Homemade Vegetable Soup (Hearty, Healthy, Easy)

This homemade chunky vegetable soup recipe contains tons of fresh vegetables and potatoes.

It's so satisfying and enough to enjoy as a delicious meal (includes stove top and instant pot instructions).

Love healthy Italian soups with hearty vegetables as much as I do? Then you've also got to try my Nourishing Stracciatella Soup and this Healthy Butternut Squash Zucchini and Rosemary Soup.

Nothing is more comforting than making a nourishing soup, especially when everything goes into one pot and the flavors of the vegetables work well together.

This healthy, hearty, chunky vegetable soup recipe is an adaptation of 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.

Let's make it!

Jump to:

• Why you'll love this good soup
• Ingredients, notes & substitutions
• Other add-ons
• Tips on how to make hearty vegetable soup on the stove
• What is the best potato for a vegetable soup
• How to make this vegetable soup in an instant pot
• Tips for meal prep and storage
• Make it for dinner
• Also Recommended
• 📖 Recipe

Why you'll love this good soup

• It's hearty and full of flavor ( gluten-free soup recipe).
• You can make it on the stove or cut your time in half by using the instant pot.
• It's extremely versatile and a great way to add different vegetables or even chicken.
• Comfort foods like potatoes make this an incredibly satisfying soup.
• Serve with fresh herbs, a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, crusty bread, or Quick Gluten-free Drop Biscuits to soak up all that delicious broth.
• Leftovers pack great for lunch or reheat easily whenever you need something quick and nutritious during the week.

Ingredients, notes & substitutions

I use specific vegetables in this chunky veg soup recipe to make it hearty and nutritious, but you can easily switch it up—let's have a look.

Rainbow chard: 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).

Lima beans: You can use green beans instead of baby lima beans.

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. 

Replacing tomato paste with fresh vegetables: If you don't have any tomato paste, replace it with 455 grams of Campari tomatoes, quartered. Sauté them for 5 minutes with the onions in olive oil before adding any liquid. Or stir in leftover tomato sauce.

Green onions: Use shallots, scallions, spring onions, or 4 cloves of garlic instead of onions.

Red potatoes, or Yukon potatoes, hold their shape well in this chunky soup. But try sweet potato, if preferred.

Bell pepper: go for a red or orange one, as they are sweeter in taste and work best in this soup recipe.

Olive oil: you only need a little to create an aromatic base for the soup.

Parsley: this fresh herb adds incredible flavor to the soup.

Seasoning: This hearty soup doesn't require much to make it incredibly tasty. I'm using salt, black pepper, and onion powder. But feel free to experiment with a teaspoon of dried oregano, basil, dried Italian seasoning, or even garlic powder instead of onion powder.

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. 

Replacing broth: Use water and 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. Chicken broth is another great option, and if you're looking to make your own, explore these homemade recipes using chicken broth.

Other add-ons

• Add carrots or, when in season, zucchini or yellow squash instead of the red bell pepper
• 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.
• You can also always add more vegetables than suggested in this recipe.

Tips on how to make hearty vegetable soup on the stove

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 the 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. 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 salt from the start. A few pinches here and there are enough to build up the flavors.

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.

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 (fork tender).

How to make this vegetable soup in an 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 to 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, and chopped Parsley, and season with a few pinches of salt, black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of 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 the seasoning, if preferred.
• Return the lid and let the kale sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.
• Serve hot with extra fresh Parsley or Parmesan cheese.

Tips for meal prep and storage

• Store cooled leftover vegetable soup in an airtight container. 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. Easy and delicious!
• A healthy and homemade chicken salad for something more substantial.
• My guilty pleasure—stir in some crunchy plantain chips. So good!

Also Recommended

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Have questions? Simply comment below or message me. If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and a starred review below. Thank you!

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📖 Recipe