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Get It NowSkip the bland canned stuff… this healthy vegetable soup recipe is packed with savory flavor from fresh produce, broth, and herbs! Although I love to make hearty, meaty soups like cabbage hamburger soup, a vegetable beef soup, and Mexican chicken soup, this is the best vegetable soup recipe to lean on when you want something light that balances flavor and simplicity. I’ll show you how to make it with your favorite in-season ingredients to warm you up from the inside out (all in just over half an hour). Plus, it’s so easy to customize!
Why You’ll Love My Healthy Vegetable Soup Recipe
- Light, but big on flavor – Veggies with savory, herby tomato broth? It’s the best of both worlds.
- Simple ingredients – You’ll find everything you need at any grocery store, and possibly even in your refrigerator. Best of all, it’s easy to customize with whatever you have on hand. I often make this recipe for vegetable soup when I want to clean out my fridge!
- Fast to make – I love that I can whip it up in just 30 minutes on busy weeknights.
- Fits many healthy lifestyles – It uses fresh ingredients (lots of veggies, of course!), plus it’s naturally gluten-free and low carb.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for homemade vegetable soup, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
Vegetable soup recipes are a blank canvas, so you can add almost anything. Here are the basic components that you can customize based on your preferences and what you have on hand:
- Broth – I use reduced-sodium store-bought or homemade chicken broth, but you can use vegetable broth to make this healthy vegetable soup recipe both vegetarian and vegan. If that’s not important, you can also make your own homemade bone broth.
- Vegetables – The version I make most often includes onions, bell peppers, minced garlic (fresh or jarred), cauliflower, green beans, and canned diced tomatoes. But I’ve also made it with other veggies, like kale or spinach (or throw in some leftover sauteed kale or sauteed spinach), zucchini, cabbage, broccoli, or sliced celery ribs… fresh or frozen! If you’re including greens, add them toward the end of cooking the soup.
- Starches – I didn’t include any to keep this soup light, but to make it more hearty, you can add potatoes, corn kernels, butternut squash, carrots, beans (like chickpeas or white beans), corn, or green peas. Cut larger veggies into bite-sized pieces.
- Seasonings – Aside from the obvious salt and pepper, I add Italian seasoning, because it tastes great and saves time getting out multiple seasoning containers. If you don’t have any, you can use any combination of dried herbs you like, such as basil, rosemary, thyme, parsley, oregano, marjoram, or tarragon. If you prefer to use fresh herbs, triple the amount, as their flavor is less concentrated. I like to throw in some dried bay leaves for flavor as well.
How To Make Vegetable Soup
This section shows step-by-step photos together with the instructions, to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Saute the aromatics. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Saute the onions and bell peppers until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Add the vegetables. Add the cauliflower, green beans, diced tomatoes, broth, seasonings, and bay leaves, if using. Stir to combine.
- Simmer. Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until the veggies are tender.
- Serve. Remove the bay leaves, ladle into bowls, and enjoy! Sometimes I like to serve this healthy vegetable soup with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese or fresh parsley.
Tips For Adjusting Flavor
Sometimes the taste can vary depending on your veggies, brand of broth or diced tomatoes, and your preferences. Here are some ways I adjust this healthy vegetable soup when needed:
- Too sweet? Mix in a splash of vinegar, salt, or tabasco.
- Too bland? Add more salt, or an extra dash of herbs and spices. Your preferences might be a little different from mine, but it’s so easy to customize this if you feel like something is missing!
- Too spicy? A little heavy cream (or coconut cream) tames spicy foods, or dilute with extra broth or some vinegar.
- Too salty? Extra tomatoes or some lemon juice can help.
- Too acidic? Dilute with cream or coconut cream, or add more salt.
PH balance is sometimes all a soup needs. Lemon juice or vinegar add more acidity, while heavy cream or coconut cream will make it more alkaline (if tastes sour or spicy).
Storage Tips
- Store: Keep the soup covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Meal prep: I like to cut the vegetables ahead of time, because it cooking this healthy vegetable soup recipe is a breeze! Store them in the refrigerator until ready to use. You can also make the entire soup ahead. It’s so comforting and convenient to reheat for lunch!
- Reheat: Warm on the stovetop, or in the microwave, until warm.
- Freeze: Cool to room temperature, then pour into airtight zip top bags. Lay flat in the freezer until solid, and after that you can move them upright to save space if needed. Thaw in the fridge overnight (in a container or pot to be safe, in case it leaks!).
More Homemade Vegetable Soup Recipes
Need more healthy veggie soup recipes? Try my other homemade chill chasers, or find my other healthy soups here:
My Favorite Dutch Oven For This Recipe
This Dutch oven is my go-to! It’s sturdy, heats evenly, and looks pretty going straight to the table.
Healthy Vegetable Soup (30 Minutes!)
This healthy vegetable soup recipe is cozy, flavorful, fast, and easy! Make it in 30 minutes with veggies, broth, diced tomatoes, and spices.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Heat olive oil in a pot or dutch oven over medium heat.
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Add the onions and bell peppers. Saute for 7 to 10 minutes, until onions are translucent and browned.
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Add the minced garlic. Saute for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
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Add the cauliflower, green beans, diced tomatoes, broth, and Italian seasoning. Adjust sea salt and black pepper to taste. Add the bay leaves, if using.
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Bring the soup to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium low, and cook for about 10 to 20 minutes, until veggies are soft.
Did You Like It?
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
147 Comments
Jayne
0I made the Homemade Vegetable Soup last night, and after chopping all the vegetables it took just a few minutes. We had a good piece of bread with it and it was wonderful. Just right for the cold days in MN. Reminded me of my Minestrone recipe. We will be making this again. I should have taken a picture. It really looked just like yours.
Sharina
0This is so quick and easy! So hearty, delicious and satisfying!
Allyson Zea
0This was absolutely delicious and easy to make! Thanks for the recipe!
jess
0This was such a great soup recipe and I cannot thank you enough for sharing this amazing dish!
Irene
0This soup is delicious! A staple in our home year round.
Kara
0This was super quick and easy, I had a bunch of vegetables to use up and this was perfect. We had it with some grilled cheese sandwiches and hubby loved it!
Margarette
0I made this vegetable soup for dinner tonight and it was exactly what I needed after a long day. The broth has a rich and hearty flavor without feeling too heavy. So delish!