Soup

19 Vegan Soup Recipes For Hearty Plant-Based Comfort

From chunky to brothy to creamy (without any cream!) and everywhere in between.

September 30, 2020
Photo by Ty Mecham

The start of the cozy-weather season is upon us. Get ready to curl up on the couch with your favorite plush blanket and a bowl of hot soup, while you binge-watch your favorite shows for hours upon hours.

Say goodbye to your summertime salads (for now), and hello to nourishing plant-based soups to keep you feeling healthy and strong all season long: We’ve compiled a list of 19 of the best vegan soups to make this fall. From creamy tomato soup (without a lick of cream!) to umami-rich vegan ramen, these recipes will certainly get you through the extent of your hibernation.

1. Roasted Carrot Soup

Made with just seven simple ingredients (not counting salt and pepper), this recipe is not only easy to make but also incredibly flavorful. Spoiler alert: The trick is to infuse a good-quality vegetable broth with aromatics like ginger and thyme, which add depth and bite.

2. Red Lentil Soup With Beet Greens

This Indian-inspired recipe features a trifecta of ultra-flavorful ingredients—beet greens, fenugreek seeds, and turmeric. Though these typically bitter ingredients may be too intense on their own, they’re nicely balanced with mellow red lentils and lots of spices.

3. Turmeric-Miso Soup With Shiitakes, Turnips & Soba Noodles

Not only visually appetizing, this simple, Japanese-inspired soup will gently warm your soul with hearty vegetables and nutty buckwheat noodles. Plus it’s loaded with vitamins, amino acids, and antioxidants from the miso, with anti-inflammatory properties from the turmeric.

4. Thai-Scented Asparagus Soup

This aromatic, Thai-inspired soup combines ingredients like coconut, lemongrass, and ginger to yield a refreshingly bright soup that’ll make you feel like you’re on a tropical getaway. Unlike the more traditional Thai coconut soup recipes, this variation calls for the addition of asparagus, creating a vibrant green dish that’ll excite any veggie lover who stops by for dinner.

5. Peppery Purple Soup

You may be wondering how on earth you can make a soup this interestingly colored: The secret is combining unexpected ingredients like red cabbage, red onion, apple, and balsamic vinegar to make a deep purple hue that is as delicious as it is beautiful. Garnish this fragrant soup with toppings like sliced apples, vegan crème fraîche, fresh thyme, and chopped chives for a picture-worthy entrée.

6. Miso Charred Carrot Soup

Combining two of my favorite ingredients—miso and carrot—this ridiculously easy yet healthy and satisfying dish is one you’ll be making over and over again. The charred, smoky flavor from the oven-roasted carrots, celery, and onions perfectly complements the earthy, salty white miso.

7. Anna Thomas' Green Soup

This green soup is ideal for whipping up when you’re not really sure what to make for dinner. Substitution-friendly, this recipe can easily be adapted to include whichever greens you have on hand in your fridge. It’s also loaded with tons of nutritious leafy vegetables and herbs—like spinach, kale, green onions, and cilantro.

8. Barbara Lynch's Spicy Tomato Soup

All it takes is five pantry-staple ingredients to make this comforting, classic tomato soup. With a pinch of red pepper flakes to add a little heat, you’ll be surprised how easy it is to make this restaurant-quality dish in well under an hour. Garnish with vegan Parmesan cheese or vegan crème fraîche, and serve with a loaf of crusty bread.

9. Celery Root & Apple Soup With Tarragon

This recipe turns simple, humble ingredients—like apples and celery root—into a creamy and satisfying soup without the need for any dairy. Adding water to the sautéed ingredients, herbs, and spices creates an aromatic foundation for your soup that’s far more flavorful than any store-bought vegetable stock.

