Soups to warm your tummy!!

To me, soups are a comfort food. They're easy to make, great for using up leftovers and can even disguise vegetables you dislike but know you should eat!

For those who have never made soup, I'm starting with a basic soup. Even though you can just toss vegetables into a pot to make soup, the tab below suggests the spices that might go well with the different vegetables.

Basic Vegetable Soup

Making soup that is 100% vegetables is easy! You can leave it chunky for the first day, then blend it into a cream soup for the 2nd day 😋.

  1. Start by chopping the vegetables of your choice into large bite size pieces. No need to be too fussy about size, since after they’re cooked you can easily mash or blend into smaller pieces. I tend to include leeks (or onions) and mushrooms in all of my soups. Toss in any leftover vegetables, beans, rice, quinoa, potatoes, chili, etc. that you have hanging around! Here are some examples:
    • Broccoli and sweet potato. Fresh basil with this is excellent.
    • Tomato and Zucchini. My ratio is 8 large tomatoes with 1 medium zucchini, and a small can of tomato paste to thicken. If you want chunky tomato soup, then add 1 large can of diced tomatoes after the soup is done to get the evenly sized small tomato pieces.
    • Zucchini. To give the zucchini soup some body, I sometimes add a potato or squash.
    • Cauliflower to which I’ve been known to add 1 granny smith apple! Shredded carrots add color. Flavor this with curry, rosemary, turmeric and cumin.
    • Mushroom soup. Celery is a must with this, and some juiced carrot is good. Mushrooms seem to thicken the soup and make it creamy.
    • Split pea soup, my favorite. I use dried split peas, but note that you will need extra liquid to hydrate the peas (8 cups per bag).
  2. Add liquid until the veggies are just barely covered. For the liquid, you can use ready-made vegetable broth, though I just use water with vegetable bouillon cubes. You can also add some carrot juice.
  3. Add spices and flavoring. Besides the onion/leeks, salt and pepper, some ideas are diced fresh garlic, basil, Italian seasoning, herb seasoning, or chili. I think Montreal Chicken spice adds zing, plus Chili Sauce is good for some soups. Worcestershire Sauce plus tarragon is very good with the tomato-zucchini. Don’t forget curry which I find delicious in either zucchini or cauliflower soup.
  4. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Half way through, test the flavor and add more spices as needed.
  5. You can eat the soup as is if you like chunky. Alternatively, use an immersion blender or a potato masher to break up the veggie chunks. This thickens the soup somewhat too. I prefer to put at least half the soup in the blender and then add it back to the pot. This makes it quite creamy, especially if you have used mushrooms. If you want smooth creamy soup, wait until the soup has slightly cooled and put in blender.

Cream Soups: I'm definitely partial to cream soups, and my favorite is cream of tomato made with fresh garden tomatoes. Obviously any soup can be made into a creamed soup by throwing it in a blender, but these soups below are meant to be creamy!

Note that creamy definitely does not mean adding cream! Some healthy ways to make soup creamy include adding mashed potatoes, leftover rice, mushrooms, a can of beans (use white beans to avoid changing the soup color), or soak cashews overnight and blend with a little water before adding to soup.

Creamy Tomato Soup

Whenever we have too many tomatoes from our garden, this is one of my favorite ways to use them and also one of my favorite soups. When friends ask me what is my secret ingredient that makes this soup delicious, I tell them that it's all about using tomatoes picked fresh from the garden, since grocery store tomatoes will never taste as good!

This soup is creamy because of the cashews, and extremely quick and easy to make (just remember to soak the cashews ahead of time!). Note that if you soak the cashews using boiling water instead of tap water, you can reduce the soaking time from 2 hours to about 20 minutes. For a lower fat soup, you can replace the cashews with mushrooms, a half can of chickpeas, cooked red lentils, or some leftover rice, all of which add plenty of creaminess.

And if you wonder why I picked 4.5 cups of tomatoes for this recipe, it's because I always fill my 4-cup measure right to the top!

