Vegetable Soup Recipe

This classic soup should have a lot of flavor—and this one does.

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A bowlful of this vegetable soup makes it easy and oh-so-tasty to reach your daily allotted servings of veggies—or to just have a warm, comforting dinner in a flash.

The soup is packed with tender, fresh vegetables, all cooked in a flavorful tomato soup base with a kick of spice in every bite, and cheesy saltines evoke little herby grilled cheese sandwiches you can eat on the fly.

This is a great soup for a cold day—or even for soothing anyone who’s under the weather. Learn how to make Vegetable Soup with Cheesy Saltines.

The beauty of vegetable soup is that you can use nearly any vegetable you want or like, so long as you cook it the proper amount of time to be tender. This recipe keeps things fairly classic, but heavy on the vegetable and filling beans.

To make vegetable soup, you’ll need:

To make the cheesy saltines, you’ll need:

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One of the best things about vegetable soup (besides the wonderful leftovers) is how quick and easy it is to make. In about an hour, you can put a bowl of steaming, comforting soup in front of your family. Here's a brief outline of the process. The full recipe is further below.

For the cheesy saltines: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Arrange the crackers in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment. Sprinkle tops of saltines evenly with cheese, Italian seasoning, and red pepper. Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is melted.

Serve the saltines alongside the soup, or try crumbling them over the top of the soup to soften and soak up the broth.

Alternatively, serve this soup alongside a grilled cheese sandwich (whether simple and classic or doctored up with hot honey or mayo.

If you like, serve homemade vegetable soup with some sourdough bread, with or without a touch of cream swirled in it.

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Homemade vegetable soup can be made ahead of time and frozen. Stored in the freezer, it should last two to three months.

In the fridge, this vegetable soup lasts up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove. Add additional vegetable soup if the broth has dried up while sitting.

To bulk up this vegetable soup—and make it into a hearty minestrone-style dish—toss in some noodles, such as shells or elbows.

Editorial contributions by Alesandra Dubin.

Vegetable Soup:

2 Tbsp. olive oil

3 large (2 1/2 oz.) celery stalks, finely chopped (1 1/2 cups), plus leaves for garnish

2 large (6 oz.) carrots, peeled and thinly sliced into 1/4-in.-thick slices (1 1/2 cups)

1 medium-size (9 oz.) yellow onion, chopped (1 1/2 cups)

1 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic (from 1 large garlic clove)

2 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

2 fresh bay leaves

6 cups vegetable broth (from 2 [32-oz.] containers)

6 medium-size (5 oz.) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and chopped (3 cups)

2 (14 1/2-oz.) cans diced tomatoes

1 (15-oz.) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

6 oz. fresh green beans, cut into 1-in. pieces (1 1/2 cups)

1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears)

1 cup fresh sweet peas (from 1 [6-oz.] pkg.)

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Cheesy Saltines:

40 saltine crackers (from 2 sleeves)

6 oz. traditional-cut pre-shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (about 1 1/2 cups) (such as Sargento)

1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium. Add celery, carrots, and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.

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Add garlic, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, red pepper, and bay leaves to Dutch oven; cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes.

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Stir broth, potatoes, tomatoes, and beans into Dutch oven; cover and bring to a boil over medium. Reduce heat to low; simmer, undisturbed, until vegetables are fork-tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

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Stir green beans, corn, and peas into Dutch oven; cover and simmer, undisturbed, over low until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

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Preheat oven to 325°F. Arrange saltines in an even layer on a large parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet.

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Sprinkle tops of saltines evenly with cheese (about 2 teaspoon each), Italian seasoning, and red pepper.

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Bake in preheated oven until cheese is melted, 7 to 10 minutes.

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Remove Vegetable Soup from heat; remove and discard bay leaves, and stir in parsley.

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Garnish with celery leaves, and serve with Cheesy Saltines.