10. Genius Cauliflower Soup From Paul Bertolli

Crafted by Paul Bertolli, head chef at Chez Panisse and Oliveto for 20-plus years, this cauliflower soup is creamy, dreamy, and has an astonishingly slim ingredient list. Resist the urge to add overpowering ingredients and let the masterful technique that drives this recipe do the talking. Patiently sweating onions in olive oil extracts sweetness, which infuses the tender cauliflower florets for this elegant, restaurant-worthy soup.

11. Vegan Cream of Mushroom & Wild Rice Soup

Add taste and texture to this vegan-friendly soup by combining diced mirepoix—onions, celery, and carrot—along with wild rice and earthy mushrooms like baby bellas and shiitakes for the perfect cold weather comfort meal. Use coconut milk or cashew cream to mimic the much-desired creaminess of a traditional cream of mushroom soup.

12. Marcella Hazan's White Bean Soup with Garlic & Parsley

Equal parts hearty and flavorful, this 10-minute recipe is ideal for lazy, cold evenings. Curl up on the sofa with a bowl of this brothy cannellini bean soup as you catch up on your favorite shows for a low-key night in.

13. Coriander & Sweet Potato Soup with Spicy Chickpea Croutons

Flavored with warm spices—like chili powder, cumin, and coriander—this sweet potato soup packs a punch of heat that’ll cozy you up as the weather gets crisper. Garnish the dish with a crunchy, seasoned chickpea topping you’ll be tempted to finish before it even makes it to the table.

14. J. Kenji López-Alt's 15-Minute Creamy (Vegan) Tomato Soup

As the name indicates, you definitely won’t break a sweat making this quick and comforting soup. There is no need for any fancy equipment or ingredients to make this recipe. The only thing that may catch you by surprise is the mashed bread used to thicken the cooked tomatoes for a creamy, 100 percent vegan tomato soup.

15. Vegan Slow-Cooker Tomatillo Stew

Stew season is upon us, and this spicy tomatillo soup will hit the spot every time. A perfect set-it-and-forget-it type of recipe, make a large batch for your family to enjoy all week long. Loaded with protein-packed beans, fresh cilantro, and hot jalapeños, non-plant-based eaters will enjoy this recipe equally as much.

16. Butternut Squash Posole with Green Tomato Pico de Gallo

An interesting twist on a Mexican classic, this posole recipe includes fall-appropriate, butternut squash for a healthy, filling, tomatoey soup. Top with a green tomato pico de gallo for an acidic pop of refreshing salsa to contrast with the warm stew.

17. Autumn Ramen

Unlike most meat-based ramen broths, this Japanese-inspired soup uses vegetarian dashi to create its addicting, umami-rich flavors. Add creamy body to your ramen using soy milk, plus red pepper flakes to amp up the heat. Just make sure to opt for vegan-friendly ramen noodles when at the store. Before you know it, you’ll be loudly slurping up the noodles straight from the bowl.

18. Vegetarian Dashi

Make this healthy broth, which can be used as the foundation for just about any vegan soup, by steeping large pieces of kombu (edible kelp) and shiitake mushrooms in water for several hours. The kombu contains naturally occurring glutamates—mimicking those found in MSG—that yield an unparalleled, umami-filled liquid gold that adds mega flavor to any dish.

19. Thyme-Scented Fennel & Leek Soup

Dairy-free and nut-free, this soup combines celery, fennel, and leek to create a light and creamy soup that certainly does not lack in the flavor department. The creator of this recipe uses toasted pepitas to add a touch of sweet nuttiness and warmth before blending everything together to form a rich purée.

What's your favorite vegan soup? Let us know in the comments.
Order now

The Food52 Vegan Cookbook is here! With this book from Gena Hamshaw, anyone can learn how to eat more plants (and along the way, how to cook with and love cashew cheese, tofu, and nutritional yeast).

Order now

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

Maki Yazawa

Written by: Maki Yazawa

Food Writer & Recipe Developer

1 Comment

Misa M. September 30, 2020
Thank you very much! Will be trying several of these.