Homemade Vegetable Soup (Hearty, Healthy, Easy)

This homemade vegetable Minestrone-like soup is not only easy to make, but it is also so good for you.

Loaded with tons of fresh vegetables and potatoes, this comforting bowl is so satisfying and enough to turn it into a full meal.

Leftovers pack great for lunch or reheat easily whenever you need something quick and nutritious during the week.

Plus, you can customize it by adding other vegetables or using up any leftovers.

So, let's make this healthy homemade vegetable soup (includes instant pot instructions).

It's a vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free soup recipe!

Jump to: Vegetable & seasoning options | How to make really good vegetable soup | Extra notes and recipe tips | The best potato for vegetable soup | Vegetable soup in an instant pot | Make this soup in advance with storing tips | Make it for dinner

There is nothing more comforting than making a nourishing warm soup on a cold day—especially when everything goes into one pot and the flavors of the vegetables work well together.

This healthy, hearty vegetable soup recipe mixes my aunt's Italian vegetable Minestrone and my secret love for potatoes—well, I grew up in Belgium, where you can't escape this root vegetable.

This soup is also vegan, unless—and I highly recommend this—you sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top, which, aside from the Italian flavor, also thickens this dish.

But no cheese is needed to savor this hearty pottage. So let's talk about ingredients and flavors!

Vegetable & seasoning options

I use specific vegetables in this minestrone-like soup to make it hearty and nutritious, but you can easily switch it up—I often do—or use whatever you have on hand.

Here are a few ideas:

• Use a shallot or 4 cloves of garlic, chopped instead of scallions or spring onions
•  Add carrots, or when in season, zucchini or yellow squash instead of the red bell pepper
• You can use green beans instead of baby lima beans
• Instead of chard, use other greens like kale or broccoli (you can make the soup more filling by adding up to 350 grams of broccoli florets)
• If you don't have any tomato paste, replace it with 455 grams of Campari tomatoes, quartered. Sauté them for two minutes with the rest of the veggies before adding any liquid.
• I like to garnish each bowl with grated Parmesan cheese, but feel free to use extra fresh chopped Parsley, Basil leaves or stir in a few pinches of vegetable broth seasoning if you want a richer and creamier broth but keep it vegan-friendly.
• This veggie soup doesn't require a lot of different types of herbs to make it hearty and incredibly tasty. But feel free to experiment by adding a teaspoon of dried oregano, basil, dried Italian seasoning, or even garlic powder instead of onion powder.
• Don't have a vegetable broth on hand, then use water only and add 2 to 3 vegetable bouillon cubes. Bouillons tend to be saltier than store-bought broth, so taste test before adding more salt. But consider adding more seasonings like black pepper or the dried herbs mentioned above to get a fuller flavor.
• You can also always add more vegetables than suggested in this recipe.

How to make really good vegetable soup

Yes, in my humble opinion, there is a secret to making a good nourishing veggie soup.

Develop the flavors first

A pivotal step to a good vegetable soup is to sauté the main vegetables in olive oil before adding any liquid, releasing their individual flavors.

And for this dish, I'm adding potatoes that will release some of their starches in the olive oil and slightly thicken the soup—this recipe contains no flour and is gluten-free. 

Dice up the vegetables

Yep, the veggies will be nice and chunky, but you want them on the small side because the texture is as important as taste. 

Simmer, don't boil the soup

When you add the liquid, you want to bring it up to and maintain a gentle but steady simmer and not boil it.

The liquid will otherwise evaporate too quickly, and you will also lose the opportunity to let the ingredients build their unique flavors—a slower simmer creates one tasty and healthier vegetable soup.

Layer the seasonings

I like to add a few pinches of salt and black pepper in the beginning and then white onion powder (or any other seasoning) at the end when I can taste test the vegetable broth.

It is a personal preference, but if you follow the recipe, don't be too heavy with the salt from the start. A few pinches here and there are enough to build up the flavors.

Of course, you can always add more seasoning later to the broth according to preference.

Leave the leafy greens til the end

Rainbow chard (or kale) and Parsley will fill your bowl with beautiful colors, and they taste amazing in this soup, but they need minimal cooking time.

