Our 18 Best Vegetarian Soup Recipes for Hearty Weeknight Dinners (2024)

When the weather cools down there's nothing like a cozy bowl of soup to warm you right up. If you're trying to go more plant-based or have some veggie-only friends to feed, consider a delicious vegetarian soup. Packed with fresh veggies, beans, and cheese (be sure it's rennet free), there's a vegetarian soup recipe here to fit your meatless meal plan. A lot of these hearty vegetarian soups have enough plant-based protein to make a meal, but you can also serve them as yummy starters.

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Broccoli-Cheese Soup

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Our 18 Best Vegetarian Soup Recipes for Hearty Weeknight Dinners (1)

How inviting does this vegetarian soup look?! In just 25 minutes time, you'll be diving spoon first into a cheesy, creamy bowl of broccoli soup. The bread bowl is totally optional, but it gives a rustic (and delicious) touch to your fall menu.

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Tuscan Bean Soup

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With more than 100 ratings, this top vegetarian soup recipe is loved equally by vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. Just seven ingredients (plus salt and pepper) and a quick simmer on the stove is all you need to get this easy vegetable soup ready to go. Feel free to make a double batch and freeze the soup up to three months for quick, easy meals.

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Ginger-Carrot Soup

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Ginger and carrots make a beautiful pairing. Carrots and sweet potato give this vegetarian soup its gorgeous color—not to mention a boost of vitamin A and antioxidants. Serve this healthy vegetarian soup as an impressive starter or with a salad for a light lunch.

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Curried Vegetable Soup

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Base this veggie-packed soup with vegetable broth, and you've got a delicious vegetarian soup. Coconut milk and curry powder give your bowl a global flavor. Feel free to add cooked grains like quinoa or tempeh to make the soup a hearty meatless meal.

Pair Your Soup with One of Our Best Bread Recipes

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Garden Greens and Mushroom Soup

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This blended greens- and mushroom-packed vegetarian soup is filled with nutrients and antioxidants. It's low in calories and has a savory flavor, thanks to the peppery punch of arugula. Sauté some extra mushrooms to use as a healthy topper.

Buy It: Cuisinart Hand Blender ($50, Walmart)

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Veggie Chili Verde with Seitan Crumbles and Lager

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Let's spice up a traditional vegetarian chili recipe. To achieve a "meaty" texture, we like adding seitan crumbles, which are made from wheat gluten. Shredded zucchini and cubed sweet potatoes bulk up your bowl with nutrients. Chipotle pepper and Mexican lager beer give every spoonful unbeatable flavor.

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Butternut Squash Soup with Ravioli

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You'd never guess that this vegetarian soup requires only six ingredients to make. Topped with cheese ravioli and drizzled with molasses, it's a party-worthy side dish that can be ready and on the table in 30 minutes.

Test Kitchen Tip: This quick and easy vegetarian soup can also be made in advance and frozen for up to two months. Just wait until serving time to add the ravioli.

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Coconut-Tamari Mushroom Soup

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Shiitake mushrooms provide the perfect savory umami flavor in dishes when meat isn't on the menu. This Asian-inspired vegan soup recipe combines fresh mushrooms with coconut milk and wakame (seaweed) for the ultimate meaty, seafood-like flavor with no meat or dairy involved. Use tamari to keep your soup gluten-free.

Sweet and Savory Asian Flavors Worth Adding to Your Pantry

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Sweet Potato Soup with Curried Cheese Crisps

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Delicious and creamy, this simple vegetarian sweet potato soup only requires a few ingredients. What really makes the autumn bowl of goodness stand out is when it's accompanied by homemade crunchy cheese crisps. Curry powder gives the crisps a sweet heat, and their light texture is perfect for dipping.

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Chunky Vegetable-Lentil Soup

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There isn't a better way to get your veggies than in this light and satisfying vegetarian soup that's less than 200 calories. It's full of fiber and plant-based protein—perfect for a cool-weather meal. Use green (French) lentils here, as they tend to hold their shape and texture better than brown.

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Quinoa-Nectarine Gazpacho with Crispy Spiced Tortilla Strips

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If you like chilled soups but would rather enjoy chunky soups than smooth, you'll love this summer spin on classic gazpacho. Sweet nectarines, creamy avocado, and crisp veggies give the soup its standout texture and flavor, while hearty quinoa makes the low-cal recipe a satisfying meal.

Vegan Soup Recipes to Inspire Your Plant-Based Menu

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Summer Squash Soup with Whole Wheat Orzo

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Just seven ingredients and 30 minutes is all it takes to make this vegetarian soup. The whole wheat orzo pasta, which is similar to rice, adds heartiness to lemon-marinated summer squash. Add some fresh snipped basil for a bright, herbal finish.

