Cozy up with a bowl of fully loaded vegetable soup! With a flavorful tomato broth and fresh vegetables, it tastes way better than from a can, and keeps well in the fridge.
During the colder weather, I am drawn to classic comfort foods: casseroles, stews, and of course, soup! This hearty vegetable soup is a really great way to get your daily quotient of vegetables, even during the cold months.
With tons of veggies including carrots, celery, onions, garlic, cauliflower, zucchini and tomatoes, it's nutrient-rich, hydrating, and also happens to be delicious!
Reasons you'll ♡ this vegetable soup recipe
- it's a flexible recipe and you can use almost anything up in your fridge
- it's fridge- and freezer-friendly for easy lunch options
- it's packed with veggies, but still filling and satisfying
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Recipe video
Watch the video below for step by step instructions for cooking vegetable soup! You can find more recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
Ingredient notes
- diced tomatoes- if you want to add new flavors to the soup, grab a flavored variation of diced tomatoes such as fire roasted, Rotel or herb and garlic.
- kidney beans- we add the beans for protein and a texture variation to the soup. Feel free to swap for your favorite bean; black beans, chickpeas or white beans would all work great.
- cauliflower- use fresh or frozen, though if you use frozen, they may be large for a soup
- vegetables- this soup recipe is really flexible, and you can really swap out almost any of the vegetables for ones you might need to use up in your fridge! More on this below.
- broth- keep it vegetarian with vegetable broth, or you can make your own homemade bone broth.
Step by step directions
Sauté onions- Heat olive oil in a 4 quart or larger pot. Add the onions, and sauté for 5-7 minutes, until they are soft and translucent.
Add garlic- Make a space in the middle of the onions, then add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute, stirring, until it is fragrant and cooked through.
Simmer- Add the carrots, celery, cauliflower florets, zucchini, basil, oregano, salt, bay leaf, diced tomatoes and vegetable stock. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan to make sure nothing is stuck. Place the lid on the pot, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and allow the soup to simmer for 30 minutes. You want the carrots and celery to be soft.
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Add kidney beans- Before serving, remove the bay leaf, and stir in the kidney beans. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
Recipe FAQ + Tips
Prepping your vegetables
Before you start cooking, I recommend you have all your vegetables chopped up and ready to go. Make sure you cut them into small pieces (1 inch or smaller), because the soup will cook through quicker, and large vegetable chunks are not fun to eat in soup. You may use frozen vegetables, but keep in mind they are difficult to chop when frozen, so you may end up with larger vegetable chunks in your soup.
The flavor base
Taking the time to sauté the onions and garlic transforms them from pungent and intense to soft, mellow, and slightly sweet. This is the flavor base to the soup, which plays off the acidic tomatoes and dried herbs to create great flavor. Don't skip this step.
You can add almost any veggie (fresh or frozen) to soup! My favorites include onions, tomatoes, carrots, and celery as they create a great flavor base and provide nutrition.
As written, this soup has delicious flavor, but if you want to up the umami, you could add a teaspoon of worcestershire sauce or soy sauce to the onions as you sauté. You can also stir in a squeeze of lemon just before serving, and serve with a sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese for a boost in flavor.
It's nutrient rich, hydrating, yet low in calories.
Other veggies you can add
You can use up almost anything you might have in your fridge including (but not limited to):
- broccoli
- green beans
- corn or peas (fresh or frozen) *
- parsnips
- kale or spinach *
- potatoes or sweet potatoes
- squash
- leeks
Keep in mind that changing the veggies may alter the cook time; use your best judgment to determine when the vegetables are soft enough to eat.
* Add greens and peas at the same time as the kidney beans.
Storage + Reheating
This soup keeps well, and tastes even better on day 2! Here's how to safely store and reheat this recipe:
- fridge- cool completely, then cover the pot, or portion out into storage jars. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- freezer- cool completely, then portion out into glass or plastic freezer jars. Leave ¼ of the jar empty to account for expansion, and leave lids ajar until the soup is fully frozen. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- thaw- overnight in the fridge (speed the process by leaving on the counter for a few hours, or by immersing the jar in water).
- reheat- heat individual portions in the microwave until steaming hot. Heat the whole pot over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 15-20 minutes, until warmed through.
Check out my favorite freezer containers!
More soup recipes
- Healthy Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Leftover Turkey Detox Soup
- Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
- Beef & Barley Soup
- 36+ Healthy Soup Recipes
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Hearty Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 carrots peeled and sliced
- 2 celerry ribs peeled and sliced
- 1 cup cauliflower florets cut into 1 inch or smaller pieces; see note 1
- 1 cup zucchini cut into 1 inch or smaller pieces
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 15 oz can of diced tomatoes including juices; see note 2
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 15 oz can of kidney beans drained and rinsed; see note 3
Instructions
- Sauté onions- Heat olive oil in a 4 quart or larger pot. Add the onions, and sauté for 5-7 minutes, until they are soft and translucent.
- Add garlic- Make a space in the middle of the onions, then add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute, stirring, until it is fragrant and cooked through.
- Simmer- Add the carrots, celery, cauliflower florets, zucchini, basil, oregano, salt, bay leaf, diced tomatoes and vegetable stock. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan to make sure nothing is stuck. Place the lid on the pot, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and allow the soup to simmer for 30 minutes. You want the carrots and celery to be soft.
- Add kidney beans- Before serving, remove the bay leaf, and stir in the kidney beans. Taste and adjust salt if needed *see note 4
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Tips:
- fridge- cool completely, then cover the pot, or portion out into storage jars. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- freezer- cool completely, then portion out into glass or plastic freezer jars. Leave ¼ of the jar empty to account for expansion, and leave lids ajar until the soup is fully frozen. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- broccoli
- green beans
- corn or peas (fresh or frozen)- add with the kidney beans
- parsnips
- kale or spinach- add with the kidney beans
- potatoes or sweet potatoes
- squash
- leeks
Video
Nutrition Information
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Sherry says
Very tasty. Added a few mushrooms and asparagus I had on hand! This is a keeper!
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Sherry, so glad you found a new favourite recipe! Thanks for sharing your additions, and for taking the time to leave a rating and review!
Pearl Escobar says
I haven't made this soup, but I want to for next week's meal prep! I need more veggies in my diet and this looks just scrumptious.
Denise says
Hi Pearl! I hope you give it a try! Soup is such a great way to squeeze some extra veggies into your life!
Tara says
Can I make this in a crock pot?
Denise says
Hi Tara, I think that would work just fine! I'd try low 4-6 hours...bet you could even push it to 8 hours, but I'm not sure without testing 🙂
Amy says
I love every component of this soup recipe and it's also BEAUTIFUL! Looking forward to trying it.
Denise says
Thank you so much, Amy! Hope you enjoy 🙂