Creamy Vegetable Soup
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This creamy vegetable soup is so crave-worthy! It’s light yet velvety, full of seasonal veggies, brightened with lemon juice, and a splash of cream to make it extra delicious.
This new vegetarian soup is perfect all year long!
It’s always soup season for me, even now that spring is officially here. I love coming from the Farmer’s market and making quick and easy homemade soups all year.
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They are healthy, filling, inexpensive, and delicious with crusty bread for dipping. And lunch is served!
Today’s creamy vegetable soup is chocked full of veggies, thick and luscious thanks to a small amount of cream (only 1/4 cup!) added at the end of the cooking time.
Although cream is not a staple for me, I LOVE the hint of luxury that adds to this soup, pairing wonderfully with the acidity of the lemon juice. Also, who doesn’t love creamy soups?! I had to try this combination, and I’m glad I did because it was so deliciously rich but not heavy.
It’s also a breeze to customize with your favorite seasonal vegetables, which I love. And it’s quick and easy to make on a busy weeknight, LUSH enough for a dinner party, and great for meal prep. Also, my 10-year-old asked for it for his lunchbox, which is quite an event!
Let’s make this creamy vegetable soup now. You might already have all the ingredients. Serve it with crusty panini bread, warm focaccia, or stovetop croutons for a delightful vegetarian meal the whole family will love.
List of ingredients
- Mixed Vegetables
- Fresh or frozen peas
- Spinach
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Herbs
- Cream
- Vegetable broth
- Salt & pepper
How to make creamy vegetable soup
(Note: This is a quick description; the full recipe is at the bottom of the page).
- Saute leeks (or onion), carrots, celery, and garlic in olive oil.
- Stir in the other veggies, broth, dried herbs, and seasoning.
- Cook for 20 minutes.
- Scoop out some veggies, puree the soup, and return the veggies. This step helps to mix the textures: thick soup + chunky bites.
- Add the cream, peas, and spinach to the pot. Cook until tender.
- Stir in the parsley and lemon juice, and season to taste if desired.
- Serve with easy golden croutons, crusty bread, or warm focaccia, and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese if you don’t keep it 100% vegetarian. It tastes phenomenal!
Recipe Notes
Creamy vegetable soup ingredients
Vegetables: The recipe starts with plenty of carrots, celery, leeks or onion, and garlic. This combination is essential for flavor, nutrition, and texture. Next, I add a big potato for creaminess and half a cauliflower for texture and extra nutrition. Any potato should be fine here, and you can use broccoli or squash instead of cauliflower. You can add green beans or swap peas for chickpeas. Finally, add some greens: spinach, kale, or Swiss chard– all good options. Yep, the recipe is that flexible!
Greens + Peas: Fresh or frozen peas and spinach are added at the end of the cooking to preserve their color, texture, and nutrients. Kale or Swiss chard would also work.
Extra virgin olive oil: It’s a must for flavor and nutrition.
Cream: I use double cream here in the UK, but heavy whipping cream is perfectly fine if you’re based in the US. You can also use your favorite plant-based alternative to cream if you wish to make it vegan.
Low-sodium vegetable broth: This is my go-to broth as I like it to be vegan and light. You’re welcome to use your favorite vegetable or chicken broth if you wish, but season it to taste if it’s a different broth, which can taste quite salty.
Herbs: The recipe uses Italian herb seasoning, a blend of dried herbs like basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, and more. But you can combine your favorite dried herbs here and finish with fresh parsley or basil.
Lemon juice: It helps to brighten up the flavors and adds freshness. I recommend not to skip it.
Salt & pepper: As usual, I recommend checking the seasoning and making sure the flavors pop.
STORAGE TIPS & LEFTOVERS
The leftover creamy vegetable soup keeps well in the fridge for 4 days, and reheats well in the microwave or stovetop. It’s also freezable: I suggest dividing the soup into freezer-safe containers, cooling it in the refrigerator overnight, and transferring it to the freezer. I use this type of glass container to freeze every soup and sauce, then it’s so eas
MORE SOUP RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- The best white bean soup
- White bean and kale soup
- Pinto bean soup
- White bean & tomato soup
- Tomato chickpea soup
- Summer soup
- Vegan barley soup
- Lemon chickpea soup
And for all the chickpea and bean lovers out there, don’t forget to check out my vegan soup recipes here and my best bean recipes here. : )
If you try this creamy vegetable soup, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or tag a photo #theclevermeal on Instagram.
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Creamy Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Leeks, chopped (or 1 onion)
- 3 medium-sized carrots, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ Cauliflower head, cut into small florets (see notes for subs)
- 1 Large potato, diced into 1-inch pieces
- 4 cup (960 ml) low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- ¼ cup (60 ml) cream
- ½ lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the sliced leeks (or a diced onion), carrots, and celery, and cook for about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Add the cauliflower florets, diced potatoes, broth (use 3 ½ cups of broth if using an onion), dried herbs, and seasoning to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer; cook covered with a lid for about 20 minutes.
- Scoop out 1 or 2 cups of vegetables and puree the soup in the pot using an immersion blender until smooth. Return the vegetables to the blended soup and stir in the cream, peas, and spinach. Cook until the peas are soft and the spinach is wilted (about 3 minutes).
- Remove from the heat, add the lemon juice and parsley, and stir to combine. Season to taste, if needed. If you prefer a thinner consistency, add a touch of broth. Serve it with crusty bread, more freshly ground black pepper, and grated parmesan (if you don't keep it vegetarian). Enjoy!
