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Skip the bland canned stuff… my healthy vegetable soup recipe is packed with savory flavor from fresh produce, broth, and herbs! Although I love to make hearty soups with veggies, like my cabbage hamburger soup and Mexican chicken soup, this is my best vegetable soup recipe to lean on when you want something light and quick. 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. Make it with me!
Why You Need 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 – I make this healthy vegetable soup with fresh ingredients, so of course it’s got lots of veggies! But it’s also naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and low carb.
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.
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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.
- 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.
- Add the vegetables and broth. 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. This is the part where my house smells amazing! 😉
- 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.
My Tips For Adjusting Flavor
Sometimes the taste can vary depending on your veggies and brand of broth or diced tomatoes. Plus, everyone is a little different. Here are some ways I adjust this healthy vegetable soup when needed — and so can you:
- 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.
In my experience, PH balance is often all a vegetable 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).
Want to add a protein? I’ve got recipes for beef vegetable soup or chicken vegetable soup. You can also just use the recipe I have here and simply add your protein before simmering the soup, along with an extra 1-3 cups of broth.
Healthy Vegetable Soup (30 Minutes!)
By
This healthy vegetable soup recipe is cozy, flavorful, fast, and easy! Make it in 30 minutes with veggies, broth, diced tomatoes, and spices.
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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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 make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
- Tips: If the flavor of your soup isn’t quite what you like, check out my tips above to help you figure out what it’s missing.
- 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 makes 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 — I love it reheated 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!).
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I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Homemade Vegetable Soup
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.
178 Comments
Peggy
0It was so easy to make and so very good.
Elizabeth Brooks
0You may think I am crazy, but the ingredients remind me somewhat of a bloody Mary. I bet a little bit if of horseradish and some celery in that soup would perk it up.
Joe
0Thanks for the recipe – it is good, easy, and makes a lot! I used canned green beans but otherwise followed the recipe exactly.
Mary
0Do you think that if I add some spinach it would add more fiber and lower the net carbs?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Mary, adding spinach would add more fiber but it would not lower the net carbs of the recipe.
Michelle
0Lovely soup and so simple to make.
A bowl of health!
anne
0Loved this recipe. Very flavourful with the bay leaf, Italian seasoning and I added herb de province. The hubby raved about it!
Kat
0That’s a heck of a lot of net carbs for just 1 cup! 1 star.
Archie
0Oh my goodness – such a delicious soup and so easy to make! This one is a keeper. Thank you 🙂
Lori Weaver
0I agree although I think it would be ok to have once in a while like in the winter when you crave soups. Also if you’ve already reached your goal weight.
Shannon Carter
0This is a great recipe! It is deceptively simple and people are often surprised how delicious it is! I make it almost weekly and love to have it for lunch most days. My favorite version is to use Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles instead of plain diced tomatoes. Then I add oregano instead of italian seasoning. This makes it a little spicy and I add lime juice and a little shredded pepperjack when serving. So delicious. Thank you!
Mel Scott
0Super yum and easy to make, goes a really long way, thank you 🙂
Leanne
0I added carrots to my soup
Theresa
0Loved this soup. Using it on one my 500 calorie days. Very filling. Made it exactly as you said. My son added sausage to it and loved that also
Jeff Thomas
0What would be the best way if you wanted to add some cubed beef, and make it like a vegetable beef soup?
Penny McKinley
0I like to add Worcestershire sauce!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jeff, Feel free to pre-cook some cubed beef beforehand (seasoned to your liking). Add it to the pot right before step 5 and let it simmer together.
Sally
0Very good! The only thing I changed was to add one pound of browned ground beef because I have a hard time getting in enough protein.
John
0At what point did you add the browned ground beef?
Abby
0I made this exactly as the recipe calls & something is missing for me. I’m not a cook who can tell by tasting what it needs & it’s always the simplest recipes I can’t get right. My sister makes an awesome stuffed pepper soup & I asked her for her recipe & she said she didn’t have one just went on taste. I’m not sure what to add to it but it just doesn’t have enough taste to it.
Archie
0Sometimes all it may need is a wee bit more salt to bring the flavors out.
Lori Weaver
0I don’t know if you already added it but I like Italian seasoning. And sometime I like to add a little sweetner to my soups too. Like a tsp. Swerve or monk fruit.
Glynn
01/2 tsp chicken base worked for me
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Abby, Be sure to check out the section of the post called, “What Can I Add to my Vegetable Soup for Flavor?” for inspiration on how to spice up your soup!
Jasmijn Rose
0Loved this! I’m 10 years old and I love to cook. I followed this recipe to make some soup for me and my dad. I made it all myself and it was so easy and quick! I’m vegetarian and my dad is keto, so I just used vegetable broth and it was so delicious! Me and my dad loved it and the suggestion to add bay leaves was so perfect! I will definitely save the link and make this recipe again! Thank you so much for an easy way to get supper on the table quick!
Carol
0I followed the recipe and used chicken bone broth as a base. Everything came out really good! The tomatoes I used made the soup acidic so I used one of the tips on the recipe and added some heavy cream. That really made a difference! Thanks so much for the recipe 🙂
Jenniffer
0Hi, I really enjoyed the soup. I used all the ingredients you did, but it tasted a bit spicy. I’m not sure why cause I didn’t add spices and my tomatoes didn’t have spices in them. Anyway, regardless it was good. I was wondering though how long it lasts in the fridge. Thanks.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jennifer, This soup will keep in the fridge for about a week. Any longer and I would consider freezing it in individual portions.
Kameelah
0Thank you for this wonderful recipe! Its so simple yet full of flavor while also being low in calories. A great way to get more nutrients in your diet. I don’t like green beans so I swapped those out for zucchini but other than that I followed the recipe as written. The final product actually tasted much better than I expected! I would definitely rate this one five stars.
Yariv
0Great & Healthy
LISA J BROYLES
0Great vegetable soup. Had enough for a 2nd meal. My husband added sausage links the next night. I also added broccoli since I needed to use some up. I served it with a basic dinner salad. Very filling.
Barbara
0No criticism, just a well done! I really love the vegetable soup and can’t wait to try is the Broccoli & Cheese soup!
Alain Pelissier
0Just made this recipe. How many times a day would u suggest having this soup. 3 or 4 cups /day if u r using it for weight loss and eat only that at your meal times?
2) can I substitute 1 cup of 3 beans mixed instead of green beans without changing the dynamics? Sandy
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sandy, This is not a diet soup. There is no need to eat only this several times a day as a weight loss plan. Instead this is a healthy, low carb version of vegetable soup. With that said, if you are following a low carb diet, then I advise against adding beans. They are very high in carbs and are not suitable for a low carb lifestyle. If you are not low carb and simply looking for a nice vegetable soup, then I’m sure it would work fine. Enjoy!