Easy Homemade Vegetable Soup Recipe

Making a basic vegetable soup from scratch is a great skill for any home chef, whether you're vegetarian or vegan or not. Vegetable soup is great for a cold night, and of course, homemade soup from scratch is always best!

All you really need in order to make an easy homemade vegetable soup is some vegetable broth, plenty of vegetables and a few seasonings. You can adjust the vegetables (and the quantities) in this recipe, fairly easily. Got broccoli instead of cauliflower? Swap it in, no problem. Don't have green beans or want to add extra zucchini? Not a problem, go right ahead! The onions and celery add quite a bit of flavor, so best not to replace those, unless you absolutely have to.

What You'll Need
1 tablespoon olive oil (or another cooking oil such as canola oil or sunflower oil)
1/2 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
2 cups mixed chopped vegetables, your choice (try cauliflower, zucchini, or green beans)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
1 bay leaf
8 cups water and 2 cubes of vegetable bouillon OR 8 cups vegetable broth
1 14-ounce can tomatoes

How to Make It
Heat oil in a large soup or stock pot. Add the chopped onion, minced garlic, the carrots, and the celery. Heat, stirring, for 3-4 minutes, until onions are soft. Add the rest of the vegetables and heat for just another minute or two.
Add salt, garlic powder, thyme, and oregano, stirring to coat the vegetables well.
Add bay leaf, water or vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. If using bouillon cubes, add and stir to make sure they dissolve.
Add the tomatoes, stir, and allow your vegetable soup to simmer until all the vegetables are cooked, about 8-12 minutes.
Adjust seasonings to taste.
Remove the bay leaf and serve your homemade vegetable soup with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese if you're not eating vegan, and some crusty bread or crackers.
Like this homemade vegetable soup recipe? You might also want to try some of the most popular vegetarian soup recipes, or check out these seven perfect tomato soups. Looking for something with a bit more protein? Check out these vegetarian bean soup recipes: 11 different ways. Enjoy!