Easy Vegetable Soup

This easy and delectable Vegetable Soup is a wholesome nutritional meal that you can pull together in about forty minutes with many ingredients that you may already have on hand.  This tasty soup is the perfect pick-me-up for the winter blahs with the perfect balance of herbs, spices, and veggies. I love to serve this soup with crusty bread or cornbread and a simple salad.

Heart-Warming Vegetable Soup

There is nothing as comforting as a big bowl of hot soup. “Of soup and love, the first is best.” Check out all of my soup recipes. Some of my favorites are chicken gnocchi soup, tortellini soup, ham and bean soup, and zuppa toscana.

How do you make Vegetable Soup?

First, get all your vegetables prepped with a little peeling, slicing, and dicing.  Then heat the olive oil over medium heat in a Dutch Oven or heavy pot.  Now add the onions and celery and cook until they are soft.  Then reduce the heat and add the garlic, dried thyme, dried marjoram, and fresh ground black pepper. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Then stir in the vegetable stock, carrots, fire-roasted tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, and bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Then add the peas and cabbage cooking for another 10 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaves from the soup.  If desired, sprinkle with dried or fresh parsley, Parmesan Cheese, and crushed red pepper.

Recipe Tips for the Best Vegetable Soup

• Cut veggies into small bite-size pieces so more variety ends up in every spoonful.
• For aesthetic purposes, peel the carrots.  They will have that beautiful bright orange color.
• Feel free to use vegetable broth or chicken broth (if you are not a vegetarian).  I like to use a mixture of both because I usually have it on hand.
• Yukon gold potatoes are my go-to soup potatoes because they are waxy, and they hold together better when simmered for extended periods of time.  You can substitute red potatoes, or even in a pinch, I have used Russet Potatoes.
• You can easily add any small pasta to this recipe and cut up cooked chicken, turkey, or ham. However, you may need to increase the broth to 8 cups and the size of your Dutch Oven or stockpot.
• You can substitute 1 tbsp Italian seasoning for the herbs.
• Remember to fish out the bay leaves before serving. They have sharp edges and can pose a choking hazard.
• If desired, add a pound of browned ground beef or browned ground Italian sausage.

Vegetable Soup Variations

• Fresh or Frozen Corn Kernels- added at the same time as the peas.
• White Beans or Chickpeas – added at the same time as the peas.
• Sweet Potatoes – added at the same time as the potatoes
• Bell Peppers – added at the same time as the onions.
• Zucchini or Yellow Squash – added at the same time as the onions.
• Fresh or Frozen Lima Beans – added at the same time as the peas.
• Leeks – added at the same time as the onions.
• Greens – spinach, kale, or arugula stirred in at the end 

Storage and Reheat

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power or on the stovetop over low heat.

Freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer zipper bag or freezer-safe container. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power or on the stovetop over low heat.

More soup recipes you will love!

Easy Vegetable Soup Recipe

A flavor-packed healthy Vegetable Soup that the whole family can enjoy.  It comes together quickly and easily with a beautiful array of vegetables in a perfectly seasoned broth.

5 from 19 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 127kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 ribs celery chopped
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• ½ teaspoon dried marjoram
• ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 2 carrots chopped
• 2 14.5 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 medium Yukon Gold potato peeled and diced
• 1 cup fresh green beans trimmed and cut into small bites
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups chopped cabbage
• ¾ cup frozen peas
• kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley or 1 tablespoon fresh
• Parmesan Cheese optional
• Red pepper flakes optional

Instructions

• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a Dutch Oven or heavy pot.  Add the onions and celery and cook until they are soft.  Then reduce the heat and add the garlic, dried thyme, dried marjoram, and fresh ground black pepper. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Stir in the vegetable stock, carrots, fire-roasted tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, and bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Add the cabbage and peas, cooking for another 10 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaves from the soup.  If desired, sprinkle with dried or fresh parsley, Parmesan Cheese, and crushed red pepper.

Notes

• Cut veggies into small bite-size pieces, so more variety ends up in every spoonful.
• For aesthetic purposes, peel the carrots.  They will have that beautiful bright orange color.
• Feel free to use vegetable broth or chicken broth (if you are not a vegetarian).  I like to use a mixture of both because I usually have it on hand.
• Yukon gold potatoes are my go-to soup potatoes because they are waxy and they hold together better when simmered for extended periods of time.  You can substitute red potatoes, or even in a pinch, I have used Russet Potatoes.
• You can easily add any small pasta to this recipe and cut up cooked chicken, turkey, or ham. However, you may need to increase the broth to 8 cups and the size of your Dutch Oven or stockpot.
• You can substitute 1 tbsp Italian seasoning for the herbs.
• Add 2 bay leaves if you are omitting the cabbage.  They add fabulous flavor, but the bay leaves are difficult to find and remove with cabbage.
• If desired, add a pound of browned ground beef or browned ground Italian sausage.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 
• Freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer zipper bag or freezer-safe container. Thaw in the fridge overnight. 

Nutrition

Calories: 127kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 975mg | Potassium: 410mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 4268IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg

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