to hear you’re loving this one, Sherry.
Influenza A wiped out my entire family at Christmas. I was the first to recover so made a double batch to pass on to my parents and sister’s family. Everyone loved it. This recipe is easy to follow with staple pantry ingredients. I followed the instructions without making any adjustments and am really glad i did that. I hesitated at the the lemon juice at the end but it rounded out the flavor nicely. Bookmarked for the next time we need a nourishing pot of soup.
Glad this vegetable soup came to the rescue!
Great recipe! I threw cubes of beef in with the potatoes. Turned out great!
So happy you loved it, Jada!
I am new to your column and I love it! Made the vegetable soup today- LOVELY! Made the tomato soup last week – and plan to make ALL of your recipes. My daughter is vegan and gluten free and you are the perfect match! Thank you so much!
Oh wonderful! We’re definitely the perfect match, haha. I hope you continue to enjoy more of my recipes, Sue!
What a great anytime soup. This fits in perfectly with my Weight Watchers diet.
Easy, fresh ingredients, perfect for the chilly nights in Michigan
So glad you enjoyed it, Kelly!
This soup is simmering now,,perfect for a chilly eve. Smells great and will warm our bodies for sure!!!
Hope you enjoy it, Kristen!
Absolutely delicious!! I tend to stick to the same soups and decided to change it up and tried this. It will now become a staple in our home along with your chili I also made last night! Thank you for sharing these fabulous recipes.
Hi Kim – Thrilled to hear this vegetable soup was a hit (along with the chili)!
Lisa, I’ve never been a soup person until I tried this vegetable soup!! You’ve converted me! It’s absolutely delicious! Thank you for another amazing recipe!!
Hi Migdalia – I’m so glad you’re loving this vegetable soup and is now a soup lover like the rest of us :)
Omg this soup is perfection! I make it on repeat and freeze in portions. I don’t love how potato changes texture when it’s been frozen. This time I was planning to add cooked basmati but decided to try 1 copped sweet potato. Hoping the texture is better because ooooo the flavour!
Variations I’ve done: I always add frozen edamame for added protein and I love the meaty/nutty texture of it. I have added leftover taco flavoured ground beef…and trust me it just works. Really well. I’ve added both leftover chicken and leftover beef too. I use frozen thin green beans I can just snap into bite size pieces, corn and peas.
Thank you Lisa for such amazing content and recipes.
Thanks so much for sharing your variations, Kim! I’m happy you love this soup as much as I do. :)
This soup looks so good. Could it be prepared in advance and then taken to an event in a crockpot to keep warm?
Thank you for your help.
Hi Mary – Yes, that should be fine!
I’m looking to make this soup for tonight but only have fire roasted diced tomatoes. Do you think it will change the taste too much? The recipe has such great reviews I don’t want to jeopardize the intended flavour.
I think it will taste great with fire roasted tomatoes! Those are my favorite.
Thanks Lisa! It turned out great, I also added 1 cup of red lentils. Husband and kids ate it with no complaints! The broth tasted amazing!
Thanks for the recipe! It was perfect for a chilly Thanksgiving weekend weather. It was a hit!
Hi there – Happy to hear this vegetable soup was a hit!
Can this be done in a crockpot? If so, is there anything differently that I should do?
I love it! Thank you!
Happy to hear it!
On a very rainy day, I decided to try your recipe. It was wonderful. Full of flavor! The only thing I changed was I added chopped up spinach and zucchini. Husband approved!!!
Yay, happy you both loved it! And love the addition of spinach and zucchini. The more veggies the better!
So good even with all the changes I added to it! Me and my baby have both been sick for the past 3 days but none of the restaurants near us are serving the vegetable soup at the moment so I decided to make it myself! Well.. I may never buy soup from a restaurant again now! There was a few things I didn’t have but I just didn’t have it in me to run to the store… Here’s the modifications I made that might help a fellow reader: Didn’t have fresh green beans or frozen peas so I just used a bag of frozen mixed vegetables (corn, green beans, carrots and peas). I also didn’t have broth so I just used this
I’m glad you enjoyed this homemade version of vegetable soup, Rand! Homemade really does taste best.
Super easy and super delicious! I needed to sautee my veggies longer at the beginning to get them soft
Hi Kayla – Happy to hear you enjoyed this vegetable soup recipe!
Tried making this but after an hour simmering the carrots and potatoes are still hard. Don’t know what I’ve done wrong.
How many servings will this make as I am making a batch to feed about 12?
Hi Crystal – there are 8 servings in this recipe.
What kind of meat would I use to add to the vegetable soup??
Hi Darlene – You can always add shredded chicken or any cooked ground meat!
This recipe rocks! I made it and it was a HUGE hit. I couldn’t get my hands on the fresh green beans, but that’s ok. It was literally the best soup! This from someone who usually turned up her nose at anything other than chicken noodle! Seriously. We gobbled this for 2 days. Thank you so much. This is a keeper. I am so happy I came across your page.
