12 Easy Vegetarian Soup Recipes for Cold Nights (2026)

These 12 easy vegetarian soup recipes for cold nights all start with the same handful of pantry staples: canned tomatoes, canned beans, broth, potatoes, squash. Every one is a complete recipe you can cook tonight, and none of them needs a blender, a pressure cooker, or a grocery run.

Soup is the answer I reach for when the temperature drops and dinner feels like too much. It is forgiving, it reheats well, and it quietly feeds a family of four without much washing up. Most of these take 45 minutes or less, and several hands off the stove while you do something else entirely.

12 Easy Vegetarian Soup Recipes for Cold Nights at a Glance

Recipe	Time	Difficulty	Best for
Classic Tomato Vegetable Soup	45 min	Easy	Beginner cooks and picky eaters
Creamy Potato Leek Soup	45 min	Easy	Silky dinners and cold evenings
Hearty Lentil and Vegetable Soup	45 min	Easy	Cheap, high-fibre weeknight meals
Easy Minestrone Soup	50 min	Easy	Using up odds and ends of produce
Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili	6 hr hands-off	Easy	Busy days and game night
Golden Butternut Squash Soup	55 min	Easy	Make-ahead autumn suppers
Cabbage, Carrot, and Ginger Soup	35 min	Easy	Light, bright lunches
Creamy White Bean and Kale Soup	30 min	Easy	Fast protein-packed suppers
Spiced Cauliflower and Chickpea Soup	45 min	Medium	Warming spice with a real curry kick
Vegetable Noodle Soup	25 min	Easy	The hungriest weeknight of the month
Broccoli Cheddar Soup	40 min	Easy	Cheesy comfort food
Vegetarian French Onion Soup	70 min	Medium	Weekend cooking and hosting

1. Classic Tomato Vegetable Soup

If you only make one soup from this list, make this one. It tastes like someone spent all afternoon on it, and the work is closer to fifteen minutes of chopping.

Yield: 6 servings · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 30 min · Total: 45 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables (peas, corn, carrots, green beans)
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 cup small pasta, optional
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley for serving

Instructions

1. Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until it shimmers.
2. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until the onion turns translucent and the carrots lose their raw edge.
3. Stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
4. Pour in both cans of tomatoes and the broth. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
5. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook 15 minutes.
6. Add the frozen vegetables and pasta, return to a gentle simmer, and cook 6 to 8 minutes more, until the pasta is tender and the vegetables are bright and soft.
7. Season with salt and pepper, then ladle into bowls and finish with chopped parsley.

Tip: Let the vegetables sweat in the oil for a full 6 minutes before the liquid goes in. Skipping that step is the single reason a quick soup tastes thin and watery.

Swap it: Use two cans of white beans in place of the pasta for a higher-fibre, gluten-free bowl that reheats better.

Storage: Keeps 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. Freeze up to 3 months; hold back the pasta if you add it at reheating time so it does not turn soft.

2. Creamy Potato Leek Soup

The trick with potato soup is the leeks, which melt into sweetness and hide the fact that there is no cream at all in the pot. Blending a cup of the cooked soup gives you a silky body for very little effort.

Yield: 4 servings · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 30 min · Total: 45 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter or olive oil
• 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced
• 1.5 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, optional
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• Salt to taste
• Chives and olive oil for serving

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the sliced leeks with a pinch of salt and cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring, until soft and sweet.
2. Add the potatoes, broth, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer partially covered for 20 minutes.
3. Test a potato with a knife. It should slide in with no resistance and break apart easily at the centre.
4. Blend about 1 cup of the soup in a blender with a clean towel over the lid, then pour it back into the pot. The starch thickens the whole batch.
5. Stir in the cream, if using, and warm through without boiling.
6. Season, ladle into bowls, and finish with snipped chives and a thread of olive oil.

Tip: Wash the leeks carefully. Sand hides in the layers and ruins the texture of a blended soup, so slice them lengthwise and rinse under cold running water first.

