Creamy Vegetable Soup is bursting with flavor in every bite, with a rich, creamy base and plenty of veggies!
Creamy Vegetable Soup
This Creamy Vegetable Soup is the ultimate comfort food! I love making it on chilly days or when I need to use up leftover veggies. While I love broth-based soups (like Vegetable Soup or Chicken-Vegetable Soup), my boys always go for creamy, cheesy ones—and this is one of their favorites.
I usually pair it with a salad, and if I have time, I’ll whip up some Dinner Rolls. Or I’ll serve this soup is in a crusty bread bowl—it doesn’t get much better than that!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this Creamy Vegetable Soup:
- Butter: Adds richness and helps make the soup creamy.
- Olive oil: Prevents butter from burning and adds flavor.
- Carrots, celery, onion: Chop small for even cooking and a flavorful base.
- Garlic: Fresh or jarred works—use what you have.
- Baby potatoes: Cut small for quick, even cooking.
- Italian seasoning: Brings delicious flavor.
- Chicken or vegetable stock: Use vegetable stock for a vegetarian option.
- Frozen broccoli: Thaw slightly and chop small to blend into the soup.
- Frozen corn: Add straight from the freezer.
- Flour: Helps thicken the soup.
- Milk: Whole milk makes it creamy; skip milk alternatives.
- Heavy cream: Adds a smooth, rich texture.
- Cheddar cheese: Freshly grated melts better; sharp adds the most flavor.
How To Make Creamy Vegetable Soup
- Sauté veggies: Heat butter and oil in a large pot, cook carrots, celery, onion, then add garlic for 30 seconds.
- Cook potatoes: Add potatoes, seasoning, and stock. Boil, then simmer covered until potatoes are tender.
- Add broccoli and corn: Stir in broccoli and corn; cook to heat through.
- Make roux: Melt butter, whisk in flour for 1 minute, then slowly add milk. Stir until thick, mix in cream, and remove from heat.
- Combine soup: Add the roux to the pot, season, stir in cheese, and cook until melted.
- Serve: Dish up with bread or a bread bowl, and enjoy!
Shortcuts
This Creamy Vegetable Soup needs some chopping, but here are a few quick ways to save time:
- Mirepoix: Grab pre-chopped mirepoix (onion, carrot, celery) from the produce section or use frozen mirepoix.
- Garlic: Use jarred garlic or a garlic press for quick and easy minced garlic.
What To Serve With Creamy Vegetable Soup
- No-Knead Bread: Perfect for dipping and soaking up the creamy broth.
- Salad: A light, crisp salad like a simple garden salad or Winter salad.
- Grilled cheese sandwich: A classic pairing that’s always a hit.
- Baked sweet potatoes: A hearty side with natural sweetness to balance the soup.
- Cornbread: Adds a slightly sweet and crumbly texture.
Storage
- Leftovers: Cool soup completely before storing in an airtight container. Refrigerate: Keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Store in the freezer for up to 3 months, leaving space in the container for expansion.
- Reheat: Thaw frozen soup in the fridge overnight, then warm on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of broth to thin as needed.
More Delicious Soup Recipes
- White Chicken Chili made in the slow cooker
- Crockpot Chili winner of dozens of chili cook-offs!
- Tortilla Soup in 20 minutes!
- Creamy Tortellini Soup with Italian sausage
- Beef and Barley Soup made in the slow cooker
Creamy Vegetable Soup
Creamy Vegetable Soup combines the best of flavor and ease, featuring a rich, veggie-filled base that’s perfect for any night.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cups mirepoix or use 1 cup diced carrots, 1 cup diced celery, and 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1-1/2 pounds baby potatoes gold or red, diced (4 cups)
- 1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon pepper
- 3 cups chicken stock or broth, see note 1
- 2 cups frozen broccoli florets thawed and finely chopped
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 6 tablespoons flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- Hearty buttered bread optional, for serving
- Fresh herbs optional, for serving (parsley or thyme)
Instructions
- In a large pot, melt 1 tablespoon of butter with olive oil over medium heat. Add diced carrots, celery, and onion. Sauté for 5–7 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Stir in chopped potatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium. Cover and cook for 10–15 minutes, or until the veggies are crisp-tender. Stir in thawed broccoli and frozen corn. Cook for 2–3 more minutes, until tender and heated through.
- Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt remaining 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and whisk constantly for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and gently boiling. Stir in the heavy cream and remove from heat.
- Pour the milk mixture into the soup and stir well. Lower the heat, add Cheddar cheese a handful at a time, and stir until melted. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.
- Serve warm, garnished with fresh parsley or thyme, alongside toasted and buttered pieces of bread. Enjoy!
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Or use vegetable broth if you’d like this soup to be vegetarian.
Storage: Cool soup completely before storing. Refrigerate: Keep up to 4 days. Freeze: Store up to 3 months with space for expansion. Reheat: Thaw in the fridge overnight and warm on low, stirring occasionally. Thin with a splash of broth as needed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 604kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 786mg | Potassium: 772mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1397IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 464mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can you use fresh broccoli? If so, does cooking time/directions change at all? Can I add fresh cauliflower? How would that change things?
Thank you!!
Yes, it would make the cook time longer and potentially you’d need more liquid. I’m not sure on exact recommendations for adding fresh broccoli and/or cauliflower without trying it myself, but I do know they’d take longer to cook than frozen
I made with fresh broccoli. Added broccoli when there was about 8 minutes left on the summering potatoes step. I didn’t add any liquid because my husband likes his soup thick like a stew, but 1/2 cup of chicken broth should be enough to add to it.
Thank you! This is exactly the comment I was looking for. I love this soup but the store was out of frozen broccoli florets.
Made tonight, followed recipe exactly. Turned out super tasty!!
So happy to hear that! 🙂
how many ounces does this recipe make? I’d love to try this out!
Sorry I’ve never weighed the total ounces of this recipe; I have no idea!
Made this for the first time – delicious! It is definitely a keeper to be made again and again. I added a pound of cooked and lightly browned, ground chicken for extra protein. 🙂
My one caution: allow more cooking time than the instructions say. It takes time for the soup to come to a boil, and it takes time for the butter/flour/milk to thicken and gently boil, etc. We ended up eating dinner at 9:00 p.m.
Glad you enjoyed it!
The directions clearly say bring to a boil first, THEN cook 15-20 minutes. ” Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium, cover with lid, and cook 15-20 minutes or until the veggies are crisp-tender.” After I let it come to a boil first, like it says, the 15-20 minutes was perfect. I don’t think anyone would expect it to be done in that time starting from normal temp water.
I love this soup! Rich, creamy and filling. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
So glad to hear that!! Thanks Wendy 🙂
See above
I made this creamy vegetable soup today. As I usually do, I made my adaptions. No corn but I used 1 yellow pepper. I tripled the garlic and I put asparagus tips in. Did not use the cheese as it was plenty thick enough. Used green onions as my honey is not an onion fan. It was WONDERFUL!! Earlier in the day I had made some fresh bread so it all went together so well. Thank you. This recipe is a keeper!!
Sounds great with asparagus! Glad this was a hit; thanks David!
This is so GOOD!! This recipe is delicious and so easy to make. My husband commented multiple times how good it was! No additions added, made as listed. Nice job!
Love hearing this!! Thanks Rachel 🙂
Yoummmmm! Thanks for sharing this recipe. I made it for the first time today and it’s a keeper. Best comfort soup ever!
So, so happy to hear that! Thanks Karin 🙂
This exceeded my expectations. The end product is phenomenal. What a cost-efficient recipe! Also perfect when craving something hearty and wholesome. Thank you so much for posting!
So, so happy to hear that! Thanks so much for the comment and review Abby!