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This easy homemade vegetable soup is the kind of recipe you’ll make again and again—simple ingredients, big flavor, and hardly any effort. Whether you slow-sauté your aromatics or toss everything in the pot and walk away, it always delivers cozy, made-from-scratch comfort your whole family will love.
Serve it with my no-knead focaccia bread or freshly baked French bread and you're in dinner heaven!
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Why you'll love this vegetable soup recipe
- Quick prep and mostly hands-off cooking
- Budget-friendly ingredients you already have
- Works with fresh, frozen, or canned veggies
- Naturally vegan and gluten-free
- Easy to scale up or down
When I say this is the easiest homemade vegetable soup you’ll ever make, I mean it. It’s quick, colorful, and full of savory flavor from everyday vegetables and pantry staples. You can keep it simple with just a few basics or use it as a “clean out the fridge or freezer” meal.
What You'll Need
You can use any vegetables you like for this soup, but these are the ones I used. Consider this your starting point for making a flavorful, easy homemade vegetable soup that works with whatever you have on hand.
- Olive oil – A small amount helps soften the vegetables and adds richness to the broth.
- Onion, carrots, and celery – The classic trio that builds a flavorful, aromatic base for any good vegetable soup.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic adds depth and savory warmth to the broth.
- Potatoes – Add hearty texture and make the soup filling and satisfying, even without meat.
- Tomatoes – You can use any canned tomatoes you like, but fire-roasted tomatoes bring extra flavor and a subtle smoky depth. I also love to use my roasted cherry tomatoes when I have them on hand—what a sweet and savory treat!
- Vegetable broth – The savory, well-rounded base that ties everything together.
- Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper – A simple combo that brings herbal balance and enhances every ingredient.
- Zucchini, peas, and corn – Add color, sweetness, and tender texture for a fresh, wholesome finish.
- Lemon juice and chopped parsley (for garnish) – Brighten each bowl with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.
For me, a good vegetable soup is all about flavor and texture, and with this recipe, you get to decide how hands-on you want to be.
If I have a few extra minutes, I like to slowly sauté the onions, carrots, and celery before adding other ingredients to bring out their natural flavors. This builds a deeper, savory base for the soup.
But honestly, there are plenty of nights when I toss everything into the pot with broth, turn it on to simmer, and walk away. That’s the beauty of this recipe: it’s flexible enough to work either way and always turns out cozy, flavorful, and satisfying.
Step-by-Step: How to Make The Best Vegetable Soup
Once your ingredients are prepped, you’re just a few simple steps away from a cozy pot of soup. Here’s my process:
Step 1: Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Sauté until the vegetables are tender and fragrant, stirring as needed.
Step 2: Add the potatoes, canned tomatoes (with juice), vegetable broth, water, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Loosely cover the pot and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 8–10 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Step 3: Stir in the zucchini, peas, and corn. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes, just until the vegetables are heated through.
Step 4: Serve the soup warm, garnished with fresh lemon wedges and chopped parsley.
To store: Let the soup cool completely, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Pro chef’s tip for flavor: If you have time, sauté the onions, carrots, and celery a bit longer over low heat to draw out sweetness and deepen the soup’s flavor. It’s a classic mirepoix in culinary terms.
- Use veggies on hand: This quick, easy vegetable soup recipe works with nearly any mix of fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables.
- Veggie timing tip: Fresh veggies need longer to soften, while frozen or canned vegetables should be added near the end to prevent overcooking.
- Vegetable ideas: Onion, celery, carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, zucchini, green beans, bell pepper, corn, peas, spinach, or kale are all great options.
- Broth options: Use vegetable broth for a vegan vegetable soup or swap in chicken broth or bone broth for a richer flavor and more protein.
- Add-ins: During the simmering cycle, stir in beans, tofu, or frozen dumplings for extra protein. Or add a scoop of quinoa or brown rice for a fiber boost.
- Finishing touch: A drizzle of olive oil or a squeeze of lemon before serving brightens the flavor.