Swap it: For a dairy-free version, leave out the cream and add 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk at the end. It loosens the soup rather than thickening it, so add it last.

Storage: Refrigerate 3 to 4 days. Potato soups thicken as they sit, so loosen each serving with a splash of broth or water when you reheat it.

3. Hearty Lentil and Vegetable Soup

Brown lentils cook in half the time of green ones and collapse into the broth, which means this soup thickens on its own. It is the best-value bowl on the list and my default answer when someone asks what to cook for a week of lunches.

Yield: 6 servings · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 30 min · Total: 45 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup brown lentils, rinsed
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery with a pinch of salt and cook 7 minutes until softened.
2. Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, and oregano. Stir for 40 seconds until the spices smell toasty.
3. Add the tomatoes, lentils, broth, and water. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 25 minutes.
4. Stir and watch for a thick, brothy consistency where the lentils break down when pressed against the side of the pot.
5. Season generously with salt and black pepper, then stir in the lemon juice off the heat.

Tip: Season the lentils with salt in the last five minutes, not the first. Salt early makes the skins tighten and stay firm instead of melting into the broth.

Swap it: To keep it grain-free, add 1 cup cubed sweet potato in place of some of the water, or stir in 150 g of cubed firm tofu for a higher-protein version.

Storage: Keeps 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator and freezes well for up to 3 months, though the lentils soften further after thawing.

4. Easy Minestrone Soup

Minestrone is the soup for a half-full fridge. It takes whatever vegetables you have, a can of beans for protein, and a handful of small pasta, and it tastes like more work than it is.

Yield: 6 servings · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 35 min · Total: 50 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed
• 1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 cup frozen green beans
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 cup ditalini or small shells
• Salt, black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil for serving

Instructions

1. Warm the oil in a heavy pot. Add the onion, bell pepper, carrots, and celery and cook 8 minutes until the edges soften.
2. Add the garlic and oregano and stir for 30 seconds.
3. Pour in the tomatoes and broth. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
4. Add the cabbage, green beans, and both cans of beans. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes, until the cabbage is limp and the beans are hot through.
5. Stir in the pasta and cook 8 minutes more, until it is al dente. Season and serve with olive oil.

Tip: Add the pasta to the pot last, right before serving. Cooked pasta keeps releasing starch, so an early addition turns the whole pot cloudy and gluey by the next day.

Swap it: Barley or brown rice both work in place of the pasta and freeze better. Use 1/2 cup of either and give them 25 minutes in the pot.

Storage: Refrigerate 3 to 4 days. Freezes up to 3 months; if you skip the pasta, the broth keeps its clean flavour for a full month frozen.

5. Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili

This is the recipe that earns its slow cooker. Chop everything, dump it in, and go to work with a pot of chili waiting for you. Two cans of beans go in at the end so they keep their shape instead of turning to paste.

Yield: 8 servings · Prep: 20 min · Cook: 6 hr on low or 3 hr on high · Total: 6 hr · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed
• 1 (15 oz) can corn, drained
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp honey or maple syrup

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook 5 minutes until the onion is soft.
2. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, and oregano and toast for 1 minute, until fragrant.
3. Transfer everything to the slow cooker, scraping in the pan juices.
4. Add the tomatoes, broth, soy sauce, and honey. Stir well and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for 3 hours.
5. Stir in the drained beans and corn for the final 20 minutes so they stay firm.
6. Taste and season. Serve with shredded cheese, sliced jalapeno, cilantro, and a spoon of sour cream if you like.

Tip: Skip the skillet and you get a good chili, not a great one. Those five minutes of cooking the onions and spices first are what separate slow-cooker chili from warm tomato soup.

Swap it: Use pinto beans instead of kidney beans for a creamier texture, or add 1 cup of cooked brown rice in place of the broth for a thicker, more filling bowl.

Storage: Keeps 4 to 5 days covered in the refrigerator, and 3 months in the freezer. Chili reheats better than most soups because the tomatoes keep thickening as they go.

