26 Easy Soup Recipes Packed With Vegetables

With years of experience making soups during (very) long Minnesota winters, I’ve learned a few tips that help me make successful vegetable based-soups every time!

• Build flavor from the base. Almost every one of my favorite soups starts with a base of onion and garlic, or mirepoix (carrots, celery, and onion) and garlic, cooked in olive oil. The fat and heat during this initial step draws out the vegetables’ flavors and natural sweetness.
• Bloom spices and herbs. I always “bloom” seasonings by cooking them with the softened veggies and oil for 1 to 2 minutes before adding liquid ingredients. This helps draw out their oil-based compounds and provide deeper flavor.
• Add veggies in order of thickness. For vegetable soups that use hard potatoes or root vegetables in addition to soft herbs or greens, I like to stagger when I put them in the pot. I add the hard veggies towards the beginning so they have time to soften during cooking and stir in the herbs, spinach, kale, or chard towards the end so they don’t turn to mush.
• Brighten with acid. I often add a fresh squeeze of lemon or lime juice to soup just before serving. This brightens the flavors and provides a contrast to savory seasonings.
• Think outside the box for thickening. As a registered dietitian, I love boosting the fiber content of my recipes! Most Americans don’t even come close to meeting the recommended daily intake. That’s why I like to add a can of beans to blended soups to both increase the fiber (and protein) and make them super creamy without dairy.
• Leave headspace when freezing, and divide soups into individual portions. Batch cooking soups is the ultimate meal prep hack! My top tip for freezing soups to use at a later time is to leave about an inch of headspace in the container before sealing. This allows the soup to expand while freezing without pushing the top off and leading to freezer burn. I also love to divide soups into individual portions using Souper Cubes, especially if I’m planning to eat them on my own for lunch and not use them for a family dinner.
• An immersion blender is life-changing. I LOVE my hand blender! It’s so easy to use and takes away the extra stress of transferring hot soup to an upright blender.

1

Barley Soup Recipe

This quick vegetarian and vegan recipe is great for lunch or dinner. It's a comforting, hearty soup for a cold day…or any season!

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• Total time: 40 minutes
• My top tip: This is my go-to veggie soup when I want something easy and am craving a veggie twist on beef stew that requires way less effort. Add the tomato paste at the same time as the spices so it develops some caramelization for deeper flavor.
• Reader review: “great soup! Just made it and love it. I added a few other veggies I had laying around and added a can of diced tomatoes.”

2

Escarole Bean Soup

This vegetarian Italian-inspired soup is made with large white beans, escarole, potatoes, and ditalini pasta. It's full of flavor but requires minimal ingredients and easy prep!

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• Total time: 45 minutes
• My top tip: This is a delicious twist on white bean soup! Use small alphabet pasta for a fun touch, especially if serving to kids.
• Reader review: “I made this tonight for dinner for me and the hubby. I followed the recipe exact except instead of onions I chopped up 1 small celery stalk. My husband had 2 bowls and kept saying this is really good! This is a keeper!”

3

Lentil Tortilla Soup

This easy vegan and vegetarian soup features Mexican-inspired ingredients. Each bowl is topped with crispy tortilla strips!

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• Total time: 35 minutes
• My top tip: This red lentil soup is a vegetarian twist on chicken tortilla soup, but you can certainly add shredded chicken if you want. Use fire-roasted tomatoes and add a can of diced green chiles for more heat. And don’t skip the tortilla strips!
• Reader review: “Just made this for the second time and it is always delicious. I’m almost 8 months pregnant and I’m going to freeze the leftovers to reheat post-partum!”

4

Sweet Corn Soup with Potatoes and Thyme

Celebrate sweet corn season with this easy and creamy vegetarian soup that's ready in 30 minutes!

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• Total time: 30 minutes
• My top tip: When it’s not sweet corn season, sub frozen corn. I specifically like using Trader Joe’s frozen super sweet corn!
• Reader review: “Thank you for a great , easy and fast recipe. This tastes really great~ out of necessity I used one can creamed corn drained and one cup of frozen fresh corn kernels. Will look forward to making this again.”

5

Healthy Vegetable Tortellini Soup

A delicious vegetarian soup that's loaded with veggies and comes together quickly for a hearty dinner.

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• Total time: 50 minutes
• My top tip: Fans of minestrone soup will love this twist. Use frozen vegetables to cut back on prep time.
• Reader review: “I made this on a very cold, winter night & it was the perfect dinner. I didn’t have green beans so I added sweet potatoes instead. Delicious!”

6

Vegetarian Bok Choy Miso Soup

This delicious bok choy soup is loaded with veggies, made with soba noodles, and seasoned with miso, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. It's a one pot meal that comes together quickly!

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• Total time: 30 minutes
• My top tip: Add cubed extra firm tofu for a protein boost.
• Reader review: “Delicious and quick. Popular with the teens. I used shiitake mushrooms instead and rice noodles to make the soup gluten-free. Will make again”

7

Broccoli Soup with Potatoes and Peas

An easy broccoli soup recipe made with potatoes and frozen peas, and finished with creamy Greek yogurt.

