Vegetable Soup: the delicious recipe for a wholesome soup

Hearty, ultra-nourishing homemade vegetable soup is an easy-to-make healthy recipe that's a million times tastier than anything you'll find in a can. Made with a medley of fresh veggies, this simple vegetable soup is both vegan and vegetarian-friendly, and it's incredibly easy to customize – you can make it with the ingredients listed here, or use whatever is in your fridge.

It's a great way to make the most of seasonal produce. This delicious vegetable soup is so tasty, you'll want to make it year-round. Serve it as an appetizer or side dish, or even as a light main meal.

Best Vegetable Soup Ingredients

The best ingredients for your soup ultimately depend on what you like best, however, there are a few essentials you'll need. First off, you'll need carrots, celery, and onion. This trio will form the base of your soup and give it tons of flavor.

Next, you'll need a good quality stock or broth. If you're on a plant-based diet, use vegetable broth. If you're not vegetarian, chicken broth is an excellent option.

Garlic, fennel seeds, and bay leaves will give your soup a subtle flavor, while cabbage, tomatoes, and potatoes will make it delicious and hearty. Of course, you can customize your homemade vegetable soup however you please. Get creative!

How to Make Vegetable Soup

Making homemade vegetable soup is easy. Saute the onions, carrots, and celery in a large stockpot over medium heat, cooking them until they become soft. Add in the garlic, salt, and pepper, plus the fennel seeds, then stir in the tomatoes – and make sure not to forget their juices! The juices from the tomato will add tons of flavor to your soup. Mix in the potatoes, cabbage, bay leaves, and any other vegetables you may want to add.

Bring the soup to a boil, partially cover it with a lid, then reduce it to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are nice and tender about 20 minutes. Once the potatoes are tender, add the peas and cook for another 5 minutes. Switch off the heat, remove the bay leaves, and add in the lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Serve with a side of French bread and enjoy!

Can you Make Vegetable Soup in a Crockpot?

Of course! To make crockpot vegetable soup, simply follow the steps outlined in the recipe using your crockpot up to when you add in the potatoes and cabbage. Instead of bringing the soup to a boil, secure the lid of your crockpot and cook the soup on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours. After the soup has finished cooking, take out the bay leaves and stir in the lemon juice or vinegar and serve.

Tips for the Best Vegetable Soup 

If you enjoy a bit of spice, add 1/8 to ¼ teaspoon of red chili flakes to your soup. Other spice mixes like Old Bay, Creole, taco, and Italian seasoning all taste great in this soup as well.

If you want to use fresh tomatoes, you'll need about 1 pound to substitute the canned tomatoes. If you aren't a fan of tomatoes, feel free to leave them out of your soup.

There are plenty of tasty variations for this soup. Add in your favorite vegetables. Try spinach or kale instead of cabbage, add in corn, squash, cauliflower, or zucchini. For a more protein-rich soup, try adding beans or chickpeas. You can even add pasta to your vegetable soup – just mix it in during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

To make vegetable soup in an Instant Pot, cook it on High for 12 minutes after you've added in the potatoes and cabbage, then do a quick release. Stir in the lemon juice or vinegar, and serve.

What to Serve with Homemade Vegetable Soup

Serve your homemade soup on its own with some freshly baked crusty bread or herb dinner rolls. You can also make it part of a meal by serving it as a side with a hearty baked potato, grilled cheese sandwich, green salad, veggie fritters, mac ‘n cheese, or some roasted vegetables.

How to Store Vegetable Soup

Keep your vegetable soup in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Can You Freeze Vegetable Soup?

Absolutely! Frozen vegetable soup lasts up to 1 month. If you're freezing it, be sure to leave a little room in the container as the soup will expand once frozen.

More Recipes You'll Like

Creamy potato soup

Cauliflower leek soup

Creamy corn soup

Macaroni soup

Instructions

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the onions, carrots, celery, and tomato paste for 8 to 10 minutes, or until softened.

Stir in the garlic, pepper, salt, and fennel seeds. Cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.

Add in the canned tomatoes including the juices, then add in the stock. Stir.

Add in the potatoes, cabbage, and bay leaves. Bring the liquid to a boil and partially cover it with a lid. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the frozen peas and cook for 5 minutes.

Turn off the heat. Take out the bay leaves. Stir in the vinegar or lemon juice, and add extra salt and pepper, if necessary.

Notes

You can use either stock or broth to make your homemade vegetable soup.