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Creamy Vegetable Soup (without cream) is made with wholesome ingredients and comes together in 1 pot. Filled with fiber and protein, this vegan vegetable soup is pure comfort.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love this Creamy Vegetable Soup
I have to say, this vegan vegetable soup may be my new favorite winter recipe.
It’s incredibly cozy, rich in nutrients, and all comes together in ONE pot. Not to mention completely plant-based thanks to a one game-changing ingredient
I love that this soup leans on convenience items such as frozen veggies, canned chickpeas, and vegetable broth.
Not only does it cut back on prep time, but it also makes this recipe super weeknight-friendly.
Both kids and adults will love it, and most folks won’t believe how secretly virtuous it is.
For more reader-favorite vegetable soups, check out this White Bean and Lemon Soup, Kale and White Bean Soup, and Minestrone Soup.
The Ingredients
- Aromatics: A mix of onion, celery, and garlic create the aromatic foundation of the soup. You can use any variety of onion you like.
- Potatoes: Look for baby red potatoes, which don’t require peeling. Alternatively, you can use Dutch yellow potatoes.
- Cashews: The secret soup ingredient is raw cashews, which add luscious creaminess to this dairy-free recipe.
- Broth: If making vegan, use homemade or store-bought vegetable broth. Otherwise, chicken broth also works.
- Frozen Veggies: I like using a frozen garden blend, which typically includes carrots, corn, broccoli, and peas. Alternatively, you can also use a California blend, which often includes cauliflower, too.
- Chickpeas: For a one-two punch of plant protein and fiber.
- Herbs: I like using a mix of dry herbs (oregano) and fresh (thyme).
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Additions
- Make Nut-Free: Swap the cashews for 1 cup full-fat coconut milk in order to achieve the same creaminess.
- Make Low-Carb: Swap the potatoes for 1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into small florets.
- Use Different Beans: In place of the chickpeas, any white bean will work, such as Great Northern, Cannellini, or navy beans.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Sauté aromatics in a Dutch oven (or large stock pot) until soft. Meanwhile, place your raw cashews in a bowl with HOT water and let them soak while you prepare the remainder of the recipe.
Step 2: Add potatoes, garlic, herbs, and spices, and cook 5 minutes. You just want the potatoes to pick up some color, and for the flavors to marry.
Step 3: Add frozen veggies and chickpeas, followed by the broth.
Step 4: Simmer soup until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
As far as toppings/garnishes, I love sprinkling more fresh herbs overtop right before eating. Another favorite is crushed crackers for texture, or crusty bread for dunking.
Recipe FAQs
In short, YES—frozen veggies can often be just as nutritious. Because most vegetables are frozen soon after being harvested, they often have the same amount of nutrients as fresh—sometimes more.
Plus, frozen produce has a longer shelf life and is much cheaper than fresh, especially for out-of-season veggies. I suggest stocking up your freezer when your favorite brands go on sale—it helps make weeknight cooking and meal prep SO much simpler.
Also, if you have leftover fresh produce that you know you won’t use before it spoils, simply freeze it!
This vegan vegetable soup is rich in heart-healthy fats, fiber, and plant protein. In fact, one serving provides almost 40% of your daily fiber goal. It’s also a rich source of potassium, immune-boosting vitamin C, plus fat-soluble vitamins A, E and K.
Compared to other creamy vegetable soups, this one is also extremely low in saturated fat. (Many get their creamy consistency from heavy cream or whole milk, which are predominantly sat fat.) Because this version contains rich amounts of monounsaturated fat, it keeps you full while also providing heart-health benefits.
This soup actually freezes quite well since there is no dairy in it. Just be sure to let the soup cool completely before freezing it.
If you want to speed up the process, you can place the soup pot in an ice bath, and stir it every few minutes to cool faster.
After it’s cooled, transfer to an airtight storage container and refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze up to 3 months.
Pro tip: leave about an inch of space between the soup and lid of the storage container. This will ensure the liquid has enough space to expand, yet will limit the amount of air that can get in (which can cause freezer burn).
When you’re ready to reheat, refrigerate overnight to thaw, and reheat in a small pot over medium heat.
Alternatively, you can warm individual servings in a microwave-safe bowl, stopping to stir every 30 seconds, to promote even heating.
If you give this vegan soup recipe a try, snap a pic and tag #dishingouthealth on Instagram so I can see your beautiful creations. Also, follow along on Facebook and Pinterest for the latest recipe updates!
