Homemade vegetable soup is one of the best comfort foods around! It's full of potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, tomatoes, and your choice of frozen veggies. This soup is pure comfort in a bowl.
Cold winter days call for warm, hearty meals like chili, beef stew, Italian wedding soup, butternut squash soup, and this easy to make homemade vegetable soup. They fill you up, and keep you warm from the inside out for hours.
The great thing about vegetable soup is that it's versatile, so you can add your favorite veggies and leave out the ones you don't like. It doesn't take any time at all to cook either, so you can go from prep to table in about 30 to 45 minutes.
How to make homemade vegetable soup:
Start by prepping all the ingredients, but leave the frozen vegetables in the freezer until the very end. Heat a large pan or soup pot over medium heat.
Add the oil, carrots, and celery. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the onion begins to soften.
(You can add the garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian seasonings next, and cook them for 30 seconds to a minute. Normally, that's what I would do, but I got distracted while taking the photos and shooting the videos, so they didn't go in until later. That's how I wrote the recipe, too, so everything matched.)
Next, add the potatoes, tomatoes, Italian seasonings, salt, and pepper. Then, add the broth.
Stir the ingredients to combine, and bring the soup to a boil. After the soup begins to boil, reduce it to a simmer.
Continue to cook the vegetable soup at a simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and cooked to the desired doneness.
After the potatoes become fork tender, pour in the frozen vegetables. This will bring down the temperature of the soup considerably.
Stir to combine, and allow the soup to come to a simmer again. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the frozen vegetables are warmed through.
Serve hot with crackers, buttered bread, or skillet cornbread.
What can I add to vegetable soup to make it taste better?
In regards to the liquid, use broth instead of water. For spices, use earthy, flavorful herbs and spices like, Italian seasoning, thyme, rosemary, oregano, herbs de Provence, basil, smoked paprika, a pinch of cayenne, or even red pepper flakes.
How do you add protein to vegetable soup?
Add your favorite canned beans or cooked beans, like chickpeas, kidney beans, or white beans, for some added protein. Here’s an Easy Homemade Tomato Soup recipe that has kidney beans. Vegetable beef soup is also a good option.
Do you need tomato paste in homemade vegetable soup?
No, tomato paste isn’t necessary in homemade vegetable soup. However, if you decide to use a tablespoon or two, add it after sautéing the onions, carrots, and celery.
Can you make creamy vegetable soup?
Yes, add a little heavy cream or half and half. For a dairy-free version, add coconut milk or a milk alternative.
Other lunch recipes you may enjoy:
Recipe Card with Ingredient Amounts and Instructions
Suggested Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 cup white onion, diced
- 2 carrots, large in size, peeled and chopped
- ½ cup celery, chopped
- 1 pound potatoes, russet, cut into ½ -inch chunks
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 15 ounces diced tomatoes, undrained (1 can)
- 1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
- 2 teaspoon(s) Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoon(s) kosher salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon(s) ground black pepper, or to taste
- 12 ounces mixed vegetables, frozen, any variety you like
Instructions
- Heat a large pan over low-medium heat, then add the oil and onion. Cook the onions, carrots, and celery until the onions begin to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes.1 tablespoon cooking oil1 cup white onion2 carrots½ cup celery
- Add the potatoes, vegetable broth, tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasonings, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine, and bring to a simmer. Cook at a simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.1 pound potatoes6 cups vegetable broth15 ounces diced tomatoes1 garlic clove2 teaspoon(s) Italian seasoning2 teaspoon(s) kosher salt½ teaspoon(s) ground black pepper
- Once the potatoes are cooked to the desired consistency, add the frozen vegetables, and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, just long enough to heat the vegetables.12 ounces mixed vegetables
- Remove from heat, and serve with crackers, cornbread, or bread. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Linda says
I don't like chunks of potatoes nor do I want the carbs, co I omit them.
I make my vegetable soup in my 8 quart Instant Pot.
I saute onion and garlic, dice mini sweet colored peppers and celery add to my pot, add frozen mixed carrots, peas, corn and green beans, some thyme and Italian seasoning, a large jar of V8 juice, a can of tomato soup, some Better Than Bouillon beef flavor an extra can, drained green beans, some BBQ sauce not so much that you taste BBQ sauce just enough to enhance the flavor, some water put the lid on make sure it's on sealing set for 45 minutes and walk away.
When done let it pressure down naturally, serve!!!
Kim says
Hi Linda!
The potatoes can be omitted if you'd rather not have them. A friend of mine likes to use diced turnips in place of the potatoes, so that might be an option if you like turnips. Have a wonderful evening! 🙂