6. Golden Butternut Squash Soup

Roasting the squash first is the step most recipes skip and the one I never do. Twenty-five extra minutes in a hot oven gives you a soup that tastes caramelised rather than simply orange.

Yield: 6 servings · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 40 min · Total: 55 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1 medium butternut squash, about 2 lb, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, optional
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Toasted pumpkin seeds and thyme for serving

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Toss the squash cubes with 1 tbsp of the oil, spread on a lined sheet pan, and roast 25 to 30 minutes, turning once, until the edges are browned and the flesh gives to a knife tip.
2. Warm the remaining oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 5 minutes until soft.
3. Add the roasted squash, broth, water, ginger, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, then simmer 10 minutes.
4. Blend until completely smooth, using a blender in batches with the lid vented or an immersion blender right in the pot.
5. Stir in the cream, season, and warm through gently. Serve with pumpkin seeds and a few thyme leaves.

Tip: A high-speed blender needs the lid vented and a towel over the top, because hot soup expands fast. Immersion blending straight in the pot is easier and saves you a second pot of dishes.

Swap it: For a nut-free option use 1/2 cup of oat cream or extra broth stirred in at the end. To warm it up, trade the cinnamon for 1/2 tsp of curry powder and a pinch of cayenne.

Storage: Refrigerate 3 to 4 days and freeze for up to 3 months. Thin with a little broth when reheating, since squash purée firms up noticeably once chilled.

7. Cabbage, Carrot, and Ginger Soup

This is the lightest bowl in the collection, and the ginger is what makes it feel like it clears a cold. Shred the cabbage finely and add it late, and you keep a soup with texture rather than a bowl of grey mush.

Yield: 4 servings · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 20 min · Total: 35 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 4 carrots, grated
• 1 small cabbage, about 4 cups, finely shredded
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, for serving
• Salt, scallions, and sesame seeds for serving

Instructions

1. Heat the sesame oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 4 minutes until soft and translucent.
2. Add the grated carrots and cook 4 more minutes, stirring, until they soften and release their colour into the oil.
3. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook 30 seconds.
4. Add the broth and soy sauce, bring to a boil, then simmer 8 minutes.
5. Add the cabbage and simmer 5 to 7 minutes more, until it is wilted and soft but still holds its shape.
6. Season, finish with a teaspoon of sesame oil, and serve with scallions and sesame seeds.

Tip: Add the cabbage in two batches if your pot is small. Piled too high, it steams instead of simmering and stays tough and bitter in the middle.

Swap it: Add 150 g of cubed silken tofu in the last 5 minutes for protein, or use rice noodles added at the end if you want a noodle version rather than a broth.

Storage: Keeps 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. The cabbage continues to soften as the soup sits, so add it fresh when you can, and freeze for up to 3 months.

8. Creamy White Bean and Kale Soup

Thirty minutes, five pantry cans, and a bowl so filling you will not miss the meat. Most of the creaminess comes from the beans themselves once you mash a cup of them against the side of the pot.

Yield: 4 servings · Prep: 10 min · Cook: 20 min · Total: 30 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed
• 1 (15 oz) can great northern beans, rinsed
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 3 cups chopped kale, stems removed
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes for serving

Instructions

1. Warm the oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 5 minutes until soft.
2. Add the garlic and thyme and stir for 30 seconds.
3. Add both cans of beans, the tomatoes, and the broth. Simmer 12 minutes.
4. Fish out about 1 cup of beans, mash them roughly with a fork, and stir them back in. The soup turns creamy without any dairy.
5. Add the kale and simmer 5 to 7 minutes, until the leaves are dark, glossy, and collapsed to a third of their size.
6. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and red pepper flakes.

Tip: Strip the stems off the kale and throw them in the pot while it simmers. They add flavour to the broth while the leaves go in at the end to stay bright.

Swap it: For extra protein, crumble in 150 g of firm tofu with the kale, or add 2 tbsp of nutritional yeast for a deeper, cheesier finish.

Storage: Keeps 4 days in the refrigerator. It thickens quickly as it cools, so add broth a ladle at a time when reheating. Freezes well for 3 months.

