Warm, thick, creamy winter vegetable soup that is chock full of winter veggies and not a drop of cream! The perfect cold weather healthy comfort food.
Why you will love this recipe
Here we are again, smack in the middle of winter, right on schedule.
So you know what we need? Besides crackling fires and lots of blankets and dogs that curl up obligingly on our toes?
We need SOUP. Warm, wonderful, thick, creamy good and good for you soup. And lots of it.
And to make things even better, we need all that warm thick creaminess to come without any, well, cream. Which is how this winter vegetable soup was born!
Ingredients you need to make this recipe
- Butter: Salted or unsalted will both work
- Carrots: You can either use three large carrots or around 25 baby carrots
- Leek: Look for this scrumptious member of the onion family in your produce section
- Potatoes: We like Yukon Golds for this recipe
- Chicken Broth: We find the kind in the box is better than canned
- Salt and Pepper
- Sour Cream (optional)
- Horseradish (optional)
Here’s how you make this recipe
STEP 1: Chop up some peeled carrots, some celery, a leek and some potatoes.
We like to use Yukon Gold potatoes (sometimes known as butter potatoes) in this recipe because we don’t even have to peel them! We scrub them up good and cut them up.
STEP 2: Sauté it all those good veggies up in a little butter, then simmer them in chicken broth until everything is nice and tender.
STEP 3: When everything is soft and tender, break out your blender and give the whole thing a whirl until your soup is nice and smooth and then season it up to your liking with salt and pepper.
STEP 4: Now, you could ladle up exactly as is, but I like to make a quick little sour cream and horseradish drizzle to go on top, and then I give the whole thing a generous grinding of black pepper just for good measure.
Just because we are being so very very healthy doesn’t mean we aren’t entitled to a little zing.
Winter Vegetable Soup FAQ
Leeks are a thick long veggie that is part of the onion family and are available year round in your produce section. They have a gentler taste than regular white onions.
Leeks are famous for catching sand in dirt in their layers as they grow, so when you are ready to use them, chop off all but the light green and white part and cut them in half vertically. Now rinse them under water to get any of that grit out.
Leeks tend to be sold in bunches of two or three, so if you find yourself with a an extra leek, there are so many scrumptious ways to use them up. Use any leftover leeks in this warm and wonderful Potato Leek Soup. More in a sandwich mood? Try leftover leeks in this roast beef sandwich with leeks and Boursin cheese!
You can! Honestly, any kind of potato will work just fine (even sweet potatoes!). If you are using potatoes with a thin skin (like Yukon Golds or red potatoes) then you can simply scrub them and chop them up. If you are using potatoes with a firmer skin (like Idaho or russet potatoes) you will want to peel them before chopping.
It can! Simply reheat it slowly over medium low heat, adding a little water or chicken broth if it is too thick. If you are doing the sour cream horseradish topping you will want to add that at the last minute.
Pop it in the comments below and I will get back to you pronto!
OTHER COZY SOUP RECIPES WE LOVE!
 Is there anything more wonderful than perfect chicken noodle soup? Here’s that recipe for the best quick and easy chicken noodle soup you’ve been craving! |
 This easy recipe for slow cooker beef barley soup is not only hearty and delicious, but it makes enough for supper and leftovers and then some! |
 Fresh fall squash and cheddar cheese are a match made in heaven with this recipe for butternut cheddar soup! |
Could you leave us a review?
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! ) and your thoughts in the Comments section. Your thoughts and advice will help both us and your fellow readers.
PrintWinter Vegetable Soup
Warm, thick, creamy winter vegetable soup that is chock full of winter veggies and not a drop of cream! The perfect winter comfort food.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Lunch
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1 leek, peeled, rinsed and sliced (white and light green parts only)
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 3 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks (I like Yukon Golds)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon horseradish
- Freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large deep pot over medium high heat. Add carrots, leek and celery and stir until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes and stir for another couple of minutes.
- Add broth and bring to a simmer. Cook until veggies are tender, about 30 minutes.
- Transfer soup to blender and puree until smooth – you might have to do this in batches. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- If you want a garnish, mix up the sour cream and the horseradish and drizzle over the top. Grind on some pepper and serve in warmed bowls.
Notes
Leeks: While we love the gentle taste of leeks in this soup, you can also substitute a peeled and chopped sweet onion.
Broth: If you want to make this a completely vegetarian recipe, you can swap out the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
Blending: If you have an immersion blender, you can try pureeing this soup right in the pot! You may end up with a few chunks of veggie here and there, but that’s not a bad thing. :)
Keywords: winter vegetable soup, vegetarian soup recipe, soup recipe with no cream
Theresa Murphy says
Your quilts are gorgeous and look just right on the blanket ladder! It is definitely soup season here is Iowa. And that soup looks so good! But…I am ditching my family for a week and heading to California to play with my grandbaby girl. ? I can always make soup when I get back.
Oh my gosh, grand baby!!!! The most delicious treat of all! Have the best, best time!