The chard only needs about 5 to 7 minutes (with stems) while I throw in the Parsley last minute to add its pleasant aroma.

And yes, you can use both the chard leaves and stems. They go into this soup finely chopped.

A few extra notes and tips

Vegetable broth: for this recipe, I use store-bought stock. But not all are made equal. Avoid the ones with cane sugar or extra additives. You want the core ingredients to be...well, veggies and herbs so you can control the soup's flavors. 

Tomato Paste: the same goes for tomato paste. Choose one with no salt or other additives added, as it will affect the taste of your soup. I prefer the Bionaturae. Their tomato paste is as good as it gets without making it yourself. They are also affordable and come in glass containers or small cans. 

What is the best potato for a vegetable soup

Usually, I go for either small red or Yukon gold potatoes. Anything low in starch and higher in moisture does well in a healthy soup recipe.

These potatoes will keep a firmer bite and won't overpower the rest of the ingredients like Russet or Idahos potatoes can do—their starchy content will soak up too much of that rich vegetable liquid and they lose their shape too quickly.

It only takes about 20 minutes for the potatoes to soften in this soup recipe (fork tender).

Can I make this vegetable soup in an instant pot

I'll be honest. I always prefer to make this homemade vegetable soup in a large soup pot over the stove. But you can absolutely use your instant pot.

You're still going to build up the flavors first, but we're doing it a tad differently and letting the pressure cooker do most of the work.

Here's what I do:

• Cut the vegetables and set them aside;
• Set the instant pot on SAUTE mode and press START;
• Add the olive oil when the pot is hot;
• Add the onions or garlic, potatoes, bell pepper, chopped Parsley, and season with a few pinches of salt, black pepper, and 1 teaspoon onion powder;
• Cook and stir for 5 minutes until veggies have softened a bit—make sure that onions don't burn;
• Add the vegetable broth, water, tomato paste, and lima beans. Give it a good stir, and add any additional seasoning at this point, if preferred;
• Lock the lid in place and close the steam vent;
• Press the SOUP/BROTH button and choose High pressure/Less (with the KEEP WARM button off) and cook for the default time of 20 minutes;
• When the timer beeps, quickly release all pressure;
• Carefully remove the lid and stir in the chard to combine;
• Taste the broth and adjust seasoning, if preferred;
• Return the lid and let the kale sit undisturbed for 5 minutes;
• Serve hot with extra fresh Parsley or Parmesan cheese;

Make this soup in advance and storing tips

I store cooled leftover vegetable soup into individual airtight glass containers. It lasts at least up to 3 to 4 days in the fridge.

You can reheat it directly on the stove over low heat and use a stainless steel thermos to pack reheated soup for (school) lunch.

You can freeze any leftovers the same way for up to a few months.

Make it for dinner

This is such a filling dish that I usually serve it for dinner. Especially on weeknights when I have little time to prepare a full meal.

Here are some sides I like to pair it with:

• A quick and delicious creamy kale salad (vegan);
• Dark farmers or toasted Ezekiel bread with real butter or coconut butter (vegan);
• Toasted Ezekiel Pocket Bread with hummus (vegan);
• Homemade Rosemary Biscuits. I have made these biscuits also with store-bought berry or apricot jam instead of homemade rhubarb compote. Easy and delicious!
• A healthy and homemade chicken salad for something more substantial.

Other soup recipes or stew dishes you might like

Try also my Butternut-squash Zucchini and Rosemary Soup. It is incredibly hearty, deliciously filling and super easy to make.

Love potato stews? Then I suggest this hearty and gluten-free vegetable stew recipe (vegan). It's beautifully seasoned contains tons of vegetables like butternut squash, asparagus, onion, and spinach. And it all comes together in one pot over the stove.

Other favorites are this Healthy Carrot Shallot Soup with fresh Parsley, the protein-rich pea soup, and the Red Kuri Squash Soup.

And you absolutely have to try my Stracciatella soup, it's divine, with or without tortellini, or make your own homemade chicken broth for something heartier.

TIME TO MAKE THIS HEARTY SOUP

Make this easy homemade vegetable soup or PIN it to the Soups & Stews Board for later! Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to my Monthly Newsletter. Enjoy!