A delicious cream of vegetable soup, that can be made with any variety of vegetables, fresh or frozen, raw or cooked. Served with crispy croutons. A perfect use for left-over vegetables!
This cream of vegetable soup is one of my favourites, and I especially love that it can be made with any vegetables, whether fresh or frozen vegetables, cooked or raw vegetables.
This soup is perfect for a quick, hearty and healthy lunch of dinner. I serve it with homemade croutons, which I make from day-old baguette bits, so I don’t have to throw them out.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Vegetables – you will need 3 or 4 cups of vegetables. They can be fresh or frozen, cooked (left-over vegetables) or raw vegetables (from cleaning up odds and ends from the fridge).
Chicken broth – you can substitute vegetable broth, for a vegetarian soup.
Half and Half Cream – this is the 10% b.f. cream. You only need to add 1/2 cup. You could use milk, but the soup will be thinner.
Recipe Tips
It makes no matter what vegetables you start with. All you need is 3-4 cups worth (or a full medium-sized freezer bag). Don’t forget to add leftover mashed potatoes to the bag, too. They make a great addition to the soup and help to thicken it .
Making Ahead, Storing and Freezing
This soup is perfect for making ahead, as it keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days.
This soup isn’t the best soup to freeze, as the cream base changes texture a bit from the freeze/thaw process.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Seasons and Suppers.
Get the Recipe: Cream of Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup onion, diced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 3-4 cups fresh or frozen vegetables, raw or left-over cooked vegetables
- 1/2 cup Half and Half 10% cream
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
For the croutons:
- 1/2 baguette, cut into cubes
- 2 Tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
- Salt & Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened. Add chicken broth and thyme.
- Add the fresh or frozen vegetables. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until all the vegetables are tender, 10-20 minutes (left-over cooked vegetables will take the shorter time, while raw vegetables will take longer).
- Using an immersion blender or in batches in a blender, puree soup until smooth. Return to pot and over medium heat. Stir the cornstarch into the half and half cream. Add to the soup and cook, stirring, until mixture is warmed and slightly thickened. Taste soup and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- For croutons: Pre-heat oven to 400° F. Add diced bread to a large bowl. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme. Toss well. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and cook in pre-heated oven for 8-10 minutes, stirring a few times, until golden. Allow to cool on baking sheet.
More Vegetable Soup Recipes to Love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
Jennifer, greetings from the Prairies (north central Alberta). It’s the beginning of March, many of us have a dreadful cold/virus that has hung on for weeks…so, happily, I am going through your Soup Category! Such inspiring stuff, I feel better just reading the recipes. Your photos are divine, very accomplished and artful. Thanks for your dedication. I look forward to exploring your many other offerings. Now, if I can summon the energy, I’ll be off to make your Chicken Orzo Soup.
Hi Vivi and thanks so much! I hope you’re seeing small signs of Spring in central Alberta. We are having a March cold snap here in central Ontario (-22 last night!). I’m ready for Spring. Sorry to hear about your colds, but good choice with the Chicken Orzo soup. It will be super comforting. Enjoy :)
Hi there! After doing a search online how to use up my leftover veg from a family dinner, I found your very awesome idea! I’m all for decreasing food waste and using leftovers for brand new meal additions…never thought to actually freeze my leftover veg and accumulate to make soup–brilliant idea! I’m all for repurposing leftover ingredients to make a great new meal. Bravo! I have pinned :)
Thanks so much, Kellie. They make a very delicious soup! :)
Genius recipe!! Wonderful way to keep from wasting food! Beautiful photos too! I want to lick my ipad screen!
Thanks! It was really a delicious soup :)
I feel like whenever I have leftover vegetable odds and ends, I go for stir-fry, but this is such a nice change from that! Sounds tasty. And I am with you, I cannot tolerate wasting food. Ever!
I’m the same Sophie. I do the stir-fry thing, too. I like the freezing thing for times when I don’t want to deal with the left-overs right away ;)
I completely agree I agonise over throwing away a shrivelled up piece of celery! This soup must be perfect for the cold weather you are being hit with.
Thanks Julia. And yes, this soup is welcome on out cold and snowy days lately :)
The soup looks delicious and such a great idea to use up leftover veg!
thanks so much, Jessie :)
This is the perfect soup to repurpose leftovers and I love the crispy toppers!
Thanks Laura :)
Great post! I haven’t thought about freezing leftover vegetables for soup. Genius!
Thanks Monika. They make a great soup and the best thing, no two soups are the same :)
I need to take this to heart…I don’t want to be a food waster, but I’m afraid I’m guilty! Beautiful soup!
Thanks Sue. It’s hard, I know. I was guilty for years, too. Once I found a few easy alternatives to throwing out stuff, it’s helped a lot :)
I hate wasting food too, and this looks like the perfect way to use up vegetables! Lovely soup!
Thanks Katrina. This is one of my favourite soups and I love how quick and easy it is!
I’ve been using my freezer a ton. Great way to put my leftovers to work. And who can say no to crispy toppers?
Thanks Heidi and I don’t know what I’d do if I couldn’t freeze my surplus :) The croutons are especially nice with this smooth soup, for a little crunch!