More Vegetable Soup Recipes to Try:
Creamy Vegetable Soup
Equipment
- Dutch oven or stockpot
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup diced celery
- 12 oz. baby red potatoes, quartered (if larger, cut into bite-size pieces)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 3/4 tsp. cracked black pepper
- 8-10 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 (1-lb.) bag mixed frozen vegetables (I use either a California Blend or Garden Blend)
- 1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 4 cups lower-sodium vegetable broth
Instructions
- Place cashews in a bowl and add 2 cups HOT water. Let soak while you prepare remainder of recipe.
- Heat oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven with a fitted lid over medium. Add onions and celery; cook 5 to 6 minutes, until softened. Add potatoes, garlic, oregano, and thyme; cook 5 more minutes, stirring often. Stir in frozen vegetables, chickpeas, salt, and pepper.
- Add broth and bring mixture to a boil, scrapping up any browned bits on the bottom of pan. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, 20 to 25 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
- Transfer cashews and soaking liquid to a blender and blend on HIGH until smooth (texture should resemble cashew milk). Pour cashew mixture into soup and gently simmer, uncovered, until soup starts to thicken, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Remove bare thyme stems and adjust seasonings as needed. Ladle soup into bowls and add garnishes of choice (more fresh herbs, crushed crackers, croutons, etc.)
Video
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Let the soup cool completely before pouring in an air-tight container or freezer-safe gallon zip-top bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Let thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Transfer to saucepan, and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until warm. You can also warm individual portions in the microwave, stopping to stir every 30 seconds, to promote even heating.
Nutrition
I calculate these values by hand to ensure accuracy, however expect up to a 10% variable depending on food brands.
SO creamy and delicious! I’m making it a second time!
Woohoo! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Heidi! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
This was delicious! Mine didn’t turn out as creamy as I expected though, any tips?
I am allergic to cashew could I substitute coconut milk?
Hi Courtney – yes coconut milk should work fine! Enjoy
This dish was absolutely delicious and I made it tonite for dinner! I actually happened upon your page through a quuck Google search when looking for a vegan bolognese sauce to make for my hubby’s bday…Glad I searched around and found other delectable recipes that look divine. If this soup is any indication of your other recipes I’ve truly hit a gold
mine! Thank you for sharing your gift!
Hi Natalie – so glad the recipe was a hit! Thank you for coming back and leaving a review!
Love this recipe and I want to make it for my daughter, who is allergic to cashews and most other tree nuts. But, she is Vegan and loves creamy soups. Do you have some suggested subs for the cashew mix that is not dairy based or coconut based? Trying to keep the soup creamy, Vegan without coconut.
TRy using sunflower seeds, soak and blend them in high speed blender like Vitamiz.
I was wondering if you could use white beans instead of cashews?
Yes, white beans will work well to thicken the soup.
OMG I can’t believe how creamy this soup is! Such a beautiful soup for cold Ohio winters! We’ve made it a handful of times already! Try it!
I’m so glad you enjoy this one, Sarah! It’s a favorite over here, too 🙂
Love it! We are not vegan and my husband likes a meat in his soup, so I added some chopped hot sausage and it fit right in with the veggies! Such a delicious, easy soup for these cold days.
Hi Alaina – I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
Best soup ever!! I highly recommend anyone searching for a new soup made out of whole foods to definitely make this. So good!
Delicious and simple recipe. Thank you for sharing
Hi this looks delicious. My husband is diabetic so I try to stay away from potatoes due to high glycemic index. Do you need them in this recipe for thickening or can I replace them with something else? If so, what do you suggest? Can’t wait to try this. Thanks
Hi Jill! The amount of potatoes only beaks down to about 2.5 oz per serving – they other veggies really create the bulk of the soup. However if you’d like to avoid them all together, I’d use cauliflower florets. Enjoy!
This sounds delicious. I’d like to make it this weekend. If I wanted to use fresh vegetables instead of frozen. What would you recommend and rosy or sauté?
Hi Theresa – You can use literally any assortment of veggies for this soup – it’s super forgiving! If you go with something heartier like raw carrots, cauliflower, etc., I’d just make sure you let them sauté for longer than the recipe suggests. Enjoy!
I am new to vegetarian cooking, and would love to make this recipe. But, cashews are very expensive. Is there an less expensive substitute? Thanks in advance. P.S. I love your site!
I used sunflower seeds when I made it and it turned out great! Followed same steps as the cashews 🙂