Makes: 5.5 cups

  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 2 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp olive oil (optional)
  • 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked for 2 hours or more
  • 1/2 cup veggie broth or water

  • 4-1/2 cups tomatoes, slightly chopped
  • 1 TBSP sugar
  • Fresh basil (or 1 TBSP dried basil leaves)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  1. Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until the onion is caramelized, which provides a great depth of flavor. If you don't want to bother with the sauté, you can just skip the oil and use raw onion.
  2. Blend drained cashews and water/broth in blender until completely smooth.
  3. Add the onion, garlic, tomatoes, sugar, basil, salt and pepper, and blend until creamy.
  4. After blending, optionally add a little extra fresh or dried basil leaves to add some green flecks to the soup.
  5. Put in saucepan and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cream of Zucchini Soup

If you're inundated with zucchini from your garden, then this is a great way to use them. I normally don't bother to peel the zucchini nor do I remove the seeds when making this soup. This is a blended soup, so the skin will add some nice dark green speckles. But if your zucchini are large, you will want to remove the seeds as they will add bitterness.

I've made this soup both with and without thickening it. The ruffage in the zucchini makes it creamy all on its own. But to thicken without adding cream or corn starch, you can use healthy options such as potato, rice or lentils as suggested below. Personally, I have tried using rice, lentils and garbanzo beans with good success!

  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 5 cups zucchini, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced (2 tsp)
  • Italian seasoning (or seasoning of your choice), to taste
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Optional thickening (use only ONE of these at a time!):
    • 1/4 cup cooked rice
    • 1/4 cup dried lentils (they cook quickly!)
    • 1/4 cup cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours
    • 1/2 can garbanzo beans (or more), drained
    • 2 TBSP chia seed (though I haven't tried this!)
    • 1 small Yukon gold potato, diced

  1. Place all ingredients into large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
  2. Cool slightly. Pour into blender and purée until creamy.

Carrot-Apple Soup

If you are not a fan of ginger, you can replace the ginger with an autumn flavor using a pinch of ground cinnamon, a pinch of cloves and a small amount of finely chopped orange peel. Of course, curried carrot soup is another delicious option. In any case, definitely taste the soup and adjust the spices as needed!

  • 6 medium carrots, peeled, trimmed and roughly chopped (at least 2 cups)
  • 1/2 medium onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 large apple (I use Granny Smith), peeled, quartered, cored and roughly chopped
  • 1/2 stalk celery, chopped (or 1/4 tsp celery seed)
  • Vegetable broth to cover (about 2 cups); I use vegetable bouillon cubes and water
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp maple syrup, or to taste (optional)
  • Salt and ground black pepper to taste

  1. Place all ingredients in a soup pot. Cook until carrots are very tender, about 30 minutes.
  2. Cool slightly before adding to blender. Blend until smooth, and thin with water if needed.

Bean and potato soups: Any soup with beans or potatoes is excellent for your health! Potatoes are a good source of vitamin C, potassium, and fiber, and also contain antioxidants. Beans contain plant-based protein, fiber, iron, and various other vitamins and minerals.

Sweet Potato Soup

A very hearty soup!

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 medium onions, chopped
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 large celery stalk, diced
  • Handful of celery leaves
  • 6 cups peeled, diced (about ½ inch) sweet potatoes
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp seasoning blend
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

  1. Heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the onion, carrots and celery and sauté over low heat until the onions are golden.
  2. Add the celery leaves and diced sweet potatoes. Add just enough water (I use veggie broth) to cover all about 1” of the vegetables. Bring to a simmer and stir in the bay leaves and seasonings.
  3. Simmer gently, covered, until the sweet potatoes and vegetables are quite tender, about 20-25 minutes. Remove the bay leaves.
  4. Use an immersion blender to puree. Or use a slotted spoon to remove about half of the solid ingredients and transfer to a food processor or blender along with about ½ cup of the cooking liquid. Process until pureed, then stir back into the soup pot.
  5. If too thick, add water as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer over very low heat for another 10-15 minutes.

Creamy Potato-Leek Soup

Ok, so I never expected to actually like leek soup! But somehow the potatoes and leeks make this creamy without cream and also tasty, and of course hearty.

