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
- Large pot
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 gold or red potatoes 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 the 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: Leftovers: 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.
Made this soup for dinner and was a HUGE hit with the whole family! We will be making this again!
I am so happy to hear this Leona! Thanks for your comment! 🙂
I’ve been looking for a great soup recipe for awhile and I’m so glad I found this to try! All I have on had is salted butter, not unsalted and a white onion, not a yellow one. Would both of those work okay instead?
Yes, both will be great! I’d just recommend leaving out or reducing the amount of added salt 🙂
Made it tonight for dinner. It was delicious! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
I’m so happy to hear this Patricia! Thanks for your comment! 🙂
We made this last night and it was delicious! After every recipe we try our first convo is, “what would we change about it for next time?” and this is one of the very few that we said keep it how it is!
We used chicken bone broth and diced up kielbasa pretty small and fried it up and added it for some added protein. This will be on our regular rotation!
Yay! I am seriously so happy to hear this! Thanks for your comment! 🙂
This was so good I wish I made a double or triple batch! I loved the creamy twist on a favorite classic. Thank you so much for sharing.
I am so happy you loved this recipe! Thanks Heather! 🙂
What other veggies could you use in this soup?
You could add any of your favorite veggies! 🙂 Green beans can be a great addition!
Great recipe! My son doesn’t care for the big chunks of veggies, etc. so I used an emergent blender to puree some of the soup.
Thanks Jamie! That sounds delicious! Thanks for your comment! 🙂
Can it be frozen?
Was so delicious. Better than any store bought . As a matter of fact not as good as any restaurants, I’ve had.. I will be making this again
I’m so happy to hear this Marie! Thanks so much for your comment! 🙂
Going to cook and store individual servings of soups for my 96-year-old mother’s freezer. I plan to freeze this one. Is that okay, you think? (It looks DELICIOUS)
Unfortunately I don’t think this soup is the best to freeze, because of all the dairy in it (it will separate/potentially curdle when being thawed/re-warmed)