Healthy Vegetable Soup

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my homemade vegetable soup, what each one does in my recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

I see vegetable soup recipes as a blank canvas — you can add almost anything. Here are the basic components that you can customize based on your preferences and what you have:

• Vegetables – Most often, I make this healthy vegetable soup with onions, bell peppers, cauliflower, green beans, canned diced tomatoes, and garlic. 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 veggies taste the best, but I’ve used frozen when I needed to. If you’re including greens, add them toward the end of cooking the soup.
• Broth – I prefer the flavor of reduced-sodium chicken broth here. You can use vegetable broth (to make this vegetable soup recipe both vegetarian and vegan), or otherwise homemade bone broth is amazing.
• Starches – I didn’t include any to keep this soup light. To make it more hearty, throw in 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 have 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

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

1. Saute the aromatics. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven (this is my favorite one!) over medium heat. Saute the onions and bell peppers until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant.
2. Add the vegetables and broth. Add the cauliflower, green beans, diced tomatoes, broth, seasonings, and bay leaves, if using. Stir to combine.

3. Simmer. Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until the veggies are tender. This is the part where my house smells amazing! 😉
4. Serve. Remove the bay leaves, and ladle into bowls. Sometimes I like to serve this healthy vegetable soup with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese or fresh parsley.

More Vegetable Soup Recipes

Need more healthy veggie soup recipes? I have lots! Below are some of my favorites, or find my other healthy soups here.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Easy Cabbage Soup

Butternut Squash Soup

Detox Soup

Instant Pot Vegetable Soup

Vegetable Beef Soup