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• Total time: 1 hour
• My top tip: This is just like creamy potato soup but with an extra veggie! I love serving this with cheddar cheese and crackers or a charcuterie board for a hassle-free dinner.
• Reader review: “This soup is delicious! What a great idea to combine potato and broccoli.”

8

Cream of Jalapeño Soup

This delicious vegetarian soup gets just the right amount of heat from jalapeños and creaminess from potatoes, avocado, and yogurt!

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• Total time: 45 minutes
• My top tip: Use more oil in place of butter and omit the yogurt to make it vegan.
• Reader review: “My family loved the soup! I was so glad to find a recipe that we all like that uses so many jalapeños!”

9

Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup

This creamy vegetable soup is made with vegan, Thai-inspired ingredients, such as coconut milk and lemongrass. It's a healthy and comforting meal fit for late summer, fall, and winter.

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• Total time: 1 hour
• My top tip: This sweet potato soup has a unique flavor profile that makes it especially delicious. Use lemongrass paste if fresh lemongrass isn’t available.
• Reader review: “The recipe brought me back to my youth when mom prepared this for her family. It will be a keeper for us.”

10

Vegan Balsamic Asparagus Mushroom Soup

Plant-based cream of asparagus soup is served with balsamic mushrooms and a drizzle of balsamic reduction.

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• Total time: 30 minutes
• My top tip: Use unsweetened plain soy milk in place of oat milk for a protein boost while still maintaining the creamy texture.
• Reader review: “Awesome and easy recipe.“

11

Broccoli and Stilton Cheese Soup

This rich and creamy soup is so easy to make! With just a handful of ingredients and one pot, you'll have a veggie-loaded recipe on the table in no time. Stilton blue cheese adds a strong, salty flavor that beautifully complements broccoli.

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• Total time: 40 minutes
• My top tip: Move over, broccoli cheddar soup! Stilton blue cheese is a variety produced in England, but it’s widely available in the US, including at Trader Joe’s.
• Reader review: “To Die for…I love this recipe, but I’ve never put the potato in mine. Good add. The Stilton I buy comes in 150 g packets and I had a lot ‘cause I like it 🥰”

12

Apple Carrot Ginger Soup

This healthy soup has a spicy kick from fresh ginger that's balanced by sweet carrots and apples. It's finished with heavy cream but easy to adjust to make vegan if needed.

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• Total time: 45 minutes
• My top tip: This is seriously the easiest soup to make! Sub coconut milk for an easy vegan swap. I love eating a bowl of this with grilled cheese on a chilly fall day!
• Reader review: “This is so easy. You don’t even have to sweat or saute the veggies before cooking them! The soup tastes really fresh and bright. I thought the drizzle of maple syrup, for serving, was an inspired final touch.”

13

Cream of Mushroom Wild Rice Soup

This dairy-free twist on a classic Minnesota soup is still super creamy and nourishing. It's made with healthy ingredients and plenty of vegetables!

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• Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• My top tip: Use true Minnesota wild rice, instead of a rice blend that includes wild rice, for the best texture and flavor! This is one of my favorite dairy-free soups.
• Reader review: “100% Delicious !!!”

14

Split Pea and Carrot Soup

Hearty and delicious, this vegan and vegetarian twist on split pea soup still provides full-bodied flavor and plenty of protein and fiber. It's a cozy and easy recipe to make for lunch, dinner, or meal prep.

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• Total time: 2 hours
• My top tip: This soup thickens as it sits, but leftovers will loosen up during reheating. Add a splash of broth or water to thin if desired.
• Reader review: “I just finished making this soup and it is GREAT!!!! The smell of the soup cooking was wonderful and I was so afraid that since I’d make so many changes I may have ruined the recipe, but no it was fine, I will have to try making it again when I have all the ingredients.”

15

Healthy Pumpkin Chicken Soup

Creamy yet dairy-free with a broth made from pumpkin puree and coconut milk, this hearty soup is flavorful and nutritious all at once. Made with Southwest, chili-inspired ingredients, it's a wonderful option for fall gatherings and easy dinners.

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• Total time: 1 hour
• My top tip: Think of this as a cross between pumpkin soup and white chicken chili. Use just a little bit of broth to make the consistency more like chili, and serve with my Sweet Potato Cornbread for the BEST dinner!
• Reader review: “I made this recipe but converted it to the crockpot and used chicken breast, and it turned out great. The perfect easy fall soup!”

16

Coconut Curry Cabbage Chicken Soup

This healthy soup uses shredded cabbage to mimic noodles and green curry paste, coconut milk, and lime juice to add tons of flavor. It's dairy-free, gluten-free, and low-carb.

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• Total time: 1 hour
• My top tip: This is a low-carb soup, so sometimes I add a can of chickpeas or serve over rice if I want more complex carbohydrates at the meal.
• Reader review: “I made this earlier in the week and my husband and I both loved it. I will admit that I didn’t follow it exactly, but it is a deliciously strong base to riff off of.”

