This roasted vegetable soup is one to put on a regular rotation this season! It’s loaded with good-for-you vegetables, has an herb flavor boost, and has the creamiest texture (without the need for dairy). The soup is vegan (dairy-free, egg-free), grain-free (gluten-free), soy-free, nut-free, and refined sugar-free.
Whether it’s a cold, rainy day outside or just craving an ultra-comforting meal, this roasted vegetable soup satisfies in many ways!
Let me start with a disclaimer: I love vegetables. Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, celery, green beans, kale, parsnip… all!
But I know that many people don’t like at least some of the vegetables I listed above. I am convinced that part of the reason is how the vegetables are prepared in the first place. For example, there’s a big difference between boiled Brussels sprouts and roasted Brussels sprouts, raw kale and massaged kale, canned green beans and sautéed green beans, etc. The flavor profile completely changes depending on how the vegetables are prepared.
This roasted vegetable soup relies on – surprise, surprise – roasted vegetables, which makes all the difference if you don’t like vegetables.
Roasting exposes the vegetables to intense, dry heat, which causes the natural sugars within the vegetables to caramelize. This caramelization is the key to creating a rich, complex flavor that boiling or even sautéing can’t replicate. Roasting vegetables isn’t just about taste, though. The texture of the vegetables softens, and when puréed, it results in a lusciously smooth and velvety soup without any cream.
This roasted vegetable soup is one to keep in your back pocket for sure!
Tips for Making Roasted Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
You’d never guess this soup is completely plant-based. This recipe calls for many vegetables that blend into a smooth purée without the need for dairy. Here’s the list of ingredients you’ll need:
- Vegetables: there aren’t many vegetables you can’t use in soups. However, since this soup features roasted vegetables, I recommend looking for vegetables that benefit from roasting (no leafy greens!). Another tip is to try and stay within the same basic color scheme of vegetables so the soup doesn’t look unappetizing after it’s puréed. With that in mind, I went with cauliflower, carrots, parsnips, red bell pepper, summer squash (aka yellow zucchini), onions, and garlic. This combination yielded a perfectly balanced – slightly sweet, savory, and a little smoky – vibrant soup. You could also use sweet potato, butternut squash, turnip, etc.
- Vegetable broth: the soup base relies on vegetable broth. Given the simplicity of the ingredients, consider the vegetable broth a star ingredient in its own right. So opt for a homemade or high-quality one.
- Olive oil: while you don’t necessarily need oil for roasting, coating vegetables in oil does a few things. First, it helps prevent vegetables from sticking to the baking sheet. Second, it encourages extra caramelization and browning, creating a richer flavor. Lastly, it traps moisture, ensuring the vegetables don’t turn out dry.
- Lemon juice: since roasting amplifies sweet flavor, the lemon juice helps cut through the sweetness and brightens the flavor.
- Herbs: rosemary and bay leaf make this soup cozy and complex.
- Salt: to amplify flavor.
How to Make Roasted Vegetable Soup
For the creamiest blended soup, a high-speed blender is a must! Not all blenders are created equally – a high-speed blender – I use the Vitamix – will give your blended soups the creamiest and smoothest result. I know many people reach for an immersion blender for soups, but it just doesn’t seem to get soup perfectly smooth unless you spend a lot of time stirring and making sure everything gets blended. The immersion blender is great for a chunky purée, but for evenly blended, velvety soup, a countertop – ideally high-speed – blender wins. Here are a few more tips for making the best roasted vegetable soup:
- Roast the vegetables. For convenience, I like to roast all the vegetables simultaneously. This means cutting hard vegetables (root vegetables, tubers, and winter squashes) into smaller pieces and tender vegetables (cruciferous vegetables, summer squashes, eggplant, aromatics, etc.) into larger ones. Garlic cloves should be left in their skins to protect the garlic from burning. Add all the vegetables to a baking sheet, drizzle them with oil, sprinkle them with salt, and toss to coat. Spread all the vegetables into a single layer so they roast evenly and brown at the edges – this creates the Maillard reaction, caramelizing the sugars and making the vegetables taste amazing. Roast the vegetables until the carrots are tender when pierced with a fork and the vegetables begin to brown slightly, for about 35 minutes, tossing the vegetables halfway through roasting.