How To Select Vegetables for Your Soup
You can make this soup with any vegetables you have on hand. I usually start with a base of onion, carrots, and celery, then add from there. Here’s how I like to time things:
Add these early in the simmering process
- Potatoes
- Sweet potatoes
- Green beans
- Diced Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli stems
- Turnips or parsnips
Add these halfway through simmering
- Zucchini
- Yellow squash
- Bell peppers
- Mushrooms
- Bite-sized broccoli florets
- Cabbage
Add these near the end of simmering
- Corn
- Peas
- Spinach
- Kale
- Swiss chard
- Frozen vegetables
When in doubt, add the sturdier veggies early and the delicate ones later so everything ends up perfectly tender. But don’t stress about getting it exact because vegetable soup is wonderfully forgiving.
More soup recipes
- Minestrone Soup
- White Bean and Kale Soup
- Leftover Turkey Soup
- Tomato Soup
- Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup
- Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Vegetable Soup
- Cabbage Roll Soup
📖 Recipe
Easy Homemade Vegetable Soup Recipe
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Video
Note about scaling
When scaling, the light gray ingredient notes after the comma don’t change. Adjust as needed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 medium Onion, diced (about 2 cups)
- 1 large Carrot, diced (1 cup)
- 2 ribs Celery, diced (1 cup)
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 3 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
- 1 (14.5-ounce can) Fire Roasted Tomatoes, keep juice
- 8 cups Vegetable Broth
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Zucchini, quartered and sliced (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup Frozen Corn, thawed
- 1 cup Frozen Peas, thawed
Optional garnish
- Lemon Wedges, Fresh Parsley, Parmesan Reggiano
Instructions
- Set a 4-quart soup pot over medium heat. Add OLIVE OIL and heat until shimmering.
- Add the ONION, CARROT, CELERY, and GARLIC. Sauté about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant.
- Stir in the POTATOES, TOMATOES (with juice), VEGETABLE BROTH, ITALIAN SEASONING, SALT, and PEPPER.
- Loosely cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 8–10 minutes, or until the POTATOES are fork-tender, but not too soft.
- Add the ZUCCHINI, CORN, and PEAS. Simmer another 5 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender and heated through.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with SALT and PEPPER as needed.
- Serve warm, garnished with LEMON WEDGES and PARSLEY if desired.
- To store, cool completely, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are estimates and may vary based on brands, ingredients, and portions.
Annette says
Mine was truly a kitchen-sink creation! I had celery, onions, carrots, garlic and potatoes but it pretty much ended there. I didn’t have any canned tomatoes so I combined Trader Joe’s organic tomato soup and their organic chicken broth. I added a handful of grape tomatoes, some broccolini stems and flowers, zucchini and kidney beans. It was great! It was an experiment that worked. Hubby asked for seconds! Thanks for the basic recipe that lets the rest of us get creative!
Traci says
Love this! That’s exactly what this soup is meant for—use what you have and make it your own. Sounds like a great combo, and seconds from the hubby is always a win. Thanks for sharing what worked for you! Makes my day! 🙂
Diane says
This soup was very easy to make and taste was delicious.
Traci says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it 🙂 Thanks for trying my recipe and for sharing this feedback!
Heidi says
It doesn't get much easier than dumping everything in and walking away. Talk about the perfect recipe for a busy weeknight! Plus, you've made it even easier by allow for fresh, frozen, or even canned veggies. Thanks for this gem!
Traci says
You are so welcome and the pleasure is all mine, knowing that you're loving the simple features of this vegetable soup. It really is a game-changer for us and I hope for you too! Thank you xoxo
Jill says
Made this tonight with a few tweaks based on what I had.
instead of potatoes, corn and peas I used cauliflower and portobello mushrooms. Don't have fire roasted tomatoes so I used Rotel and tomato paste. Finally I used chicken broth.
Looks, smells and tastes amazing.
Traci says
Yay!! It's a favorite in our house. Sounds like you made it all your own! Thanks for trying my recipe and for leaving this feedback. Enjoy!! xoxo
Nancy Creyer says
What a delicious soup ! You can't go wrong with lots of veggies. I also put some broccoli and cauliflower that I froze last year and used our homemade chicken stock. Sundays are soup days for my husband and myself, and this will be one that will be made quite often. Thank you so much.
