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
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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this recipe; itโs one of my favorites!! How much soup would you estimate to be 1 serving?
just eat ’til you get full, that always works for me.
Made this for my roommates tonight and we all agree it SLAPS!
Yay! So happy to hear this!
Well, you must’ve cooked it wrong, it’s not supposed to get violent.
This was so yummy! I served the cheese table side instead of mixing in, because the soup was awesome without it! Thanks for a great recipe.
Delicious! So glad you enjoyed! Thanks Jeni! ๐
Soo, basically, you still put the freaking cheese in it, you just added it at the table.
Made it lactose free with no 5 cups of broth rather than 3 and then 1 can of coconut milk (like for curry) and it turned out pretty tasty!
This soup is AMAZING! I followed the recipe the first time and is was delicious. The second time I made it I doubled the garlic, added 1 tsp of dill, and used salted butter because itโs what I had on hand. These few tweaks made this recipe jump up as my all-time favourite soup. I truly appreciate the chicken stock base. It definitely adds a boost of flavour over vegetable stock. I highly recommend this recipe!!!!
Glad you enjoyed the soup! Thank you for the comment ๐
So you’re saying it’s not good enough unless it’s your way, basically.
I shredded two cooked chicken breast and added to this recipe and oh my gosh – it may be the best soup I’ve ever eaten!
Yay! So glad to hear that; thank you!
This did not disappoint! It’s thick and full of flavour. Absolutely loved it.
Thank you so much Hayley!
Absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing.
Glad you’ve enjoyed it! Thanks for the comment ๐
Absolutely delicious!
I followed the recipe with the only differences being I used a can of corn at the end and I didnโt have celery, itโs fantastic.
I’m so happy you enjoyed! Thanks Francesca! ๐
For hubby’s sake I must do this gluten free so what thickener is recommended if one cannot us AP flour?
I’m sorry I’m not very experienced with gluten free flour. You could always try adding a cornstarch slurry though!
This isn’t a gluten-free soup, why ask this question? Find another soup to make.
I’m sure you could substiture a gluten free flour. They work one for one. That’s what I’m planning on doing. For people who are gluten, corn or dairy free because of health issues, we have to be a bit creative.