  • 1 lb leeks, trimmed and roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 lbs russet potatoes, roughly chopped
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley

  1. Sautee leeks in oil until slightly tender, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add potatoes, broth, salt and pepper and boil until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
  3. In batches, add soup to power blender. Select "Sauces" setting or blend on medium low speed for 30 seconds. Repeat until all soup is blended, or leave 2-3 cups unblended to have some texture to the soup.
  4. Garnish with parsley.

Red Lentil Sweet Potato Soup

This is a seriously delicious soup! I always make this with yams rather than sweet potato, since this adds a little color to the soup.

  • 1/2 yellow onion, chopped (about ½ cup)
  • 2 cloves minced garlic (about 2 teaspoons)
  • 4 cups vegetable broth (make your own using veggie bouillon cubes)
  • 12 oz. yams or sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (about 2-1/2 cups)
  • 6 oz dry red lentils, rinsed and drained (about 7/8 cup)
  • 2 oz. kale (about 2 cups)
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (make sure not to add too much!)
  • 1 dash cayenne pepper (optional)
  • Salt, pepper

  1. In a saucepan over medium heat, cook onions and garlic in a little olive oil, stirring occasionally until onions turn translucent. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time if needed to keep from sticking.
  2. Add vegetable broth, yam/potatoes, red lentils, kale, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and cayenne (if using). Taste, and add more cumin, coriander or cayenne if desired. Do not add more cinnamon.
  3. Increase heat to high, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes and lentils are very tender, at least 30 minutes.
  4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spicy Lentil Coconut Soup

This recipe is from my sis Cindy. I haven't made it yet, but I also haven't met a lentil soup that I didn't like!

Servings: 2

  • 1 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 TBSP red curry paste
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 carrot, finely chopped
  • 1 cup red and/or green lentils (canned lentils can also be used)
  • 1 14-oz can coconut milk
  • 1/2 tsp salt

  1. Heat olive oil in a medium sized pot.
  2. Add the curry paste. Stir well, and leave to heat through.
  3. Add the onions, carrots, lentils and salt. Stir well to coat.
  4. Add the can of coconut milk plus half a can of water.
  5. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 40 minutes. If using canned lentils, simmer until vegetables are tender.

Vegan Black Bean Soup

This black bean and fire roasted tomato soup is wonderfully spiced. I always increase the amounts of my most favorite spices such as garlic and chili!

  • 2 TBSP olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced (3 tsp)
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 3 15-oz cans black beans, drained
  • 2 15-oz cans fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 2 cups vegetable broth (I use bouillon cubes or seasoned vegetable paste)
  • 1 4-oz can diced green chilies (mild)
  • 1 TBSP tomato paste
  • 1/2 of a medium lime, juiced
  • 1/2 TBSP dried oregano
  • 1-1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 can fire roasted corn (or 1-1/2 cups frozen)
  • Toppings: sour cream, cheese, diced green onion, cilantro

  1. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 8-10 minutes until softened, stirring often.
  2. Add garlic and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes.
  3. Add beans, tomatoes, vegetable broth, green chilies, tomato paste, lime juice and spices. Stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes.
  4. Stir in the corn and heat for a minute or so. If using frozen corn, cook for 10 minutes until thoroughly defrosted.
  5. Serve topped with vegan sour cream, cheese, cilantro, etc.

** Recipe adapted from https://crowdedkitchen.com/

Zucchini Bean Soup

You probably wouldn't consider making zucchini soup unless your vegetable garden is producing multiple zucchini per day, and your neighbors have quit accepting your zucchini donations!

You don't have to peel your zucchini unless they are large, making the skin a little tougher. If you don't quite have enough zucchini, add some finely diced carrot instead.

