Creamy Vegetable Soup

4.61 from 61 votes

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This cream of hidden veggie soup is possibly the healthiest you’ve ever tasted! My parents taught me how to make creamy soups without using heavy cream, and I’ve never gone back. We’ve been making soups like this in my family for generations. The secret to making it velvety and creamy is potatoes 🥔!

Why You’ll Love My Creamy Vegetable Soup

Potatoes can transform any soup into a beautiful and silky texture. In Bulgaria 🇧🇬, we are known for making some of the best soups, and it is a staple food for us. Soup has always been a part of our tradition and culture, and we rarely have a meal without it. This particular soup is made with six or more hidden vegetables, which you would never know are in here!

How to Prepare Creamy Vegetable Soup

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté. Then add carrots, celery, and garlic and continue to sauté briefly. There’s no need to dice as everything will be puréed later.

Season with salt and pepper. Add cauliflower florets and 🥔 potatoes. Pour in enough stock and water to cover the veggies and bring it to a boil.

Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low. Then, partially cover the pot with a lid and let it simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.

When the soup is ready, you can use an immersion blender to purée until smooth. Alternatively, use a traditional blender to blend the veggies with the stock in batches for an even smoother texture.

If using a regular blender, return the creamy soup to the pot. Adjust seasoning by tasting for 🧂 salt. Serve the soup, topping it with bacon bits and chives.

Nonna’s Tip

You can use an immersion blender, but I do find a regular blender gives the soup a smoother consistency.

Creamy Vegetable Soup

Variations and Substitutions For This Soup

This creamy soup lends itself to a number of different options, whether to accommodate dietary preferences or maybe to use up some veggies you have in your fridge!

  • For added protein, you could include some cubed ham or diced chicken.
  • There are so many toppings that would work with this soup: chives, bacon bits, pumpkin seeds, and fresh 🌿 herbs (like parsley or cilantro).
  • This recipe could be made completely vegetarian or vegan if you make it with vegetable stock (or broth made with my vegetable stock cubes) and then also leave out the bacon bits that I used as a topping.
  • Feel free to experiment with different broths (vegetable, chicken, mushroom or beef) or stocks for added flavor. You could even use bone broth.

Best Served With

  • Bacon bits 🥓 are optional at the end so feel free to leave them out or add any other toppings you enjoy. For example, you can bake your own croutons and drizzle some sour cream on top of the soup as well.
  • Feel free to add fresh, finely chopped dill to this soup as it gives the soup incredible flavor.
  • Try the soup with one of my crusty no-knead breads. My No-Knead Peasant Bread or No-Knead Focaccia Bread would be a fantastic option to serve with the soup.

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Common Questions

What type of salt do you use?

I use Redmond Real Salt, please note that depending on the salt you use, your dish may be less or more salty. Salt is always to taste. Therefore, always taste and adjust as you cook.

What type of broth do you use?

I love any broths by Kettle and Fire, so click HERE and use my code THEMODERNNONNA for 20% off!

Why are the Veggies chopped roughly and not finely?

Don’t stress about chopping the veggies roughly as all the veggies will get blended together regardless.

Can I leave out the bacon?

Bacon bits are optional at the end so feel free to leave them out or add any other toppings you enjoy.

Creamy Vegetable Soup

This might be the healthiest cream of hidden veggie soup you’ve ever had! When mom and dad taught me how to make the healthiest creamy soups without the heavy cream, I just never looked back. We have been making soups like this in my family for generations. The secret ingredient to making it just as velvety and creamy, is potatoes! Potatoes will transform any soup into the most beautiful and silky texture.
4.61 from 61 votes
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Bulgarian
Makes: 3
Author: The Modern Nonna
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 celery ribs
  • 2 garlic cloves, quartered
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper , to taste
  • 5 cups cauliflower , small head
  • 3 potatoes , peeled and quartered
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • chives + bacon bits for presentation are optional

Instructions 

  • In a big pot on the stove on medium high heat add olive oil and add the onions.
  • You do not need to dice anything finely because everything will be puréed at the end.
  • Add the carrots, celery, garlic and sauté for a few minutes.
  • Season with salt, pepper, and stir again. Add the cauliflower florets and potatoes.
  • Cover with enough stock and water and put just enough to cover the veggies. Let it come to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and partially cover it with a lid, let it cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until the veggies are soft.
  • Once the soup is done, you can use a stick blender to blend until smooth. You can also blend the veggies with the stock in batches in a blender if you don’t own an immersion blender.
  • If blending with a blender, pour the creamy soup back in to the pot and taste for salt. Serve with bacon bits and chives.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 342kcal, Carbohydrates: 55g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 6mg, Sodium: 1265mg, Potassium: 1650mg, Fiber: 10g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 6817IU, Vitamin C: 128mg, Calcium: 106mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Bulgarian
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Hi! I'm Sneji. Nice to meet you!

I am more commonly known as “The Modern Nonna” on social media where I create easy home cooked meals with a modern twist. I was born and raised in Sofia, Bulgaria and learned how to cook at the best culinary school in the world – my grandma’s kitchen. I lived in Greece on the Island of Crete with my parents for a while and then moved to Toronto, Canada when I was in grade 5. I started to really cook and experiment with food 11 years ago when I was 21 years old. Everything I currently know is a reflection of some part of my life…

Keep up to date with me on social media! Follow @themodernnonna

4.61 from 61 votes (51 ratings without comment)

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43 Comments

    1. Sorry this one wasn’t a winner for you, Paulina! Next time, check out my variations and serving suggestions, to give it a boost of extra flavor.

  1. 5 stars
    I make this at least twice a month to keep in my fridge. It is a great light dinner or lunch. I usually have it for dinner when we’ve eaten a heartier lunch that same day and then eat leftovers for lunch! Love love love it. So healthy and a way to get veggies into my husband.

    1. That’s amazing, Stephanie! I’m so touched that you’ve made so many of my recipes and keep this one in rotation!

      1. Hi Katie! This is an excellent soup to freeze. It will be good in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    1. Hi Camryn, you could try halving the recipe. The recipe serves 3, so half the recipe would make about 1.5 portions.

  2. Hi! Is there a substitute for potatoes? I can only have sweet potatoes and was wondering if that could be a substitute or is it better to just leave out the potato part entirely?

    1. HI there, sweet potato could be way too sweet although it will work. I would leave them out and add cauliflower to make it creamy

    1. Hi Valerie, you can definitely use low sodium broth and only add as much salt as you’re comfortable with. Alternatively, you can feel free to make a low sodium version of your own stock cubes to make the broth! Happy cooking! ❤️

    1. HI Linda oh yes absolutely there is. If you take a look in the recipe card, you will see a button that says “Print Recipe” you can print or pin recipes 🙂