9. Spiced Cauliflower and Chickpea Soup

A warm curry-spiced soup with enough heat to clear your head on a grey evening. Roasting a third of the cauliflower separately keeps the soup creamy while giving you florets with real texture on top.

Yield: 5 servings · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 30 min · Total: 45 min · Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

• 1 medium head cauliflower, about 2 lb, cut into florets
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, divided
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3 cups fresh spinach or kale
• 1/2 cup coconut milk, optional
• Salt and cilantro for serving

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Toss 1 cup of the cauliflower florets with 1 tbsp of the coconut oil and roast 20 minutes, until browned at the edges.
2. Warm the remaining oil in a pot. Add the onion and cook 5 minutes until soft.
3. Add the rest of the cauliflower, the broth, chickpeas, tomatoes, curry powder, cumin, turmeric, and red pepper flakes.
4. Simmer 15 minutes, until the cauliflower is completely tender and breaks apart when pressed.
5. Blend about half the soup for a thick, creamy base, then return it to the pot.
6. Stir in the greens and coconut milk and cook 3 minutes. Serve with the roasted florets and cilantro.

Tip: Blend only half. A fully blended bowl loses everything interesting, and the roasted florets you add at the end are what make it worth eating with a spoon.

Swap it: Replace the coconut milk with 1/4 cup of tahini whisked with 2 tbsp of warm water for a nut-free, gluten-free creaminess.

Storage: Keeps 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Tahini-thickened versions can separate slightly, so whisk hard while reheating and loosen with water. Freeze for up to 2 months.

10. Vegetable Noodle Soup

Twenty-five minutes from the chopping board to the table, and it is the recipe I make when I have nothing left in the week. Frozen mixed vegetables keep it to a single cutting board and a pot.

Yield: 4 servings · Prep: 5 min · Cook: 20 min · Total: 25 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 8 oz egg noodles or ramen noodles
• Fresh parsley, scallions, and sesame seeds for serving

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 4 minutes until soft.
2. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds, then pour in the broth and the frozen vegetables.
3. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes, until the vegetables are hot and thawed.
4. Season with the soy sauce and sesame oil.
5. Break the noodles in half, add them to the pot, and cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring once, until they are soft and separate.
6. Ladle into bowls and finish with parsley, scallions, and sesame seeds.

Tip: Add the noodles only after the broth is at a full boil, and stir once as they go in so they do not clump into a single solid block.

Swap it: Use rice noodles, soba, or shredded cabbage in place of the noodles. For a gluten-free bowl, check that your broth and soy sauce are both gluten-free.

Storage: Keeps 3 days in the refrigerator. Noodles turn soft and bloated after thawing, so freeze the broth on its own and boil fresh noodles when you need them. The broth freezes for 3 months.

11. Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Real broccoli, roasted first for a faint smoky note, then simmered just until tender so the soup stays green rather than turning army-coloured. Add the cheese off the heat and it melts smooth instead of breaking into strings.

Yield: 4 servings · Prep: 10 min · Cook: 30 min · Total: 40 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 lb broccoli florets, about 6 cups
• 1 large russet potato, peeled and diced
• 3 cups milk
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
• 1/2 tsp ground mustard powder
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Extra shredded cheddar and paprika for serving

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Toss 1 cup of the broccoli with the oil and roast 12 minutes, until lightly browned.
2. Warm the remaining oil in a pot. Add the onion and cook 5 minutes until soft and golden at the edges.
3. Add the broth, remaining broccoli, and potato. Simmer 15 minutes, until the potato is fork-tender and the broccoli is bright green.
4. Blend half the soup for thickness, then return it to the pot.
5. Lower the heat to low. Slowly stir in the milk, then the cheese, one handful at a time, until each melts fully before adding the next.
6. Season with salt, pepper, and the mustard powder. Serve with extra cheese and a dusting of paprika.

Tip: Keep the heat low when the cheese goes in. Boiling dairy makes the proteins seize, and the soup turns grainy and rubbery within seconds.

