Creamy Vegetable Soup (Printable)
A velvety blend of seasonal vegetables simmered and puréed into a comforting, creamy bowl of warmth.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables and Aromatics
01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 1 medium russet potato, peeled and diced
07 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
08 - 1 cup cauliflower florets
09 - 1 cup broccoli florets
→ Liquids
10 - 4 cups vegetable broth
11 - 1 cup whole milk
12 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
→ Seasonings
13 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
14 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
15 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
16 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
→ Garnish
17 - 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
18 - Croutons, for serving
# Directions:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic, sautéing for 3 minutes until softened and fragrant.
02 - Add the carrots, celery, potato, zucchini, cauliflower florets, and broccoli florets to the pot. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to coat evenly in the oil.
03 - Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 15 minutes until all vegetables are fork-tender.
04 - Using an immersion blender directly in the pot, purée the soup until completely smooth. Alternatively, transfer in batches to a countertop blender and blend until silky.
05 - Stir in the whole milk and heavy cream. Season with salt, black pepper, dried thyme, and ground nutmeg. Simmer gently for 5 minutes over low heat, stirring frequently. Do not allow the soup to boil.
06 - Taste the soup and adjust salt and pepper as needed to suit your preference.
07 - Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and croutons. Serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The texture turns impossibly velvety without a single drop of flour or any thickening trick beyond patience and a blender.
- It converts even the most vegetable skeptical people at your table because everything gets puréed into something that feels indulgent rather than virtuous.
02 -
- Never let the soup come to a full boil after adding the cream because it can break and turn grainy, and recovering from that is nearly impossible.
- If your soup turns out thicker than you like, add broth a splash at a time after blending until it reaches the consistency you want.
03 -
- Cut all your vegetables to roughly the same size so they cook evenly and nothing ends up underdone when you go to blend.
- Let the soup rest off the heat for ten minutes before serving because the texture settles into something even silkier than when it was actively bubbling.