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French Lentil, Leek, and Mushroom Soup

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We recommend dishing up a bowl of this high-fiber vegetarian soup on a chilly evening. It's packed with good-for-you veggies, such as carrots, leeks, kale, and mushrooms, and it serves eight— so you can easily freeze leftovers for a quick dinner later on.

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Sweet Potato-Black Bean Stew

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This chunky sweet potato stew is chili-like in texture and can easily be doubled to feed a crowd. Fresh jalapeño and red bell pepper give the hearty meatless stew stew a bit of heat, while the black beans provide an ample amount of protein.

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Tortilla-Bean Soup

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This vegetarian tortilla soup is so good even the meat-eaters won't be missing chicken. Fire-roasted tomatoes add a hint of smokiness to the veggie-packed base featuring onion, chile peppers, beans, and hominy (or fire-roasted corn). We also include the directions to make your own crispy tortilla strips for a crunchy topping.

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Minestrone

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This top-rated vegetarian soup is a classic. For a simple dump dinner, combine canned tomatoes, chickpeas, pasta, bell pepper, and broth into a pot. Twenty minutes later, the pasta is perfectly cooked and you've got a hearty meatless soup ready to dive into.

Delicious Instant Pot Vegetarian Recipes for Quick Meatless Meals

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Sweet Corn Soup with Toasted Corn Guacamole

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Here's a fun way to use up those ears of corn you got from the farmers market. And nothing goes to waste here. The corn kernels are removed for the soup and the cobs are boiled to help create a flavorful, creamy broth—no dairy required! The toasty corn guacamole adds texture to every dreamy bite.

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Black Bean Nacho Soup

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Fans of nachos will love warming up with a bowl of this vegetarian soup. Two types of cheese along with half-and-half give this rich soup its creamy base. Shred your own cheese from blocks to achieve the silky finish (the pre-shredded kind have anti-caking ingredients that might not give you the smooth soup result you want).

Buy It: Zekpro Cheese Grater ($13, Walmart)

Our 18 Best Vegetarian Soup Recipes for Hearty Weeknight Dinners (2024)

FAQs

What is a thick hearty soup called? ›

Chowder is a thick, chunky soup. Traditionally, chowder is made with seafood or fish, but chowders made with poultry, vegetables, and cheese are also popular.

What is hearty soup made of? ›

The combination is filling and warming; cheese, chopped parsley, celery and carrots are often added for flavor and bulk. Simple meatless vegetable soup can also be hearty; for instance the cream of broccoli. Again the cream and cheese combined with the vegetable makes a wonderful tasting and filling soup recipe.

What is the number one soup in the world? ›

According to the Taste Atlas Awards, the international food database, the Filipino favorite, Sinigang, is hailed as the best soup in the world.

What type of soup is often considered a luxury soup? ›

Expensive to prepare and rich in taste, the flavour is usually enhanced with wine or brandy. Bisque is considered a luxury soup and best served for dinner. They are prepared with a puree of vegetables, poultry, fish or meat and thickened with bechamel sauce or a cream finish.

What are the most unhealthy soups? ›

Just avoid these five soups listed below, and swap them out for the healthier alternatives we've provided:
  • Lobster bisque. ...
  • Chili. ...
  • Broccoli and cheese soup. ...
  • Mushroom and barley soup. ...
  • Lumberjackie soup. ...
  • Chilled soups. ...
  • Chicken, zucchini and potato soup. ...
  • Homemade tomato soup. Who doesn't like tomato soup on a cold gray day?
Jan 12, 2012

What is the healthiest soup to eat why? ›

Vegetable soup is one of the best soups to eat. Vegetable soup is made with potatoes, carrots, onions, green beans and green peas. The combined nutrition of each vegetable adds a great number of vitamins and minerals to your diet. Potatoes are a good source of potassium and carrots provide beta carotene.

What is America's favorite soup? ›

According to a survey conducted by StrawPoll, the most popular soup in America is tomato soup. It's a classic favorite that has been enjoyed for generations, often paired with a grilled cheese sandwich for a comforting and satisfying meal.

What is another name for thick soup? ›

Different Types of Soup
Thin SoupsClear
Thick SoupChowder
Potage
Bisque
Cold SoupGazpacho
13 more rows
Mar 9, 2022

What are the 4 thick soups? ›

Thick soups are classified depending upon the type of thickening agent used: purées are vegetable soups thickened with starch; bisques are made from puréed shellfish or vegetables thickened with cream; cream soups may be thickened with béchamel sauce; and veloutés are thickened with eggs, butter, and cream.

What are the two types of thick soup? ›

Thick Soups. There are generally two different types of thick soups: Cream veloute-based soups and puree soups. Cream veloute-based soups are thickened with a roux, while puree soups rely on a puree of the main ingredient for thickening.

What are the two basic types of thick soups? ›

The two kinds of thick soups are cream and pureed soups. Most pureed soups are thickened by the vegetable being pureed. The starches in the pureed vegetable aids in the thickening of the soup. Cream soups tend to have a roux.

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