- Simmer. First, remove the garlic cloves from their skins. Then, transfer the roasted vegetables to a large pot, add the rosemary and bay leaf, cover everything with vegetable broth, and bring it to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat off, cover the soup with a lid, and let it sit for 15 minutes.
- Blend. Add the roasted vegetables, vegetable broth, and lemon juice to a high-speed blender and blend on high until smooth. I love rosemary, so I typically blend some rosemary leaves as well. If your soup is too thick, add up to 1 cup/240 ml more broth and blend. I recommend starting with less broth and adding more as needed – you can always add more to thin the soup out, but you can’t take it out if you add too much at first.
- Serve immediately, straight out of the blender.
How to Serve Roasted Vegetable Soup
Serve the soup with freshly chopped parsley and a sprinkle of black pepper. If you’re keen on spicy food, add red pepper flakes, a drizzle of Sriracha, or sweet chili sauce.
You can spoon the soup into little bowls as an appetizer or serve it as a side with a fresh salad plate. To make it a wholesome meal, a loaf of crusty bread or garlicky toasted bread with fresh butter can complement this easy soup perfectly.
How to Store Puréed Soup
- Refrigerating: allow the soup to cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: allow the soup to cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight, freezer-safe container (leaving some room for expansion) and freeze it for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: transfer frozen soup to the refrigerator 24 hours before reheating to thaw slightly. Reheat the soup in a pot on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until hot. Add ¼ cup/60 ml water/broth at a time if the soup is too thick.
More Roasted Vegetable Soup Recipes
- Roasted red pepper soup: this light roasted red pepper soup is a twist on the classic cream of tomato soup. The sweetness of roasted bell peppers blends beautifully with the distinctive tartness of sun-dried tomatoes. The result is a comforting, delicious soup.
- Roasted butternut squash soup: rich, creamy, and full of roasted butternut squash flavor – this soup is everything you expect from a traditional butternut squash soup. It undoubtedly falls into the comfort food category.
- Roasted cauliflower soup: I love how simple this cauliflower soup recipe is, yet it still tastes indulgent. It’s slightly nutty, a bit garlicky, and lusciously creamy.
If you try any of these recipes, please leave a comment and rate the recipe below. It always means a lot when you do.
Roasted Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 1/2 head cauliflower , cut into large florets*
- 5 carrots , diced**
- 1 parsnip , diced***
- 2 red bell peppers , cut into large chunks
- 1 yellow summer squash , cut into large chunks****
- 1 onion , quartered*****
- 4 garlic cloves , with the skin on
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary , still on the stem
- 1 bay leaf
- 5-6 cups vegetable broth
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven. Heat the oven to 400ºF/204ºC
- Roast the vegetables. Add all the vegetables to a baking sheet, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt, and toss to coat. Spread all the vegetables into a single layer so they roast evenly and brown at the edges and roast until the carrots are tender when pierced with a fork and the vegetables begin to brown slightly, for about 35 minutes, tossing the vegetables halfway through roasting.
- Simmer. First, remove the garlic cloves from their skins. Then, transfer the roasted vegetables to a large pot, add the rosemary and bay leaf, cover everything with vegetable broth, and bring it to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat off, cover the soup with a lid, and let it sit for 15 minutes. Blend. Add the roasted vegetables, vegetable broth, and lemon juice to a high-speed blender and blend on high until smooth. I love rosemary, so I typically blend some rosemary leaves as well. If your soup is too thick, add up to 1 cup/240 ml more broth and blend. I recommend starting with less broth and adding more as needed - you can always add more to thin the soup out, but you can't take it out if you add too much at first. Serve immediately, straight out of the blender.
- Blend. Add the roasted vegetables, vegetable broth, and lemon juice to a high-speed blender and blend on high until smooth. I recommend starting with less broth and adding more as needed - you can always add more to thin the soup out, but you can't take it out if you add too much at first.
- Season. Taste and adjust the flavor as needed, adding more salt for saltiness and lemon juice for acidity.
- Serve. Pour the soup into serving bowls - it will be hot straight out of the blender. Garnish with a freshly chopped parsley and a sprinkle of black pepper.
- Store. Leftover soup keeps well covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. For longer-term storage, freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Reheat. Transfer frozen soup into the refrigerator 24 hours before reheating to thaw slightly. Reheat in a pot on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until hot. Add ¼ cup/60 ml water/broth at a time if too thick.
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