  • 1 TBSP olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced (2 tsp)
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 lbs. zucchini, diced (about 6 cups)
  • 1 can white, Great Northern, cannellini or navy beans
  • 3 cups vegetable broth (I use bouillon cubes or seasoned vegetable paste)
  • 1/4 tsp each of dried rosemary, thyme, celery salt
  • 1/2 tsp dried basil
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 1 TBSP soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce
  • 3/4 cup non-dairy milk or cream (I use cashew milk, as it is quite creamy)

  1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add garlic and onions, and cook for 3 - 4 minutes until lightly golden brown.
  2. Add zucchini, beans, broth, and spices. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to medium.
  3. Cook for at least 20 minutes, making sure that the zucchini is very soft.
  4. Use an immersion blender to break up the larger pieces. Alternatively, let cool slightly and blend part of the soup in a blender, then add it back to the pot.
  5. Add the milk/cream. Adjust with more spices if needed.

Vegetable soups: Leaving the best for last? Obviously tossing veggies into a pot and covering with bouillon will make a fine soup, But the mushroom soup and pea soup are some of my all time favorites, and then of course I had to add the spinach soup since it's a soup most people probably haven't ever tried and is surprisingly good!

Thai Broccoli Soup

This soup has a wonderful, warm flavor with the Thai red curry. I purposely did not specify any amounts, because I make this when I have leftover broccoli or leftover coconut cream. The ingredients listed below are what I used for the photo, but you can make this with only the broccoli, coconut cream and Thai red curry paste...simple is best.

Recipes » Soups » Simple Thai Broccoli Soup

  • Broccoli, chopped
  • Onion, diced
  • Red pepper, diced
  • Mushrooms, diced
  • Canned coconut milk/cream
  • Non-dairy milk if needed to dilute
  • Thai red curry paste

  1. Cover the bottom of a pan with a small amount of water. Add broccoli and any other vegetables you are using. Cook until soft.
  2. While vegetables are cooking, add Thai red curry paste to the canned coconut cream, tasting until you reach the perfect spiciness.
  3. Add the coconut mixture to the pan (there is no need to drain the vegetables). Heat through.
  4. Add non-dairy milk if needed to get the right consistency.
  5. Optionally, place half of soup into blender and blend until creamy. Add back to the pan and stir together.

Cindy's Creamy Broccoli Soup

This recipe is from my sister Cindy. I really like the combination of the spices, and anything with red curry paste is a winner for me!

  • 2 tsp coconut oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 tsp Thai red curry paste (or more!)
  • 2 carrots, about 1 cup chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced (4 tsp)
  • 2 pounds broccoli, cut up into small pieces (about 3 to 4 cups)
  • Other veggies if desired
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Pinch cayenne
  • 2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 3 cups vegetable broth, more as needed
  • 1/2 can coconut milk or cream (to taste)
  • Vegan cheese, grated (optional)

  1. In a large soup pot, melt the oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and allow it to caramelize, about 10 minutes. If needed, add a few drops of water.
  2. Add the red curry paste to the onions and mix through. Let simmer for a minute, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add the chopped carrot, garlic and any other veggies except the broccoli. Stir together and cook until the veggies start to soften.
  4. Add the seasonings, stir and leave on the heat for one minute. Add the chopped broccoli and stir through. Sauté for about 5 more minutes.
  5. Pour in the broth, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for 20 minutes.
  6. Purée with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender, but leave some chunky texture. Alternatively, you can blend until smooth for a creamed soup.
  7. Adjust the salt. Add the coconut milk and cheese, or use the cheese to serve on top of each bowl.

Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup

Back in the day when mom served Campbell's condensed soups for lunch, the Cream of Mushroom was always one of my favorites. And now that I'm making my own soups, it still is!

Just like all the soups I make, this soup is non-dairy but still plenty creamy. I always use thyme as my main spice for this soup, but depending on my mood, I might add other flavors such as a little mustard, either a dash of tamari or Worcestershire, and perhaps a little marjoram. And of course ground black pepper is a must!

In this recipe, I'm using blended soaked cashews to add creaminess. If you don't have cashews on hand, you can replace this with left-over rice or any kind of canned white beans.

