Hearty Vegetable Soup Recipe {Video}

This Hearty Vegetable Soup is quick and easy, full of flavor, and naturally low in fat and calories. Starting with a rich tomato base, this soup is loaded with all of your favorite veggies making it a skinny soup that’s delicious and satisfying.

Looking for more vegetarian soup recipes? You may also love this Roasted Tomato Soup, Lentil Soup, or this classic Minestrone Soup.

Hearty Vegetable Soup

If you are looking for a great vegetable soup, we’ve got you.  This recipe is a five-star, all-time favorite.  It’s hearty, loaded with vegetables, and can be easily customized to suit your family’s preferences.  

It’s similar to my minestrone soup but focuses more on the veggies and keeping it light. It’s perfect for meal prep because it holds up in the freezer really well. I don’t make this claim lightly, but it’s seriously the best skinny soup recipe hands down. You can’t go wrong with a big bowl of this hearty vegetable soup.

We love serving this with a side of homemade bread, like this hearty Cheese Bread, Garlic Herb Bread, or our simply delicious Easy White Bread.

Skinny Soup Video Tutorial

Recipe Ingredients

• Olive Oil – this gives the soup of that deep, rich, Italian flavor.
• Onion – adding onion will give the soup a sweet flavor.  We like to caramelize our onions before adding everything else.  I promise this little bit of extra time is worth the hassle.
• Garlic – fresh is best, but jarred minced garlic will work in a pinch.
• Carrots – the best carrots to use are fresh large carrots.  They are sweeter than the baby ones and don’t have any preservatives in them.
• Cauliflower – so good in this soup! 
• Zucchini – small zucchini are best.  If you’re using small zucchini, there is no need to peel the skin – just wash and dice.
• Napa Cabbage – you can purchase pre-shredded cabbage or shred it yourself.
• Italian Stewed Tomatoes – San Marzano tomatoes work great.  Just be sure they’re diced or crushed, or do it yourself in the blender before adding them.
• Chicken Broth – you can use the jarred chicken base to make your own, use a carton of broth, or even make your own homemade broth.  They all work great.  If you want to make this recipe vegan and vegetarian, just replace it with your favorite vegetable broth.  If you really want to boost the umami richness, you can substitute beef broth.
• Parsley, Basil, and Oregano – you can use either dry or fresh.  If you use fresh, you may want to up the quantities.  Another great herb to use (fresh or dried) would be a few bay leaves.  A little will go a long way.

How to Make Hearty Vegetable Soup

1. Cook the onions. In a large dutch oven or stockpot, add the olive oil and heat over medium heat. Once warm, add the onion and saute over medium heat until the onions are soft and lightly golden brown or about 8-10 minutes.
2. Add more veggies. Add the minced garlic, carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower and saute for 2 minutes longer.
3. Simmer. Add the zucchini, cabbage, tomatoes, broth, herbs, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and cover with a lid. Let simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until the veggies are tender, stirring occasionally.
4. Serve. Once your soup is cooked completely, remove it from the heat and let it cool for at least 5 minutes.  Season with more salt and pepper if desired before ladling into bowls and topping with Parmesan or mozzarella cheese and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice if desired.  Enjoy!

How to Make Vegetable Soup in a Crockpot

This can easily be made in the slow cooker.  It’s almost entirely a dump-and-go recipe, with one exception: it’s best if you caramelize the onions before adding to the crockpot. The onions are a key ingredient in this soup recipe and always taste so much better if they are caramelized!

From there, add everything and cook on low for 5 hours, or on high for 3 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Recipe Variations for Vegetable Soup

• Add some cooked, diced chicken to make this a complete meal.
• Add green beans, squash, or more of your favorite vegetables. If needed, just add a little more broth to get a vegetable to broth ratio you love.
• Add white beans, black beans, or any kind of bean to make it even more hearty.
• Top with parmesan cheese or cheese crusted toast for a fun variation.
• Add some red pepper flakes to make this a spicy vegetable soup.

Storing and Reheating Instructions

• Refrigerator: store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Freezer: store in freezer bags or another airtight container for up to 2 months.
• To reheat: put soup into a dutch oven or sauce pot and warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through.

More Homemade Soup Recipes We Love

• Best Cauliflower Soup
• Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
• Tomato Soup
• Loaded Baked Potato Soup
• Broccoli Potato Cheesy Soup
• Southwest Black Bean Soup
• Stuffed Pepper Soup
• More Soup Recipes

This healthy and hearty Vegetable Soup recipe is both delicious and good for you.  It’s quick and easy, full of flavor, loaded with your favorite veggies, and naturally low in fat and calories.  It’s the perfect skinny vegetable soup.