Creamy Vegetable Soup
Creamy Vegetable Soup Recipe – This is by far the creamiest, most rich and delicious soup loaded with tender veggies and cream cheese! The whole family will love this gluten-free and vegetarian soup that is easy to make in 30 minutes or less.
Why We Love This Creamy Vegetable Soup Recipe
This amazing Creamy Vegetable Soup is such a quick and easy recipe, we think it’s a great addition to your weekly meal plan. It is SO creamy and flavorful, and is a fabulous way to get anyone to eat their vegetables!
You’ll love that it requires minimal chopping but offers maximum veggie intake… We are using bags of frozen vegetables so that the only two ingredients you need to chop are an onion and a couple of celery stocks. All the other vegetables including potatoes, bell peppers, corn, carrots, peas, and green beans are prepped and ready for you in the freezer section.
Other than colorful veggies, the flavor of the soup comes from pantry spices, and a block of cream cheese to thicken the soup base. The cream cheese melts into the broth creating a rich and silky texture for the soup. (If you want the soup to be thicker you can add a couple tablespoons of cornstarch as well, but it’s not necessary.)
This comforting and decadent soup is a true crowd-pleaser. It’s ready to serve in under 30 minutes with fresh crusty bread and a big green salad to round out the meal.
Ingredients You Need
- Butter – unsalted
- Sweet onion – chopped
- Celery – chopped
- Frozen potatoes O’Brien – with onions and peppers
- Frozen mixed vegetables – usually a combo of corn, carrots, green beans, and peas
- Vegetable broth – or chicken broth, if you are not set on making this a vegetarian recipe
- Spices – garlic powder, dried thyme, crushed red pepper flakes (optional), salt and pepper
- Cream cheese – cut into cubes
- Cornstarch – optional, to make a super creamy vegetable soup
How to Make Creamy Soup with Veggies
- Add butter, chopped onions, and celery to a large soup pot and set over medium heat. Stir and sauté for 3-5 minutes to soften the veggies.
- Next, add all the frozen vegetables (including potatoes) and broth to the pot. Then add the seasonings, stir, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer. Continue to cook and stir the soup for 10 minutes, or until the largest pieces of carrot and potato are fork-tender.
- Add the cubes of cream cheese. Stir and simmer until the cream cheese is completely melted into the broth creating a creamy soup base. The creamy base will be somewhat thin at this point.
If you would like the soup to be thicker, ladle a small portion of broth out into a small bowl. Add 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch to the broth. Stir well until the cornstarch is fully dissolved then pour the cornstarch slurry back into the simmering soup. Stir well as the soup thickens.
- Taste, then add salt and pepper as needed. If you want, sprinkle in some fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme at the very end.
Get the Complete (Printable) Creamy Vegetable Soup Recipe Below with Details Instructions. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
Serve big bowls of warm soup with hunks of crusty bread, like a hearty French or Italian loaf.
If you are feeling up to it, whip up some homemade breadsticks and garlic butter sauce, garlic bread, or cheesy garlic pull-apart bread for some extra tastiness on the table.
And it’s always a great idea to have a fresh green salad with soup and breadsticks! Even just a simple blend of lettuces and a few veggies drizzled with oil and vinegar is a nice way to balance the richness of the creamy, cheesy soup.
Recipe Variations
- Protein – You can include chicken to the soup to make a creamy vegetable chicken soup as well. Add raw chopped chicken pieces along with the frozen potatoes at the start of cooking. Or toss in a couple of handfuls of leftover cooked shredded chicken right before adding the cream cheese.
- Veggies – Other frozen veggies can easily be added or swapped. Try this creamy vegetable soup recipe with broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, zucchini, etc.
- Vegan – Use your favorite plant-based butter and cream cheese to make this rich and creamy soup without dairy.
- Servings – As-is, this recipe makes 8-12 generous servings. Halve the recipe for a cozy family dinner, or double the ingredients and use a large stockpot to feed a crowd.
Frequently Asked Questions
The potatoes and cream cheese already make this soup slightly thick. However, if you like a really rich and hearty soup, cornstarch is the best thickener. It thickens the broth without needing to make a complicated roux. See the recipe below for steps to add cornstarch as a gluten-free thickener.
Transfer the cooled soup to an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat slowly on the stovetop or microwave in short 20-second bursts at 50% power.
Yes, technically, you can, but I don’t recommend freezing a cream cheese-based soup like this. The taste and texture just aren’t quite the same after it is frozen and thawed. It’s best to make this easy vegetable soup fresh and enjoy it within a few days.
Looking for More Easy Soup Recipes? Be Sure to Try:
- Best Cream of Celery Soup
- Tomato Potato White Bean Soup
- Kale Soup with Lentils
- Hungarian Mushroom Soup
- Easy Instant Pot Black Bean Soup
- Cream of Onion Soup
Creamy Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup chopped sweet onion
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 28 ounce bag frozen potatoes o-brien with onions and peppers
- 19 ounce bag frozen mixed vegetables corn, carrots, peas, and green beans
- 8 cups vegetables broth
- 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ – ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 8 ounce cream cheese cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch optional
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Chop the onion and celery. Set a large 6-8 quart soup pot over medium heat. Add the butter, chopped onions, and celery to the pot. Stir and sauté for 3-5 minutes to soften the veggies.
- Add the frozen potatoes O'Brien mix, and mixed vegetables to the pot. Pour in the vegetable broth. Then season with garlic powder, dried thyme, and crushed red pepper. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of cracked black pepper to the pot. Stir and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, stir the vegetable soup, then continue to simmer for 10 minutes, or until the largest pieces of carrot and potato are soft and tender.
- Add the cubes of cream cheese, stir and simmer until the cream cheese is completely melted into the broth creating a creamy soup base. The creamy base will be somewhat thin at this point. If you would like it to be thicker, ladle a small portion of broth out into a small bowl. Add 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch to the broth. Stir well until the cornstarch is fully dissolved then pour the cornstarch slurry back into the simmering soup. Stir well as the soup thickens.
- Taste, then salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm.
This is a favorite soup recipe of my family. I will be making this recipe often this winter!
I love how creamy and comforting this soup is!
Creamy and so good! A delicious way to eat more veggies.