Servings: 4

  • 3 - 4 cups vegetable broth (I use "Better than Bouillon" seasoned vegetable base)
  • 1/4 cup raw cashews (soaked in hot broth for 15-30 minutes)
  • 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (or 2 TBSP of the broth for an oil-free version)
  • 1 medium white or yellow onion, finely diced
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 pound mushrooms, chopped
  • Celery and carrot, finely diced (optional)
  • 1 tsp (or more) dried thyme
  • Salt and fresh ground black pepper
  • 3 TBSP flour (or 1-1/2 TBSP corn starch for GF)
  • Optional spices as suggested above
  1. Soak the cashews in 1 cup of the broth (heat broth in microwave first); set aside.
  2. In a saucepan, heat the oil or small amount of broth. Add the onions, garlic, salt and black pepper. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the onions turn translucent but not brown.
  3. Add the mushrooms and thyme, plus optional celery and carrots, and sauté over medium-high heat until they are tender, about 8 minutes. Add a little of the broth if needed.
  4. Add the flour (or corn starch) and stir to mix. Let the flour cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
  5. Add a cup of the broth, stirring vigorously to avoid lumps. A whisk works really well. Add one more cup of broth. Stir, and continue to heat.
  6. Blend the soaked cashews.
  7. When mixture comes to a boil, stir in the blended cashews.
  8. Add more broth to get the soup to the desired consistency. Check the seasoning and add more if needed. Let the soup come back to a boil, stir and remove from heat.
  9. I like to use an immersion blender just for a few seconds, since this makes the soup even creamier. Or place 1/2 of the soup in a blender, blend until creamy, then add back to the soup.
** Recipe adapted from HolyCowVegan

Green Split Pea Soup

Pea soup doesn't really need a recipe. The 1-pound bags of dried split peas that I buy even have a basic recipe on the bag. But I'm adding it here just to give some suggestions as to flavoring the soup when you don't use ham or ham bone for flavoring.

I like to use marjoram to flavor this soup, but it is not a common spice to have sitting in your spice cabinet! If you don't have marjoram, use a combination of thyme, vegan Worcestershire, parsley, and even some mustard. Taste as you go, that's the key to a one-of-a-kind soup!

Looking online, you'll see some recipes that say you do not need to soak the peas. But then you need to cook them longer! So I much prefer to soak them overnight. Then it only takes an hour to cook. Note that this recipe is the simplest form that it can be, meaning throw it all together and it will taste great!

  • 4 cups vegetable broth (I use "Better than Bouillon" seasoned vegetable base)
  • 2-4 cups water (start with 2, but typically you will need to thin it out)
  • 1 lb. dried split peas (about 2 cups)
  • 1+ cup onion, diced
  • 1+ cup mushrooms, finely diced
  • celery (optional, I'm not a fan)
  • 1+ cup fresh carrots, diced very fine
  • 1+ tsp minced garlic, to taste
  • marjoram, or replace with spices suggested above
  • Vegan Worcestershire sauce (optional)
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Parsley as garnish

  1. Soak the peas overnight.
  2. Rinse peas. Combine broth, water, peas, chopped vegetables and spices in a large pan.
  3. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
  4. Adjust spices. It will be thick, so add water if needed to create the desired consistency.

Spinach Soup

I’ve made a lot of different soups, but it had never even occurred to me to make spinach soup. When we went to the Netherlands, my husband ordered spinach soup at an outdoor cafe in Utrecht. It was really delicious! So I decided to give it a try after we got home, and came up with the following yummy recipe.

  • 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 16-oz package of fresh spinach leaves, chopped
  • 32-oz (4-cup) veggie broth, either using bouillon cubes or from a carton
  • 1 cup chopped green onion; I used 1 bunch, using all of the green tops
  • Salt, pepper and spices; I use generous amount of “Montreal Steak” seasoning, plus garlic and chili; if you like curry, this would also be great flavoring to use
  • Feta cheese (optional)
  • Croutons (optional)

  1. Mix together all ingredients except the feta and croutons. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
  2. Use immersion blender to puree. Otherwise use potato masher to break up the potato; then remove half of mixture and puree in blender and add back to soup pan.
  3. Soup will be quite thick. Add enough water to thin out to desired consistency. Simmer a few more minutes to re-heat.
  4. Optionally stir in some feta cheese.
  5. Top with croutons before serving.

Enjoy your warm bowl of soup!

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