There is something fundamentally restorative about a bowl of warm, velvety soup. On a drizzly Tuesday or a crisp autumn afternoon, it’s the culinary equivalent of a cosy blanket and a good book. This creamy vegetable soup recipe is the one I turn to time and time again. It’s not just about blending a few vegetables; it’s about slowly building layers of flavour, starting with the gentle sweating of onions and leeks until they are sweet and translucent, and finishing with a swirl of cream that makes the whole dish sing. My kids absolutely devour this every time I make it, often asking for seconds before the first bowl is even finished.

What I believe makes this particular vegetable soup recipe stand out is its texture. We’re aiming for a silky, luxurious smoothness that coats the spoon, which we achieve through the magic of starchy potatoes and proper blending. It’s a celebration of simple, seasonal produce, transforming humble root vegetables into something elegant and deeply satisfying. This one-pot vegetable soup is wonderful for a nourishing lunch, a light supper with crusty bread, or even as a starter for a more elaborate meal. It’s a wholesome, healthy soup recipe that feels like a treat.

Recipe Overview

This recipe guides you through creating a beautifully smooth and flavourful soup. The key is to patiently cook the vegetables to release their natural sweetness before adding a high-quality stock and blending everything to a velvety consistency. I’ve tested this with various vegetable combinations, and this classic blend of leek, carrot, celery, and potato always comes out on top for a balanced, savoury-sweet flavour profile.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Servings: 6 people
• Difficulty: Easy

Why You’ll Love This Creamy Vegetable Soup Recipe

• Genuinely Deep Flavour: We don’t just boil the vegetables. By gently sweating the onions, leeks, and celery first, we build a foundational sweetness that gives the soup incredible depth. The earthy potatoes and sweet carrots create a beautifully balanced taste that is both savoury and comforting.
• Ready in Under an Hour: From chopping the first onion to ladling the finished soup into bowls, this entire meal comes together in about 45 minutes, making it a brilliant option for a weeknight dinner.
• Wonderfully Flexible: This recipe is a fantastic starting point. You can easily swap the potatoes for sweet potatoes or a chunk of butternut squash for a different kind of sweetness. Have some parsnips or cauliflower? Throw them in! It’s a great way to use up vegetables you have on hand.
• Ideal for Batch Cooking: This soup freezes beautifully. I often make a double batch and freeze half in individual portions. It’s ideal when you want a wholesome, home-cooked meal without any effort during a busy week.
• Family Tested and Approved: This is one of those rare dishes that everyone in my family agrees on. It’s packed with goodness, and its creamy texture and gentle flavour make it appealing even to the fussiest of eaters.

Creamy Vegetable Soup Recipe

⏱️ 15 min prep  •  🍳 35 min cook  •  👥 5 servings

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Ingredients You’ll Need

For this creamy vegetable soup, we’re using simple, accessible ingredients. The quality of your vegetable stock will make a significant difference, so use the best you can find. I’m a big fan of the Marigold Swiss Vegetable Bouillon Powder, as it has a rich, well-rounded flavour that doesn’t taste artificial.

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, washed thoroughly and sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 700g Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
• 1.2 litres high-quality vegetable stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 120ml double cream (or full-fat coconut milk for a vegan version)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• A small handful of fresh chives or parsley, finely chopped, for garnish

Sara’s Tip: Make sure you wash your leeks properly! They are notorious for hiding grit between their layers. My method is to slice them first, then place the slices in a bowl of cold water and swish them around. The grit falls to the bottom. For a great visual guide, BBC Good Food has a helpful video on preparing them.

How to Make Creamy Vegetable Soup

The process for this one-pot vegetable soup is straightforward. The most important step is allowing the base vegetables to soften without browning, which coaxes out their natural sugars and builds the first layer of flavour.

1. Sauté the Aromatics: Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over a medium-low heat. Add the chopped onion, sliced leeks, and diced celery. Cook gently for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are very soft and translucent but not browned. This slow cooking step is crucial for flavour.
2. Add Garlic and Herbs: Stir in the minced garlic and dried thyme and cook for another minute until fragrant.
3. Incorporate Harder Vegetables: Add the diced carrots and potato chunks to the pot. Give everything a good stir to coat the vegetables in the oil and cook for 2-3 minutes.
4. Simmer the Soup: Pour in the vegetable stock, add the bay leaf, and season with a generous pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are completely tender when pierced with a knife.
5. Blend Until Smooth: Remove the pot from the heat and discard the bay leaf. Using an immersion (stick) blender, carefully blend the soup directly in the pot until it’s completely smooth and velvety. What works best for me is tilting the pot slightly to ensure there are no unblended lumps hiding. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can transfer the soup in batches to a regular blender, but be sure to let it cool slightly first and don’t overfill it.
6. Finish with Cream: Return the pot to a very low heat. Pour in the double cream and stir until it’s fully incorporated. Do not let the soup boil after adding the cream, as it could curdle.
7. Taste and Season: Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper as needed. A final check is always a good idea!
8. Serve: Ladle the hot soup into bowls and garnish with fresh chives or parsley before serving.

