Recipes » Soups

Creamy Vegetable Soup

Yumna Jawad

Updated Aug 18, 2026

4.77 from 102 votes

Creamy vegetable soup made without any cream, thickened by blending the potatoes right in. This veggie-packed soup is easy and great for leftovers.

Jump to Recipe ▼Email Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Servings 6 servings

Comments

306

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

I love a good creamy vegetable soup, but I’m not a huge fan of actually using cream… The thing is, I find heavy cream kind of overpowers the vegetables and makes everything taste like, well, cream, when what I really want to taste is the vegetables in the soup, but with a thicker base. So my creamy vegetable soup recipe skips the cream entirely and lets the potatoes, along with regular or plant-based milk, make it creamy instead. This combo doesn’t overpower the flavor, and I blend part of it right in the pot, and that makes it creamy all on its own!

Save this recipe!

Type your email & I’ll send it to you!

Email *

Save Recipe

 Recipe testing notes

For the past 10 years, I’ve tested every recipe multiple times before sharing it! These notes give you a peek into my process of developing and testing.

Getting the vegetable soup creamy without cream was the whole thing I was after. Using an immersion blender to lightly blend just part of the soup thickened everything up and gave it a creamy body, while still leaving plenty of whole vegetable pieces. I only pulse it a little on purpose, since blending it all the way smooth loses the texture I like.

The milk at the end took a little care. I add it once the soup is mostly done and just warm it through, because when I let it boil hard after adding the milk, it wanted to break and look curdled. A gentle simmer keeps it smooth, and it’s enough to make the whole thing taste rich.

Happy Cooking!
– Yumna

Creamy Vegetable Soup Ingredients

• Onions, celery and carrots: I start so many of my soup recipes with this trio of vegetables, otherwise known as mirepoix. Read my tips on how to dice an onion, how to dice celery, and how to slice carrots. Cut them fairly evenly so they soften at about the same rate. You can swap the carrots and celery with other root vegetables like parsnips or fennel, but it will change the flavor.
• Potatoes: Yukon Gold potatoes work well because they blend up creamy while still holding their shape in the pieces left whole. But any potatoes work. Cut them into similar-sized pieces so they finish cooking at the same time.
• Frozen vegetables: Frozen peas and corn can go straight into the pot without thawing first. Since they only need to warm through, adding them near the end keeps them from getting too soft. Any frozen vegetables, like frozen green beans, cauliflower, or broccoli, also work.
• Garlic: Fresh minced garlic gives the vegetable soup so much flavor, but you can substitute the two minced cloves for 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
• Vegetable broth: Low-sodium vegetable broth makes it easier to control the salt as the soup cooks. If using regular vegetable broth, start with less than the 1 ½ teaspoons salt and adjust after the soup is blended.
• Milk: Plant-based or cow’s milk both work. For a vegan creamy vegetable soup, use an unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk so it doesn’t change the taste of the soup.
• Spices: Dried thyme, salt, and black pepper. If you don’t have dried thyme, you can substitute dried rosemary, oregano, or Italian seasoning.

How to Make Creamy Vegetable Soup

These step-by-step photos walk you through how to make this easy vegetable soup. For the full ingredient list and detailed instructions, head to the recipe card below, or skip straight to the → Creamy Vegetable Soup Recipe

1. Add the vegetables to the pot

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot, then add the onion, carrots, and celery. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Soften the vegetables

Cook the vegetables until they start to soften without letting them brown. Turn down the heat if they pick up too much color.

3. Add potatoes, thyme, and garlic

Stir the chopped potatoes, dried thyme, and minced garlic into the softened vegetables.

4. Cook until fragrant

Give everything a good stir and continue cooking until the garlic smells fragrant.

5. Add the vegetable broth

Pour in the broth and bring it to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until the potatoes are soft enough to pierce easily with a fork or knife.

6. Blend some of the soup

Use an immersion blender to puree most of the vegetables while leaving some chunky pieces behind.

