Soup is one of the most magical foods of all time. When else can you infuse simple ingredients like beans, dried herbs, and spices in water and end up with something as cozy and satisfying as a large pot of homemade soup? These easy vegan soup recipes will help fill you up - for less - while reducing your waste and ditching animal products once and for all.
Bookmark this post, print it out, or email it to yourself (and your best friend) because you're going to want to try them all!
Did you know that Americans consume over 10 billion bowls of soup per year? There are many reasons for that figure, and I'd argue that vegans should maybe consume even more.
Soups are a phenomenal way to eat well on a budget while making the most of the ingredients you have on hand. There's truly nothing better! I make a big pot of soup for my family weekly and highly recommend that you do the same.
Why soups are perfect for vegans
Budget friendly.
You can feed lots of people affordably with soup, which is part of why soups are a mainstay on restaurant menus. It's basically watered down food, but it's full of flavor and is incredibly satisfying with all those liquids.
It also requires mostly humble, inexpensive ingredients, like staple veggies and dry legumes, which keeps the cost low. Serve it with some bread or a sandwich and you'll be full for hours.
Easy to make and versatile.
Building flavor is easy and soup is basically chop everything up and cook in a pot with water! I like to saute the aromatics to bring out more flavor but some people like to just throw it all in a pot! You do it your way!
Great for you.
This depends on the ingredients, of course, but recipes for vegan soup that include a bunch of veggies, legumes and herbs have tons of nutrition and fiber. Plus, they are nutritionally dense while not packing a huge caloric punch because of the high water content.
Prevents food waste.
Making soup prevents food waste! Because soups are so versatile, virtually any veggie or herb that is on it’s way out can have it’s last hurrah in soup.
Wilty greens? Limp celery? Not so crunchy carrots? Chop them up and throw them in the pot! They will fortify the broth with flavor and nobody is gonna know they just missed the trash bin.
Warm and cozy.
Nothing feels like home more than a big bowl of soup. The warm temperature will physically heat you up while the flavors transport you in time. Serve your next bowl with a little crusty bread or a vegan grilled cheese for all the cozy, comforting, walk-down-memory-lane vibes.
Improve your cooking skills.
Psst, let me tell you a secret.. you don’t really need a recipe for soup. You just need some fridge scraps, some canned or dry beans and some love to give. Just taste your soup as you go along and you will get more confident with spices and combinations. Before long you will be jazz cooking like a pro.
Great for meal prep.
There's nothing better than opening the fridge to see a container or two of soup ready to heat up. Enjoy leftover soup for lunch or a souper simple dinner on those busy nights. Many of them freeze well, too, which can make it even easier to enjoy a hearty vegan meal on those busy nights.
Soup doesn’t need animal products to be super flavorful. Vegan classics are just as good as the old versions like Vegan Split Pea, Vegan Cream of Tomato and Vegan Pasta e Fagioli are incredible without the addition of meat and dairy, which also makes them more budget friendly.
Creamy Vegan Soup Recipes
There are several ways to get that cozy, creamy consistency without the dairy products. One option (and my favorite) is to use coconut milk, which adds a gorgeous richness similar to heavy cream. You can also blend or puree roasted vegetables. Even better, combine the two of those together for the best of both worlds.
Vegan Cream of Tomato Soup
Roasted garlic and bell peppers add a sweet, savory note that transforms regular canned tomatoes into something extra special. It's a simple vegan soup and a fun twist on a classic. (Don't forget the vegan grilled cheese!)
Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
This is one of those delicious recipes that warms you to your soul. It brings Indonesian flavors to the hearty sweetness of butternut, giving it more balance and life. Serve with lots of fresh herbs, red pepper flakes, and an extra squeeze of lime juice, if you're into it.
Vegan Corn and Squash Chowder
Yes, you can make vegan chowder, one of the coziest creamiest soups/stews of all time without any dairy! This simple recipe relies on all the sweet roots and starches, like potatoes, sweet potatoes, frozen corn, butternut squash, and more, all simmered together with coconut milk and fresh thyme. It's such a cozy vegan soup and so nice during the colder months of the year!
Spiced Carrot Apple Ginger Soup
The sweetness of carrots is the perfect match for sweet apples and warming spices, like ginger and cumin. Even better, everything comes together in the pot, and you use the immersion blender to blitz it all together. Serve with cilantro, lime juice, and black pepper for a picture perfect winter meal.