Traci says
Yay!!! I'm so glad you're loving it as much as we do! I appreciate you taking the time to leave this feedback - and for bringing my recipe into your kitchen. Enjoy!
Dannii says
This was SO comforting. Really nutritious and easy to adapt too. I will definitely be making it again.
Traci says
Yay! So glad to hear you're loving it as much as we do. Thanks for the feedback. Enjoy!
Lima Ekram says
I love how you can use any type of vegetable with this recipe. This versatility is great because I dont want to go out and buy a lot of ingredients just for a pot of soup. It turned out great with just what I had in my kitchen!
Traci says
Awesome! I'm so glad you took adavantage of the versatility factor because this soup really is so customizable. Thanks for sharing your experience. Enjoy!
Ashley says
I am really and truly obsessed. This soup is so comforting and delicious - perfect for the winter!
Traci says
Yay! So glad you're enjoying it. It's a favorite winter soup over here for sure. Thanks for the feedback!
Beth says
This stuff is absolutely delicious. I made it last night, and the only change I made was adding cabbage because it's a favorite veggie of ours in soups like this. This one is going to be a regular in my rotation.
Traci says
Yay! I'm glad you went for it and I, too, love cabbage in vegetable soup. It's so affordable too. Thanks for sharing your experience. Enjoy!!
Kushigalu says
It is a perfect and comforting soup for the weather here. Thanks a lot for sharing.
Traci says
You are so welcome! Yes, nothing like a healthy vegetable soup on a cold day. Thanks and enjoy!
Chelsa says
My whole family including our two little boys loved this soup! We never had to ask them to eat because they liked it so much. Thank you!
The Kitchen Girl says
Wow Chelsa, I always love it when the kids sign off on a recipe. Thanks for letting me know! Glad y'all enjoyed it!
Denay DeGuzman says
I made this vegetable soup last week and it was delicious! I felt the need to come back here to tell you how great it was. It always feels so good when serving healthy recipes to the family.
Traci Antonovich says
Wow, thanks Denay! I love it that you came back...much appreciated! So glad you like the vegetable soup...I'm ALL in on this one
Kristen says
Love how many veggies are in this soup. It was delicious!
Traci Antonovich says
Awesome, Kristen! Thanks so much for letting me know! 🙂
Tracy says
Yessss this is my kind of soup. I try to avoid cans as much as possible because of all of the added crap and this is going to be perfect for the cold days. Can’t wait to make a big batch and freeze!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Tracy! So glad you can enjoy this one 🙂
Lisa says
I feel like I've been eating too many rich dishes lately and this vegetable soup recipe is exactly what I need to get myself back on track. Besides, it looks so hearty and flavorful. Your photos are gorgeous, Traci!
Traci Antonovich says
Aww thank you, Lisa! I'm honored by the compliment 🙂 And this is def the get-back-on-track vegetable soup. Cheers!
Heidy says
This veggie soup was totally awesome! My entire family loved it and asked I make if for them again!!!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Heidy! Lovvvvve hearing that 🙂
Valerie says
We love soup in our house. My husband would really enjoy this as it has cauliflower and zucchini and I don't put them in my chicken vegetable soup.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Valerie! Yes...we LOVE the addition of zucchini and cauliflower to our veggie soup 🙂
Alisa Infanti says
The smell of this recipe is amazing. I made sure to make extra so I can freeze. So good!
Traci Antonovich says
Yay!!! So glad you're enjoying this one. You will LOVE thawing and eating this on a busy weeknight 🙂
Michelle says
So many veggies! I love using this recipe to use up leftover veggies that might otherwise go to waste. And then it makes a perfect lunch!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Michelle...so glad to hear it! We empty the fridge with this soup recipe 😉
Emily says
I love that this is loaded with TEN different vegetables! Perfect for soup season this year!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Emily! Yep, you can pick any vegetables you want for this one 🙂
Angela says
So much flavor and so good for you! I love this recipe! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Angela! Love hearing that 🙂