17

Vegetarian White Bean Chili

Loaded with navy and pinto beans, this meatless white chili is easy, creamy, and just the right amount of spicy.

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• Total time: 30 minutes
• My top tip: Some readers like adding cream cheese in place of the sour cream to make it creamier, adding a can of corn, or using two jalapeños for more heat.
• Reader review: “I have never commented on a recipe before, but this was a HIT and the whole world needs to know. I used 1 can of S&W brand white chili beans, 1 can of pinto, and 1 can of cannelini beans, and it was *chef’s kiss.* It was even better the next day.”

18

Vegetarian French Onion Soup with Lentils

A delicious onion soup with protein-packed lentils and gruyere toasties. The recipe takes a while to cook, but does not require a lot of active cooking time.

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• Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• My top tip: Since I make this soup a lot during the winter, I got these oven-safe soup bowls for it! Just be careful when serving to kids who don’t understand not to touch the hot handles.
• Reader review: “Delicious soup, tastes just like how I remember it before becoming vegetarian.”

19

Vegetarian Curry Peanut Vermicelli Soup

Thin rice vermicelli are cooked in a peanut coconut broth, seasoned with red curry paste and finished with fresh herbs.

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• Total time: 30 minutes
• My top tip: Add shredded chicken or cubed extra firm tofu for a protein boost.
• Reader review: “This was really good. I doubled the recipe, used chicken broth rather than vegetable, added thinly sliced chicken when the vegetables were fragrant, and added shrimp with the noodles at the end. The family liked it so much they mostly all had seconds, so no left overs. I did add a little extra red curry paste, and next time I will add chili peppers or jalapeños. I would like it to be a little spicy.”

20

Slow Cooker Mushroom Barley Stew

A vegan mushroom barley stew that can be prepped in advance and cooked in the crockpot when needed!

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• Total time: 4 hours
• My top tip: It’s always so satisfying to make a hearty stew in the slow cooker and make the dinnertime rush easier. Add the rind from a block of parmesan cheese while the soup cooks for a flavor boost!
• Reader review: “It is delicious, great flavor and hearty winter meal! Nice with bread for dunking. Thanks for sharing this recipe.”

21

Roasted Parsnip and Pear Soup

This simple vegan soup has a subtle sweetness, a hint of earthiness, and a touch of thyme. You will love how easy it is to prepare!

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• Total time: 55 minutes
• My top tip: Leave the skin on the pears for extra fiber.
• Reader review: “I’d never even heard of this soup before finding your recipe. It is remarkable! Such wonderful flavors! I’m eating it for breakfast because I can’t wait. Thanks for the recipe”

22

Fennel and Leek Soup with Potatoes

This vegetarian soup is similar to potato leek soup…but with a twist! Fennel adds another flavor to the mix, while chives and heavy cream complete the dish.

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• Total time: 45 minutes
• My top tip: Serve with chopped bacon or ham for a riff on baked potato soup.
• Reader review: “A simple yet delicious recipe that the whole family loved! A perfect farmers market haul recipe.”

23

Kabocha Squash Soup with Coconut Milk and Apple Cider

A velvety smooth kabocha squash soup with creamy coconut milk, tart Granny Smith apples, sweet cider, and zesty ginger. It's a delicious vegan recipe.

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• Total time: 50 minutes
• My top tip: Be sure to use apple cider, not apple cider vinegar.
• Reader review: “What a delicious soup – just like the Fennel and Leek Soup with Potatoes, it is full of flavor and easy to make! I like the coconut milk – feels good to my tummy!”

24

Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

This creamy vegan dish is a sweet twist on butternut squash soup. With hints of coconut and thyme, one bowl won't be enough!

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• Total time: 1 hour
• My top tip: Sub a cup of heavy cream if you don’t have coconut milk.
• Reader review: “I had a bunch of pears about to go rotten, I google pear soup and saw your recipe. I made it tonight and it was bowl-lickin delicious! Thanks for the recipe! I followed it exactly. I’m going to use your recipe for our neighborhood harvest dinner.”

25

Celeriac and Parsnip Soup

This simple vegetarian soup, topped with fried sage and crispy parsnips, is a delicious way to use winter produce.

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• Total time: 30 minutes
• My top tip: Celeriac is also known as celery root. It’s not the same thing as regular celery.
• Reader review: “This was easy to make and delicious. Enjoyed the parsnip and sage crisps as a topping. Nice and chewy. Added a bit of maple syrup to those when sautéing, which brought out the sweet parsnip flavor nicely. Thanks for a lovely recipe.”

26

Carrot and Turnip Soup

Carrots, turnips, leeks, and apples combine for a wonderful flavor in this creamy vegan soup. It's the perfect way to use winter vegetables!

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• Total time: 50 minutes
• My top tip: Try ripe pears in place of apples if needed!
• Reader review: “This soup was delicious, I’ve never used turnips before, but will make this soup again!”