Hearty Legume-Based Soups
Legumes are an essential part of any plant-based diet due to their affordability, versatility, meatiness, and nutritional punch. We eat them all the time - pretty much everyday - and adding them to soups can really highlight their flavor and texture. Beans are surprisingly creamy and soak up flavor like nothing else.
All beans, lentils, and pulses are welcome here and make the most satisfying & hearty soups to stick to your ribs.
Best Lentil Soup
This is truly the perfect hearty lentil soup and a fan favorite around here. Believe me, I've had a lot of lentil soup. It's just the right balance of earthy lentils with sweet roots and squashes, all simmered in a rich tomato broth. There's nothing better (and the leftovers freeze great for later)!
Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup
This sweet potato and black bean soup has the perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and smoky flavors to warm you up from the inside out. Serve with fresh lime juice, avocado, and cilantro for big, bold flavor in every spoonful!
Vegan Split Pea Soup
Don't let your past experiences with split pea soup cloud your expectations here. This recipe layers flavor after flavor, making this easily the most flavorful split pea soup of all time.
It's fortified with all the aromatics (garlic, white or yellow onion, celery), plus butternut squash, warm spices, and an extra dose of green from baby spinach and frozen peas. I like to serve it with maple roasted carrots and brussels sprouts to make it eat like a main meal, but you really can't go wrong.
Bean and Veggie Chili
This mildly-spiced chili is on regular rotation in our household and even the kids love it! My little trick is to blend the veggies until creamy, then cook them down with four different types of beans (pinto, garbanzo, black, and white beans). It's not too spicy, is LOADED with vegetables, and will keep you full for hours!
Black Bean and Quinoa Soup
Quinoa is the perfect ingredient for this hearty vegan soup since it's loaded with extra protein and fiber on its own. Add in the black beans, corn, chipotle peppers, tomato paste, and warm spices, and there's no question about why this recipe is so good. It's deeply satisfying and filling, yet only requires 40 minutes. It's a great option for meal prep, too!
Vegan Noodle Soups
If you find yourself craving minestone and chicken noodle soup like nothing else, these are the recipes for you! Noodle soups tend to be really filling and hearty, usually featuring lots of fresh vegetables and beans. These recipes all offer traditional flavors in a modern, updated way and are so good, your family will ask for them again and again.
Vegan Minestrone
This recipe is like the ultimate vegan vegetable soup. It's loaded with fresh veggies, like celery, potatoes, and onions, but also contains chickpeas and pasta to make it extra hearty and satisfying. Garnish with red pepper flakes and fresh herbs to take it over the top!
Pasta e Fagioli
This Italian-style bean and pasta soup is pure comfort food. It's so simple, relies on just a handful of ingredients, yet is incredibly warming and soothing.
Pro tip: Garnish it with grated brazil nuts instead of vegan cheese to really blow your mind.
Lemon Orzo Soup
Cannellini beans, orzo noodles, and lots of vegetables make this vegan noodle soup extra special. It's filling and has lots of flavor, but is also very fast to make thanks to quick-cooking orzo and roster of pantry staples. The lemon juice makes it taste like pure sunshine!
Golden Chickpea Noodle Soup
Obsessed with fall flavors? This golden-hued noodle soup is filled with butternut and kabocha squash, parsnips, carrots, sweet potatoes, and golden beets for gorgeous color plus tons of nutrients. Ginger and turmeric make it extra refreshing. It's the perfect soup to cure whatever ails you!
Brothy Plant-Based Soups
Broth based soups are all about layering so much flavor! They often contain lots of hearty add-ins, like veggies, beans, and plant-based protein alternatives, which make them stick to your ribs.
P.S. Just because these soups are brothy doesn't mean you need to use vegetable broth! I'll guide you through the process of layering and building flavor so you end up with the most delicious soup for less.
Vegan Sausage and Kale Soup
Tempeh is the perfect stand-in for sausage in this recipe, adding a nice meaty texture that soaks up all those aromatics and seasonings. Serve it with a little nutritional yeast and black pepper with some crusty bread or toast. That's all you really need!
Pozole Rojo
For this Mexican-inspired option, hearty potatoes, hominy, and chickpeas steep in a chile-infused tomato broth that will light your whole world on fire. It's warming and cozy in all the right ways and will keep you satisfied for a long time.
This is really just the start! There are 100+ delicious, chef-formulated vegan recipes on the blog to help make eating plant-based way more exciting than ever before. Be sure to follow along for way more recipe inspiration.
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