My homemade vegetable soup is hearty, comforting, and full of savory flavor. Packed with tender veggies, herbs, and a rich tomato broth, this comforting soup is perfect for chilly days, and it comes together in one pot in under an hour.
I gave up meat when I was just thirteen years old, so I ate a lot of vegetable soup growing up. Back then it usually came out of a can, but I still loved the heck out of it. Vegetable soup is still one of my comfort foods today, only now I do it right. Homemade is the way to go, and this is the best homemade vegetable soup ever.
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I already have a few vegetable soup variations on the site, like my Instant Pot vegetable soup, summer vegetable soup, and vegetable noodle soup. But this time I wanted to create a simple, classic version similar to the ones I loved growing up… only better!
And indeed, this version is way better, thanks to fresh veggies, savory herbs, and juicy tomatoes. It’s also incredibly simple, coming together in less than an hour, with most of that time being hands-off while the soup simmers away. The recipe makes a generous batch, which is perfect, because leftovers of this soup are ideal for cozy fall and winter lunches.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Below you’ll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Olive oil. You could use another neutral high-heat oil if you’d like.
- Onion.
- Carrots.
- Celery.
- Garlic.
- Vegetable broth.
- Potato. I used a russet potato, but other varieties like red or yellow potatoes would work just fine. You could even shake things up and use a sweet potato!
- Green beans.
- Rosemary. You’ll be using a sprig of fresh rosemary, throwing the whole thing in the soup and letting it simmer. A teaspoon of dried rosemary can be used if needed, but it won’t be as flavorful.
- Thyme. The recipe calls for a teaspoon of dried thyme, but you could use a teaspoon of fresh if preferred.
- Diced tomatoes. We’re using canned diced tomatoes, to make things easy.
- Tomato paste.
- Frozen peas.
- Baby spinach. Frozen spinach can be substituted if you’d like. Thaw it and squeeze any excess water out before adding it.
- Fresh parsley.
- Salt and pepper.
How It’s Made
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Precook veggies. Sweat diced onion, sliced carrots, and celery in some olive oil for about 10 minutes, to start softening them up. Add the garlic and cook it with the mixture for another minute.
Step 2: Simmer. Add broth, diced potato, green beans, rosemary, and thyme. Let everything simmer for a bit, until the potato starts to soften.
Tip: Tempted to add those tomatoes early? Don’t do it! The acid can prevent your potatoes from cooking through. Hold off until the potatoes have started to soften.
Step 3: Add tomatoes. Stir in your diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Let the soup continue to simmer for a few minutes longer.
Step 4: Add peas and spinach. Peas should be thawed first! Stir them in, along with baby spinach, and let the soup simmer a minute or so longer.
Step 5: Finish the soup. Remove the pot from heat, take out the rosemary sprig, and stir in chopped fresh parsley. Give the soup a taste-test and season it with salt and pepper to taste.
Variations
- Italian vegetable soup. Add a teaspoon of oregano and replace the parsley with chopped fresh basil. You can also top each bowl with a sprinkle of vegan Parmesan cheese.
- Add beans. Bulk up your soup by stirring in a can of beans, making sure to drain and rinse them first. Try lentils, cannellini beans, or chickpeas.
- Add or swap out veggies. You can work almost anything into this recipe. Try broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, parsnips, zucchini, butternut squash, or greens like kale and chard. Make sure to add harder veggies earlier, as they take longer to cook, and softer veggies later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, as long as your vegetable broth is certified gluten-free (many are!).
Leftover vegetable soup will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about three days, or in the freezer for about three months.
Nope! Only peel it if that’s your preference.
More Soup Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Classic Vegetable Soup
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, sliced
- 2 medium celery stalks, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 1 medium russet potato, scrubbed and diced (½-inch)
- 1 ½ cups fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 (4-inch) sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 (14.5 ounce/411 gram) can diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 2 cups baby spinach
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
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Coat the bottom of a large pot with the oil and place it over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Sweat the vegetables for about 10 minutes, until they start to soften. Stir in the garlic and cook the mixture for about 1 minute more, stirring constantly, until very fragrant.
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Stir in the broth, potato, green beans, rosemary, and thyme. Raise the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Let the mixture simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potato is starting to become tender but just a tad undercooked.
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Add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir well to completely dissolve the tomato paste. Raise the heat to high and bring the soup back to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. The potato should be easily pierced with a fork by now. If not, let it simmer a bit longer.
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Stir in the peas and baby spinach. Let the soup simmer for a minute or two longer, just until the peas are heated and the spinach has wilted.
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Remove the pot from heat. Remove and discard the rosemary sprig. Stir in the parsley and season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
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Ladle into bowls and serve.
Nutrition
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