7. Add the milk, peas, and corn

Stir in the milk, frozen peas, and frozen corn.

8. Simmer until thickened

Let the soup gently simmer until the peas and corn are warmed through and the broth has thickened.

Recipe Video Tutorial

Full Creamy Vegetable Soup Recipe

Creamy Vegetable Soup Recipe

Author: Yumna Jawad

4.77 from 102 votes

Vegetable soup blended with potatoes for a creamy texture, no cream needed. Made with carrots, celery, peas, and corn in a light broth.

Print Review

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Servings6 servings

Video

Email This Recipe

Enter your email and I’ll send this directly to you. You’ll get new recipes from me every week!

Email *

Save

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 medium onion diced
• ▢ 2 celery stalks sliced
• ▢ 2 large carrots sliced
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 4 Yukon Gold potatoes diced (3-4 cups chopped)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves minced
• ▢ 1 quart low-sodium vegetable broth
• ▢ 1 ½ cups peas frozen
• ▢ 1 ½ cups corn frozen
• ▢ 1 cup plant-based milk or cow milk
• ▢ Fresh parsley for serving

Instructions

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, and carrots to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the chopped potatoes, thyme, and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the vegetable broth. Bring mixture to a boil, then simmer until the vegetables soften, about 20 minutes.
• Use an immersion blender to lightly blend the soup so it’s thicker but still chunky. You can remove some of the vegetables aside to stir back in if you prefer to have more whole vegetables.
• Stir in the peas, corn, and milk and simmer until the vegetables are warmed through and soup has thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Serve with fresh parsley and crusty bread, if desired.

Equipment

• Ceramic Nonstick Cookware Set
• Immersion Blender

Notes

My Top Tip: Don’t puree the entire pot. Blending only part of the soup is what gives it a creamy consistency while keeping plenty of vegetables in each spoonful.

Storage: Store leftover creamy vegetable soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stove until warmed through. Add a splash of broth or milk if the soup is too thick.

Freezing: Let the creamy vegetable soup cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove until warmed through. Stir well, since the texture may separate slightly after freezing.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 230kcal, Carbohydrates: 40g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Sodium: 661mg, Potassium: 756mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 3799IU, Vitamin C: 42mg, Calcium: 95mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Did You Make This Recipe?

Leave a comment below!

Recipe Variations

• Add white beans: Stir in a 15-ounce can of drained and rinsed cannellini or Great Northern beans along with the peas and corn.
• Add greens: Stir in 2 cups of baby spinach during the last few minutes of cooking and let it wilt into the soup. if you want to use kale, add it with the peas and corn.
• Blend in some sour cream: To make the soup extra creamy, blend in up to ¼ cup of room temperature sour cream when you’re blending everything together.

Recipe Tips

1. Don’t peel the potatoes. To save time and add even more nutrients, don’t bother peeling the potatoes. The skins will add richness and texture to the soup, along with extra health benefits.
2. Add a little salt during each step. This helps flavor every part of the dish. But don’t overdo it! You can add more salt at the end, but it’s difficult to get rid of too much salt without diluting the vegetable soup’s creaminess.
3. Wait a few minutes before deciding the soup is too thin. The blended potatoes continue to thicken the broth as the soup sits, so give it a little time before making adjustments.

Serving Ideas

• Pair with a sandwich: Soup and a sandwich is a classic pairing for a reason! For a more filling lunch, serve the veggie soup with a mozzarella sandwich, white bean avocado sandwich, or grilled cheese sandwich.
• Serve with bread: I always like having something for dipping into a creamy vegetable soup. Try my air fryer bread, homemade pita bread, or cheesy garlic bread.
• Add fries on the side: If I want to make the meal even more comforting, I’ll serve the vegetable soup with zucchini fries, halloumi fries, or avocado fries.

Troubleshooting

More Vegan Soup Recipes

Cabbage Soup

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Creamy Asparagus Soup

Roasted Tomato Soup

Lebanese Crushed Lentil Soup

Corn Chowder