Creamy Vegetable Soup

Creamy vegetable soup is simple, comforting, and easy to make in a single pot on the stovetop. It's the perfect weeknight meal that's both filling and nutritious.

Looking for new one pot meal recipes for quick and easy dinners? We love one pot soups - hash brown potato broccoli soup and beans and rice taco soup are two reader favorites!

You're going to love this creamy vegetable soup recipe. It's made with just a handful of simple ingredients, like onion, potatoes, broth, milk, and a bag of frozen mixed veggies. This soup turns out hearty and filling, with a savory herb flavor.

Serve creamy vegetable soup as a quick weeknight meal along with some crusty bread and a side salad. It also makes a great lunch - leftovers reheat beautifully!

Ingredients and substitutions

• Unsalted butter - The unsalted butter and listed salt can be substituted with salted butter if needed. Butter can also be substituted with olive oil or your favorite cooking oil.
• Onion - Adds flavor to your soup - I don't recommend omitting it.
• All-purpose flour - Flour is necessary to thicken your sauce. We're creating a roux, made with butter and flour, then whisking in the broth and milk to create a thick and creamy soup base. Flour can be substituted with cornstarch if needed.
• Broth - Chicken broth or vegetable broth work best in this recipe. We're relying on the broth to add flavor to your soup, so I don't recommend using a low sodium broth unless for health reasons. If using low sodium broth, you may want to add additional seasoning, like garlic powder or fresh herbs, like basil.
• Milk - Whole milk adds a creamy texture to your soup. If using a lower fat milk, like skim or 1%, your soup will turn out slightly thinner.
• Potatoes - Any potatoes you have on hand, like yukon gold (shown here), russet, or red potatoes will work in this recipe. You could also substitute with frozen cubed hash browns (like in my hash brown potato broccoli soup recipe). Your cooking time will need to be reduced by 4-5 minutes if using frozen cubed hash browns.
• Seasoning - Salt, pepper & Italian seasoning add flavor to your soup.
• Frozen veggies - You'll need one 15 ounce bag of frozen mixed vegetables for this recipe. Canned vegetables will also work, but keep in mind canned weights include the water inside - one 15 ounce can contains about 10 ounces of actual veggies.

How to make soup creamy

Creamy soups generally contain dairy products to make them creamy, like heavy cream, half & half, or whole milk. Non-dairy products like coconut milk can also work, but will add coconut flavor. Sometimes, soups that contain ingredients like zucchini or potato can be pureed to create a creamy texture without added dairy.

Today, we're using whole milk to make our vegetable soup creamy. Whole milk can be substituted with half & half for a richer, thicker soup. Substituting with skim or 1% milk will work, but your soup will turn out thin and less creamy.

Leftovers and reheating

Creamy vegetable soup makes an excellent meal prep recipe because it's easy to prepare ahead and reheat throughout the week.

Leftovers can be reheated on the stovetop over medium heat until desired temperature is reached, or in the microwave.

I do not recommend freezing this soup because it can separate when thawed.

What to serve with soup

This soup has a mild and savory herb flavor that pairs well with your favorite side salad and crusty bread. Here are a few of our favorite pairings:

• Garlic butter croutons
• Buttery stovetop biscuits
• Winter chopped salad
• Freezer garlic bread
• Parmesan crisps

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📖 Recipe