Swap it: For a dairy-free bowl, skip the milk and cheese, blend in 1/2 cup of soaked cashews with 1/2 cup of broth, then top each bowl with nutritional yeast. Add the roasted broccoli at the end so it keeps its bite.

Storage: Refrigerate 3 to 4 days. Reheat gently over low heat and stir often, adding a splash of milk if it tightens up. Freezes for up to 2 months, though dairy soups sometimes split slightly on thawing.

12. Vegetarian French Onion Soup

The long one. Onions need a full 35 to 40 minutes of low, patient heat to turn sweet and jammy, and rushing them is exactly how you end up with bitter broth. Put it on before you do anything else and the rest is assembly.

Yield: 6 servings · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 55 min · Total: 70 min · Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2 large onions, about 1.5 lb, thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 cup dry white wine or 1/2 cup extra broth
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 6 slices crusty bread or baguette
• 2 cups shredded Gruyere or vegetarian Swiss cheese

Instructions

1. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions with a good pinch of salt and cook 35 to 40 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until they are deep golden and collapsed to about a third of their original volume.
2. Add the remaining oil, the carrots, and the garlic. Cook 5 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste and thyme and let them darken for 1 minute.
3. Pour in the wine and scrape the bottom of the pot clean, then add the broth, bay leaf, 1/2 tsp of black pepper, and salt.
4. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, until the broth tastes rounded and the carrots are soft. Remove the bay leaf.
5. Ladle the soup into oven-safe crocks. Float a slice of bread on top, pile on the cheese, and broil 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese bubbles and browns at the edges.

Tip: Do not rush the onions, and do not crowd the pot. A crowded pot drops the temperature below a gentle sizzle and the onions steam in their own liquid instead of caramelising.

Swap it: Vegetarian Swiss and aged cheddar work in place of Gruyere and melt more smoothly. For a lower-sodium broth, use unsalted vegetable broth and season at the end rather than at the start.

Storage: The soup keeps 4 days in the refrigerator, and actually improves overnight. Freeze the soup on its own for up to 3 months and toast the bread fresh, since frozen bread goes soft and chewy.

Tips for Making These

• Build flavour in layers. Salt and sweat your onions, carrots, and celery in fat for 6 to 8 minutes before any liquid goes in. Boiling vegetables straight into broth is why most quick soup tastes flat.
• Add vegetables in stages. Carrots, potatoes, and squash go in first because they need 20 minutes. Cabbage, kale, green beans, and pasta go in for the last 5 to 8 minutes so they keep their texture.
• Season at every stage, then taste at the end. Broth, canned beans, and vegetable stock are all salty in different ways. Season as you build, then correct with acid rather than more salt.
• Fix bland soups with acid, not heat. A squeeze of lemon, a splash of vinegar, or a spoon of tomato paste brightens a heavy winter soup. Most “bland” soups are underacidic rather than oversalted.
• Thicken by blending. Puréeing a cup of the cooked soup and stirring it back in gives you a silky body with no cream, no roux, and no extra pot to wash.
• Watch the bottom of the pot. Thick soups with pureed starch scorch quickly. Stir often, and lower the heat before you walk away, especially near the end of a simmer.

If you want more ideas, the 10 easy lentil soup recipes for cold nights covers the bean-and-pulse side in more depth, and 12 easy soup recipe ideas for cozy one-pot meals is good for a wider mix of bowls. For nights when you want something that is not soup at all, 10 quick vegetarian dinner recipes for busy nights keeps the same weeknight pace.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Vegetarian Soup Should You Make First?

Start with the classic tomato vegetable soup. Nearly everything in it comes from a can or a bag, the flavour does the work for you, and even kids who refuse most vegetables will eat it, which makes it a good first test of whether your household will actually cook soup.

Once that is in your rotation, move to the French onion soup when you have an evening to spare, or the vegetable noodle soup when you have nothing. All of these 12 easy vegetarian soup recipes for cold nights keep for days, so one real cooking session covers most of the week.