Tips From My Kitchen

• Temperature Control is Key: When you add the cream at the end, make sure the heat is very low. Bringing the soup to a rolling boil after the cream is added can cause it to split, changing the texture. A gentle warming through is all that’s needed.
• The Secret to Silky Smoothness: I learned that for an ultra-creamy texture, especially if your blender isn’t very powerful, you can pass the blended soup through a fine-mesh sieve. It’s an extra step, but it guarantees a restaurant-quality, silky finish.
• Make-Ahead Magic: You can prepare this soup up to step 4 (before blending and adding the cream) and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days. When you’re ready to serve, simply reheat it gently on the hob, then proceed with blending and adding the cream.
• Storage Savvy: Leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, let the soup cool completely, then pour it into freezer-safe containers. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating gently on the stovetop.

Equipment You’ll Need

• Large stockpot or Dutch oven
• Immersion blender (or a standard blender)
• Ladle
• Sharp knife and cutting board

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Under-cooking the Vegetables: If your potatoes and carrots aren’t completely tender before you blend, the soup will have a grainy texture. Be patient and test them with a fork; it should slide in with no resistance.
• Boiling After Adding Cream: As mentioned in my tips, boiling dairy can cause it to separate or curdle. Once the cream is in, just warm the soup through gently. This is the golden rule for any creamy soup.
• Forgetting to Season in Layers: Don’t wait until the very end to add all your salt. Seasoning the vegetables as they sauté and again when the stock is added helps to build a more complex and integrated flavour throughout the dish.

Delicious Variations to Try

This creamy vegetable soup recipe is a brilliant canvas for customisation. Here are a few variations we enjoy at home:

• A Touch of Spice: For a gentle warmth, add 1/2 teaspoon of red chilli flakes along with the garlic. It provides a lovely, subtle heat that complements the sweetness of the vegetables.
• Vegan Vegetable Soup Option: To make this recipe completely plant-based, simply swap the double cream for 120ml of full-fat tinned coconut milk or a homemade cashew cream. Both options provide a beautiful richness.
• Add Some Toppings for Texture: While not a protein swap, adding a textural topping can elevate the soup. Try a sprinkle of crispy fried onions, toasted pumpkin seeds, or homemade croutons for a satisfying crunch. For something more substantial, try our Bacon Brown Sugar Chicken Tenders, chopped and sprinkled on top.

What to Serve With Creamy Vegetable Soup

A great soup deserves a great partner. Here’s what I love to serve alongside this creamy dish:

• Crusty Bread: It’s non-negotiable in my house! A warm, crusty baguette or a slice of sourdough is essential for dipping and soaking up every last drop.
• Grilled Cheese Sandwich: For a truly comforting and substantial meal, pair the soup with a classic grilled cheese. The salty, gooey cheese is a fantastic contrast to the smooth, savoury soup.
• A Hearty Main: If serving this as a starter, it leads beautifully into a simple main course like our Bang Bang Chicken Thighs, which offers a completely different flavour profile.
• Drink Pairing: A crisp, unoaked Chardonnay works wonderfully here. Its subtle fruit notes and acidity cut through the richness of the cream without overpowering the delicate vegetable flavours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Creamy Vegetable Soup

A rich and velvety soup packed with wholesome vegetables like potatoes, leeks, and carrots, blended until smooth and finished with a touch of cream. Perfect for a comforting and nutritious meal.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Servings: 5 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: European

Calories: 330

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 2 leeks white and light green parts only, washed thoroughly and sliced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 medium carrots peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks diced
• 700 g Maris Piper potatoes peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
• 1.2 litres high-quality vegetable stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 120 ml double cream or full-fat coconut milk for a vegan version
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• A small handful of fresh chives or parsley finely chopped, for garnish

Method

 

1. Sauté the Aromatics: Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over a medium-low heat. Add the chopped onion, sliced leeks, and diced celery. Cook gently for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are very soft and translucent but not browned. This slow cooking step is crucial for flavour.
2. Add Garlic and Herbs: Stir in the minced garlic and dried thyme and cook for another minute until fragrant.
3. Incorporate Harder Vegetables: Add the diced carrots and potato chunks to the pot. Give everything a good stir to coat the vegetables in the oil and cook for 2-3 minutes.
4. Simmer the Soup: Pour in the vegetable stock, add the bay leaf, and season with a generous pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are completely tender when pierced with a knife.
5. Blend Until Smooth: Remove the pot from the heat and discard the bay leaf. Using an immersion (stick) blender, carefully blend the soup directly in the pot until it’s completely smooth and velvety. What works best for me is tilting the pot slightly to ensure there are no unblended lumps hiding. If you don't have an immersion blender, you can transfer the soup in batches to a regular blender, but be sure to let it cool slightly first and don't overfill it.
6. Finish with Cream: Return the pot to a very low heat. Pour in the double cream and stir until it's fully incorporated. Do not let the soup boil after adding the cream, as it could curdle.
7. Taste and Season: Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper as needed. A final check is always a good idea!
8. Serve: Ladle the hot soup into bowls and garnish with fresh chives or parsley before serving.

Notes

For a vegan option, substitute double cream with full-fat coconut milk. The soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

I really hope you give this creamy vegetable soup recipe a try. It’s a hug in a bowl, and a recipe that has brought so much warmth to my own family’s table. It’s straightforward, nourishing, and tastes absolutely wonderful. If you do make it, I’d love to hear how it turned out for you. Please feel free to leave a comment below!

– Sara Gomez