Homemade Vegetable Soup Recipe – so good!
Posted: 10/23/2020
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Bursting with nutritious garden vegetables, hearty vegetable soup made from scratch is 100 times better than vegetable soup from a can.
There are seven different vegetables in this vegetable soup, plus fresh herbs. If you’re like me and looking to increase your vegetable intake every day, this flavorful vegetarian soup is the way to do it. A medley of veggies in every spoonful, homemade vegetable soup contains onion, celery, carrots, turnips, tomatoes, green beans, cabbage, and fresh parsley.
Homemade vegetable soup is the best vegetable soup ever, no kidding! If the only vegetable soup you’ve tried has come out of can, just erase that recollection from your mind. No comparison can be made between the two except that homemade is light years better and way more healthy.
My grandma frequently made vegetable soup from scratch. She added a lot of beef to it (cubed chuck roast, I think) and veggies from her backyard garden, and cooked it all afternoon. It was thick, almost like a stew, especially since she threw in a bunch of rice, too.
Sorry, grandma, this is not your vegetable soup! She’d probably say, Where’s the beef?! I’m sure she would love it, though. Even if she didn’t, she would say she did, because hey, she’s my grandma and she likes everything I make!
P.S. Vegetable soup is perfect for vegetarians, vegans, those of you who are looking for gluten and dairy free recipes, or if you’re on a Whole30, paleo, or low carb diet. It’s very low in calories, less than 100 calories for a one cup serving.
About this vegetable soup recipe:
The beauty of homemade vegetable soup is that you can have it on the table in about an hour, but if you want, you could let it simmer all afternoon. It’s up to you and how your day is going. I like to chop up the vegetables a day ahead and put them in the fridge overnight, ready to make into soup later.
You’ll need a soup pan, Dutch oven, or really large sauce pan. Begin by sautéing onions, carrots, celery, and turnips in a little olive oil. Add vegetable broth, canned tomatoes, and fresh thyme, and let the soup simmer until the vegetables are nearly tender.
Add fresh green beans and shredded cabbage, and simmer for a little while longer. If you want, you could add the green beans and cabbage when you add the broth. I like to add them a little later so they retain some crispness. It’s up to you. Throw in a handful of chopped parsley. I like to serve this soup with curls of Parmesan cheese. Homemade croutons are really great, too.
Are you ready for soup? Scoop out a steaming bowlful of hearty vegetable soup and enjoy it with a cornbread muffin, homemade bread, or crackers. Good to eat and good for you, too!
How to make this homemade vegetable soup your own:
You know, there’s probably a hundred ways you could make this soup your own. Here’s a few ideas:
- Use whatever veggies you like or happen to have in the fridge or garden. Pretty much everything can go into vegetable soup, including greens. Bell peppers, corn, peas, potatoes, or sweet potatoes would be great.
- Yes, you could add beef (cubed chuck roast or ground beef), or chicken, or sausage, or bacon, or bison, or venison, or …. you get the idea. Brown the meat in the pan before adding veggies. Everyone loves this easy veggie-loaded hamburger soup!
- Add protein with canned beans like cannellini, kidney, pinto, or whatever you have.
- Throw in rice or barley for a thicker soup. Try alphabet pasta or another small pasta like ditalini.
What can I add to vegetable soup for more flavor?
Replace the broth with tomato or V-8 juice. Add a couple tablespoons of tomato paste. Spice your soup up with garlic, cayenne, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, etc. Sausage or bacon would add lots of flavor. Add more herbs. Stir in a splash of red wine vinegar or a squeeze of lemon before serving.
Storage and Reheating Tips
This recipe makes ten cups of soup but don’t worry if that seems like a lot. Vegetable soup is just as good leftover and is perfect for lunch. Store it in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze it up to 3 months. Reheat on the stove top or microwave.
Other cozy soup recipes:
I have lots and lots of soup recipes, some with and some without meat. Here’s some of my vegetarian soup recipes to try:
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
Bursting with nutritious garden vegetables, hearty vegetable soup made from scratch is nothing like vegetable soup from a can.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion (1 medium onion)
- 1 cup chopped carrots (2 medium carrots)
- 1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
- 3 cups cubed peeled turnips (¾ lb. or 2 medium sized turnips)
- 5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 cup water
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, more to taste
- 2 cups fresh green beans (about 8 oz.), cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 cups shredded cabbage
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- Grated Parmesan cheese or [homemade croutons], optional
Instructions
- Heat oil in large saucepan or stockpot over medium high heat. Add onions, carrots, celery and turnips and sauté until softened, about 10 minutes.
- Add broth, tomatoes, water, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover partially, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Increase heat to high, and add green beans and cabbage. Return to a simmer, reduce heat, and cook until vegetables are tender, 10 minutes. Taste soup and add more salt and pepper, if desired. Stir in parsley.
- Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese or homemade croutons.
Notes
- If you prefer softer vegetables, add the green beans and cabbage with the broth. Simmer 30 minutes or more, or until vegetables are desired consistency.
- If you're not ready to serve the soup, keep it on low heat until ready to serve.
- Variations: Add meat (bacon, sausage, ground beef, etc.); add or substitute other vegetables; add a can of beans such as cannellini, kidney, pinto; add ½ cup of uncooked rice or barley when you add the broth.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1cup, Calories: 77kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 0.4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 227mg, Potassium: 344mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 2672IU, Vitamin C: 29mg, Calcium: 60mg, Iron: 1mg
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Eileen Conrod says
I love the soup recipies here . I also make up my own . soo good
Rachel Gurk says
Thanks Eileen! Soup is definitely great this time of year!
Justin says
Sometimes I have a ‘cheat’ day and use chicken broth with the vegetable soup haha. But either way, this is delicious!
Rachel Gurk says
That’s a great way to add more flavor for non-vegetarians! :)
denise says
perfect for gameday
Rachel Gurk says
100%!