This creamy vegetable soup gets its smooth, velvety texture from the vegetables themselves, not heavy cream. We simmer pumpkin, potatoes, sweet potato, zucchini, carrots, and celery in vegetable broth, then blend everything right in the pot. If you've been looking for a cream of vegetable soup without the cream, this one is light, filling, and made with budget-friendly ingredients.
Recipe at a glance
- Main ingredients: Pumpkin, potatoes, sweet potato, zucchini, carrots, vegetable broth
- Time: 1 hour 10 minutes (25 minutes prep, 45 minutes cook)
- Method: Stovetop, then blended with an immersion blender
- Best for: Lunches, light dinners, and starters
- Servings: 6
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What's great about this recipe
- No cream needed - Pureeing the vegetables at the end makes the soup thick and velvety on its own.
- Made in one pot - Everything cooks in one large pot, and an immersion blender purees it right there.
- Light but filling - It's satisfying without being heavy, so it works for lunch, a light dinner, or as a starter
Budget check
- The full recipe is about $10.50 to $11.50
- Per serving (6 servings): about $1.75 to $1.95
Uses conventional ingredients. Based on recent U.S. averages. Actual prices will vary by store and region. Garnishes not included.
Ingredients you'll need
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- Olive oil: For sautéing the vegetables.
- Aromatics: Onion, carrots, celery, and garlic make the base of the soup.
- Vegetables: Pumpkin, zucchini, potato, and sweet potato. We use a russet potato, but white and red potatoes work too. Just peel them and cook them until they're very tender so the soup blends smoothly.
- Broth: We use vegetable broth to keep the soup vegetarian. If you don't care for vegetable broth, chicken broth works well too. We've used it in many of our vegetable soups.
- Vegetable base: Our secret to more flavor is a spoonful of Better Than Bouillon vegetable base stirred into the broth.
- Seasonings: Turmeric, black pepper, and salt.
- Optional garnish: Croutons and chopped parsley (not pictured).
📖 See the recipe card for quantities and preparation.
How to make creamy vegetable soup
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the garlic and black pepper and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add the pumpkin, zucchini, potato, and sweet potato. Cook for 1 minute, stirring to combine.
- Pour in the broth, raise the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Stir in the vegetable base and turmeric until the base dissolves.
- Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very tender and break apart easily when pressed with a wooden spoon.
- Remove the pot from the heat and puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Using a regular blender? See the tips below.
- Taste and add salt if needed. As a reference, we added ¾ teaspoon to ours. Garnish with croutons and chopped parsley, if desired.
Recipe tips and notes
- Wait to add salt. The broth and vegetable base are already salty, so taste the soup after blending before adding any. If you are sensitive to salt, use reduced-sodium broth.
- Cook the vegetables until very tender. They should break apart easily when pressed with a wooden spoon. That's what makes the soup smooth when you blend it.
- Blending in a regular blender: Fill it no more than halfway and work in batches. Remove the center piece of the lid, cover the opening with a folded kitchen towel, and hold it down while blending. Start on the lowest speed.
- For a chunkier soup, blend it briefly, or mash some of the vegetables with the back of a wooden spoon.
What to serve with creamy vegetable soup
We like this soup with a few slices of crusty bread, and our homemade garlic bread is even better for dipping. For a heartier lunch, serve a bowl with a tuna salad sandwich on a croissant, a chicken salad sandwich, or a patty melt.
For something lighter, a crisp cucumber salad and our tangy artichoke salad both go well with it. You'll find more sandwich ideas in our 10 sandwich recipes you have to try.
Storing and reheating
Refrigerator: Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze in freezer-safe containers for 2 to 3 months. There's no cream or milk in this soup, so it won't separate the way dairy-based soups can. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheating: Warm on the stove over medium to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. To reheat in the microwave, use a microwave-safe bowl, loosely covered, in 1-minute intervals, stirring in between until hot.
Food safety: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking, or within 1 hour if it's above 90°F. Reheat leftovers to 165°F.
FAQs
We blend the soup once the vegetables are very tender. The pumpkin, potatoes, and sweet potato give it a thick, velvety body, so there's no need for cream or milk. Stick to the amount of broth in the recipe so the soup doesn't turn out thin.
Vegetable soup usually has chunks of vegetables in broth. Cream of vegetable soup is blended until smooth and is traditionally finished with cream. Ours is blended smooth like a cream soup, but all of its creaminess comes from the vegetables.
More creamy soups to try
If you enjoyed this creamy vegetable soup, try one of our other blended soup recipes. Our pumpkin ginger soup and pumpkin apple soup are both made with fresh pumpkin, and our sweet potato soup is perfect for fall. In spring and summer, we make cream of asparagus soup and zucchini soup.
For even more ideas, browse our creamy soup recipes and 31 days of soups and stews.
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📖 Recipe
Creamy Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 medium Onion diced, white or yellow
- ½ pound Carrots peeled and diced, about 3 medium
- 1 Celery Rib diced
- 4-5 Garlic Cloves minced
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 pound Pumpkin weighed before peeling, then peeled and cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces
- ½ pound Zucchini quartered and cut into 1 inch pieces, about 1 medium
- ½ pound Potato peeled and cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces, about 1 medium; we use russet, but white or red also work
- ½ pound Sweet Potato peeled and cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces, about 1 medium
- 6 cups Vegetable Broth
- 1 tablespoon Vegetable Base we use Better Than Bouillon
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric
- Salt if needed at the end
- Croutons optional, for garnish
- Chopped fresh parsley optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot (we use a 6 quart enameled Dutch oven) over medium heat.
- When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook them for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the garlic and black pepper to the pot and cook for 1 minute while stirring.
- Next, add the pumpkin, zucchini, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. Cook for 1 minute, while stirring.
- Add the vegetable broth. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil (it will take about 5-6 minutes). Then add the vegetable base and turmeric powder. Stir well until the vegetable base dissolves.
- Lower the heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Simmer the soup for 30 minutes until the vegetables are very tender. They should break apart easily when pressed with a wooden spoon or pierced with a fork.
- Stir the vegetable soup occasionally and keep the broth at a simmer. Raise or lower the heat as needed.
Process the soup
- Remove the pot from the heat. Process the vegetable soup in the pot with an immersion blender. If you don't have an immersion blender, use a blender (see notes).
- Taste and add salt if needed. As a reference we added ¾ teaspoon to ours.
- Garnish with croutons and chopped parsley, if desired and enjoy.
Notes
- Blending in a regular blender: Do not fill the blender to the top with hot liquid; process in small batches. Remove the center piece of the blender lid, replace the lid, and cover it with a clean, folded kitchen towel. Hold the towel down while blending. Start at a very low speed and increase gradually if needed.
- Salt: Do not add salt until the end because the broth and vegetable base already contain a good amount. If you are sensitive to salt, use reduced-sodium broth.
- Cook until very tender: Simmer until all the vegetables, especially the potato, break apart easily when pressed with a wooden spoon, so the soup blends smoothly.
- For a chunkier soup: Blend briefly, or mash some of the vegetables with the back of a wooden spoon.
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Nutrition
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
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