Wonderful! I’m so thrilled you loved this vegetable soup recipe, Sherri! You’ve gotta love recipes that are super simple, yet so delicious. Enjoy! :)
As with every recipe I’ve tried from the website and from the cookbook, this one is another 10/10. So delicious! Thanks Lisa!
Hi Lisa – Happy to hear you’re loving this vegetable soup!
Oh my goodness this soup is glorious! I’ve had vegetable soups that were just so-so but this one is tops them all! I’m not sure if it’s the Italian seasoning or what but wow! It’s really a blank canvas of a soup too- kind of a fridge clean out and I’m trying to get more vegetables into my diet. I didn’t use the lemon juice but to me it didn’t need it. Every recipe I’ve tried from your website has been amazing and I’m gluten free too so thank you for all your hard work as it’s so helpful 😀
Happy to hear you loved this vegetable soup (along with many other recipes), Valerie!
Absolutely delicious and I had no fresh veggies. Sometimes arthritis won’t let me cut them. I used all frozen green beans, corn, red skin roasting potatoes in garlic & butter, carrots and pearl onions (my fav). This was so, so good! I started them on simmer so the flavors could mix before vegetables turned to mush and that worked. My niece came by, loved it and has volunteered to cut fresh vegetables for me anytime I want to make it again.
Thanks for a great soup and for getting me some help in the kitchen. Oh, try it with cornbread, yum!
Happy to hear this still turned out great with all frozen vegetables, Deborah!
Lisa I just made this I used the 1 teaspoon of black pepper because I love pepper and it is DELICIOUS! 😋 Thanks so much for the recipe!
Thrilled to hear you loved this vegetable soup, Brenda!
This is the best vegetable soup and it was sooo easy. Thank you so much! This is a keeper. 🔥🔥
Happy to hear you love this vegetable soup, Sherri!
Made this the other night as is except I threw in a bag of Goya 16 bean mix I had been soaking. What a delicious, protein and fiber filled soup!! Lisa, your recipes do not disappoint! My husband loved it too.
Sounds like a great addition! So happy you both loved it, Michele!
I think I’ve rated this recipe before, but every Fall I’m reminded how great this simple soup is. I like using carrots, onions, garlic, tomatoes and potatoes straight out of the garden. It’s a great way to use up the corn, beans and peas I froze last year, but didn’t eat before this year’s crop came in. Thanks for the great recipe.
Well, thank you for coming back to rate it again, Suzanne! Haha. I’m so thrilled that you love it!
Looking forward to trying this! What is considered a serving, a cup of soup?
Hi Jess – I would say around 1 cup or a little more, depending on how big your vegetables are.
Delicious hearty soup, perfect for a Fall day dinner!
Happy you loved it, Dianne!
Delicious and healthy! Thank you Lisa!
The best way to describe this vegetable soup! I’m glad you loved it, Daniela.
Love this delicious recipe because it is so flavorful, but also because it is so versatile. I made a batch and froze it in individual containers. Each time I use it, I mix it up a bit. I have added greens, rutabaga, ground beef, leftover pork tenderloin, and different spices. It’s also convenient to use in place of a salad on busy nights. IA great addition to my go-to recipes!
It truly is such a great soup to make it your own with other ingredients! Glad you love it, Joyce.
So delicious! I love that I can use whatever veggies I have on hand. I added 1/4 cup of lentils, some cannellini beans, tomato paste, and mushrooms. I also Love your lentil soup and sweet potato soup! Now that it’s fall, I’ll be making All the soups!
Wonderful! I’m glad you’re loving so many Downshiftology soup recipes, Laureen.
I think it would have been pretty good but I put in the 2 tbsp of lemon juice again against my better judgment and it made the whole broth unpleasantly sour. So I would definitely skip the lemon juice unless you really like that flavor.
This came out great! I used sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes, Mrs. Dash instead of salt, added zucchini, did not add the peas or corn but added frozen green beans at the end. The lemon and parsley (used dried since I forgot to buy fresh) made a great addition. My husband also loved it and I will be making this soup again!
Wonderful! I’m glad your vegetable soup turned out perfectly, Heather.
This was sooo good.
Glad you enjoyed this vegetable soup Margaret!
Made it because I just had a taste for a ton of veggies. I added cauliflower, beans, peppers, zucchini and kale! I wanted a really chunky veggie soup and this one was great! Will def be adding it to my fall/winter list of soups.
Love those extra veggies, Kerri!
This recipe is so good! My husband commented several times that it was delicious. I did not have green beans, so I substituted okra from our summer garden, plus our home-grown tomatoes and potatoes. I love that vegetable soup can often be tweaked with whatever we have on hand. This recipe will be repeated often. Thanks, Lisa!
Happy to hear you both enjoyed this vegetable soup, Cindy!