Creamy Vegetable Soup (Print Version)
Smooth, velvety blended vegetable soup with carrots, potato and fresh herbs. A comforting bowl ready in under an hour.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
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 parsley, chopped
18 - Croutons, for serving
# Steps:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and minced garlic, sautéing for 3 minutes until softened and fragrant.
02 - Add carrots, celery, potato, zucchini, cauliflower, and broccoli to the pot. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to coat evenly in oil.
03 - Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes until all vegetables are fork-tender.
04 - Using an immersion blender directly in the pot, or transferring in batches to a countertop blender, purée the soup until completely smooth and velvety.
05 - Return the puréed soup to the pot if using a countertop blender. Stir in the whole milk and heavy cream. Season with salt, pepper, dried thyme, and ground nutmeg. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Do not allow the soup to boil.
06 - Taste the soup and adjust salt, pepper, or nutmeg as needed to balance the flavors.
07 - Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and croutons. Serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It turns whatever vegetables are languishing in your crisper drawer into something legitimately luxurious.
- The velvety texture comes from blending, not from cups of heavy cream, so it feels indulgent without weighing you down.
02 -
- Do not let the soup boil after adding the milk and cream or it may curdle and turn grainy instead of velvety smooth.
- The potato is doing real structural work in this recipe, so if you leave it out you will end up with something more watery than creamy no matter how long you blend it.
03 -
- Roasting the vegetables for ten minutes before simmering adds a layer of caramelized depth that makes the soup taste like it took twice as long as it actually did.
- A tiny pinch of nutmeg may seem odd in a vegetable soup, but it is the quiet ingredient that makes people close their eyes and ask what your secret is.