Potato Vegetable Soup is a brothy, meatless soup of russet potatoes, carrots, celery, onion and garlic simmered in vegetable broth with green beans, corn and peas from the freezer and a little dried thyme. There is no cream, butter, flour or cheese in it, just vegetables and broth. It serves 4 and takes 45 minutes in one pot.
How to make it: Soften the onion, carrots and celery in olive oil, add the garlic, then pour in the broth. Simmer the cubed potatoes for about 10 minutes, add the frozen green beans, corn, peas and thyme, and simmer about 15 minutes more until everything is tender. Season with salt and pepper at the end. Serve it brothy, or mash some of the potatoes to thicken it.
Why You’ll Love It
- No cream needed: the potatoes can thicken it on their own if you want a heartier bowl.
- Freezer vegetables: three of them go in straight from the bag.
- One pot, 45 minutes: mostly simmering time.
- Meatless: made with vegetable broth.
Ingredient Notes
Potatoes: 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed. Russets soften and start to fall apart, which helps thicken the broth. Yukon Gold works too and doesn’t need peeling; red or baby potatoes hold their shape for a firmer bite.
Aromatics: 1 medium onion, 2 carrots and 2 stalks of celery, all diced, plus 3 cloves of garlic, minced, softened in 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Broth: 4 cups of vegetable broth. Broths vary a lot in saltiness, so season only at the end.
Frozen vegetables: 1 cup each of frozen green beans, frozen corn and frozen peas. A bag of frozen mixed vegetables can stand in for all three.
Seasoning: 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme (or 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh), plus salt and pepper to taste.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 cup frozen green beans
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and pepper, to taste
How to Make Potato Vegetable Soup
1. Soften the vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and sauté until they start to soften, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and broth. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 more minute, until fragrant. Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a simmer.
3. Simmer the potatoes. Add the cubed potatoes. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
4. Add the frozen vegetables. Stir in the frozen green beans, corn and peas along with the thyme. Keep simmering until all the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
5. Season and serve. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Brothy or Thick: Your Choice, No Cream
This soup comes out of the pot brothy, with chunks of potato and vegetables in a clear golden broth. If you’d rather have a thicker, heartier bowl, the potatoes do the work:
- Mash some potatoes: use a potato masher right in the pot to crush about half of the potatoes, then stir.
- Or blend a little: blend about 2 cups of the soup with an immersion blender, or in a regular blender in batches once it has cooled slightly, and stir it back in.
- Simmer longer first: a few more minutes of simmering before you mash or blend makes it thicker still.
- Too thick? Stir in a splash more broth.
Want it creamy after all? Stir 1/4 cup of cream, half and half, sour cream or plain yogurt into the pot at the end. For a fully creamy potato soup, see our baked potato soup.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Bland soup | Season generously with salt and pepper at the end, then taste again |
| Salting too early | Wait until the end; broths differ in how salty they are |
| Gummy texture | Don’t over-blend the potatoes; mash or blend only about half |
| Soup stuck to the pot | Stir now and then while it simmers |
| Thick leftovers | Add a splash of broth or water when you reheat |
Variations
- Other vegetables: swap half the potatoes for about 2 cups of chopped cauliflower, or use one bag of frozen mixed vegetables instead of the three separate ones.
- Other herbs: rosemary, oregano or 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning instead of thyme.
- A little heat: 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or a pinch of chili powder or cayenne.
- Cheesy: stir in 1 cup of shredded cheese at the end, or 2 to 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast.
- Toppings: chives or scallions, a spoonful of sour cream, hot sauce, a drizzle of olive oil or croutons.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Divide the pot into smaller shallow containers so it cools quickly, cover, and eat within 3 to 4 days, per USDA FSIS.
Freezer: Let it cool completely, then freeze in an airtight container or a freezer bag with the air pressed out for 3 to 4 months. The potatoes may soften a little. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, or reheat it straight from frozen in a saucepan.
Reheat: Cover and bring it to a rolling boil (165°F), adding a splash of broth or water if it has thickened. Don’t reheat it in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
Serve it as a starter, a side with sandwiches, or a light meal on its own. Good partners: pizza grilled cheese, homemade cheesy garlic breadsticks, butter biscuits, crusty bread or a green salad. For richer potato soups, try slow cooker corn chowder or crockpot potato broccoli cheddar soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make vegetable soup with potatoes?
Soften onion, carrots and celery in olive oil, add garlic and vegetable broth, simmer cubed potatoes for about 10 minutes, then add the frozen vegetables and thyme and simmer about 15 minutes more. Season at the end.
What are some common mistakes to avoid when making potato soup?
Under-seasoning it, salting before you know how salty your broth is, and over-blending the potatoes until they turn gummy.
How do I thicken potato soup without cream?
Mash about half of the potatoes in the pot, or blend about 2 cups of the soup and stir it back in.
How long does potato vegetable soup keep, and can I freeze it?
It keeps 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator and 3 to 4 months in the freezer. The potatoes may soften a little after freezing.
Final Notes
Dice everything while the oil heats, keep the frozen vegetables handy, and season at the very end. Then decide: brothy as it is, or mashed a little for a thicker bowl. If you make it, tell me in the comments which way you served it.
Potato Vegetable Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 large russet potatoes peeled and cubed
- 1 cup frozen green beans
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and sauté until they start to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and sauté for 1 more minute, until fragrant. Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a simmer.
- Add the cubed potatoes. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the frozen green beans, corn and peas along with the thyme. Keep simmering until all the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
