This winter root vegetable soup has to be one of the cosiest soups for the colder winter months! Made with hearty vegetables, fragrant herbs and creamy coconut milk, it's a flavourful vegan, gluten free and whole 30 compliant lunch.
As it is the heart of winter, this easy root veg soup is often to be found bubbling away on my stovetop, and then frozen in big batches for lazier days when we want lunch or dinner without too much effort! It joins the quinoa vegetable soup, celery soup and parsnip and cauliflower soup as favourites in my home.
Using root vegetables gives this soup a thick and hearty texture, and it is perfect for dunking in big hunks of bread or rice cakes as an alternative. The vegetables used all have a natural sweetness that is very delicious, and are balanced out by the fragrant herbs and a touch of garlic. It's a healthy and hearty root vegetable soup that I think you will make over and over!
This recipe was updated with slight amendments to the recipe, as well as new tips and photos on 5 August 2022.
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Why you'll love this soup
- Cosy and warming. There's something about root vegetables that feels a bit decadent and especially perfect for the winter months. Creamy and very slightly sweet when cooked, this is a cosy lunch idea that is hearty and healthy.
- Vegan, gluten free and whole 30 vegetable soup. This soup ticks the boxes for all these dietary requirements!
- Easy to make (and for meal prep!). A simple recipe that can be made in larger quantities and then frozen for later.
Ingredients
All the ingredients and their quantities are set out in the recipe card below.
A few notes on some of the ingredients:
- Root vegetables - choose fresh unbruised produce or, as you may notice in the photos, turn to the freezer if you are out of one or two!
- Thyme and sage - I like to use fresh herbs, but dried can also be used in smaller quantities.
- Coconut milk - the type from a can rather than the pouring kind used in coffee.
Variations to the recipe
Change up the ratio of the root vegetables. You can easily adapt this recipe to use more or less of the veggies you have to hand. Have a ton of carrots but only half a parsnip? Simply keep the overall amount of veg the same but change up the amounts of each!
Use dried herbs in place of fresh. Dried thyme and sage can easily be used, just reduce the quantities a little as they are more pungent than fresh herbs.
Equipment needed
Large pan (if making extras to freeze then a very large pan!)
Immersion blender or food processor.
Step by step instructions
Just a few steps to make this root vegetable soup:
Step 1
Fry the onion, garlic and bay leaf in olive oil on a low heat, for 4-5 minutes or until the onion has softened (image 1).
Step 2
Tip the root vegetables into the pot (image 2). Cook for a few minutes, then pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
Step 3
Reduce the heat to a light simmer, and then pour in the coconut milk, thyme and sage leaves (image 3). Keep on a low-medium heat for 25-30 minutes.
Step 4
Remove the bay leaf, then use an immersion blender to blend to a thick soup (image 4).
Ladle into your bowls, season with salt and black pepper and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Recipe tips and notes
- Dice the vegetables into roughly similar sizes to help with an even cook. But don't worry about them being perfect as they will all be blended!
- If using dried herbs, I suggest adding these to the pot along with the onion and garlic in step 1.
- Adjust the amount of garlic and herbs to taste preference.
- If you don't have an immersion blender, you can transfer batches to a food processor and blend that way.
Frequently asked questions
You could also use turnips, fennel or beets in the soup. Keep the amount of vegetables used overall about the same so it blends to a soup consistency along with the stock and coconut milk.
You can definitely use frozen vegetables to make soup! Simply add to the pot and no need to thaw first!
This soup is intended to be blended, but if you like 'unblended' soups then you may like to see my turmeric chicken soup and quinoa vegetable soup.
Yes, dried herbs can easily be used to make this soup. Simply add along with the onion and garlic, but reduce quantities a little as they are more pungent in flavour than fresh herbs.
More soup recipes to enjoy
If you are on a soup kick like me right now as it's cold outside and you are craving something hearty and warming, I have you covered with lots of simple but delicious soup recipes!
I’m always in the kitchen, so come join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to be the first to hear of new recipes. And please do leave a star rating if you tried the recipe!
Recipe
Winter root vegetable soup
Equipment
- Large pot
- Ladle
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ white onion finely diced
- 1 garlic clove minced or finely diced
- 3 carrots peeled, diced
- 1 parsnip peeled, diced
- ½ butternut squash peeled, diced
- 1 sweet potato peeled, diced
- 2.5 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon sage
- 1 bay leaf
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper optional
- parsley finely diced, to garnish
Instructions
- Add the onion, garlic and bay leaf to a large pot and fry in olive oil on a low heat for 4-5 minutes or until the onion has softened.
- Transfer the sweet potato, carrots, parsnip and butternut squash to the pot. Cook for 4-5 minutes.
- Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, and pour in the coconut milk and sprinkle in the herbs. Cook on a very light simmer for 25-30 minutes.
- Take off the heat, remove the bay leaf, and use an immersion blender to blend.
- Ladle into your bowls, season with salt and black pepper (if using) and sprinkle on parsley. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Dice the vegetables into roughly similar sizes for an even cook time, but don't worry about them being perfectly sized as they will be blended.
- Use dried herbs (at a lesser quantity) if you don't have fresh to hand.
- If you don't have an immersion blender, you can transfer batches to a food processor and blend that way.
Swiss Interest Group Histamine Intolerance (SIGHI) food compatibility list
All ingredients score 0 on the SIGHI list, with the exception of:- garlic, which scores 2, although it states that small amounts are usually well tolerated.
- black pepper, which scores 2.
- vegetable stock - branded products are not rated on the SIGHI list.
Amanda says
I was worried this soup would be too sweet for me but the thyme and sage balance out the sweetness quite nicely. This soup is so comforting-perfect for a cold winter day. Next time I'll remember to take the bay leaf out before whizzing it up . . .
throughthefibrofog says
So glad you like it Amanda! And yeah, I have to say I've forgotten about the bay leaf many times too . . . 🙂
Katie Clark says
While I am NOT ready for winter, this is PERFECT for our current summer turning into fall weather. Yesterday, made our first slow cooker poto of soup. This looks like my next one! Yum! If I do the skillet cooking and then put it in a slow cooker, would that work?
throughthefibrofog says
Hope you like it Katie! I haven't tried it in a slow cooker, but I don't see why it wouldn't work. Might need a touch more stock or water perhaps.
Carrie Kellenberger says
This looks excellent. This past week we have been prepping our shopping list for freezer meals because my husband's schedule has changed. We both love soup. I just added your shopping list to our notes and he's out getting it all now. Will let you know how it turns out!
throughthefibrofog says
Thanks Carrie! And soup is great for the freezer isn't it. So easy to reheat and have with some bread and cheese for a cosy dinner.
Sheryl Chan says
I need this like right now :p I love soups, and thick and creamy like this is perfect. I'd like to start learning how to make a variety of healthy soups I can prep and store soon. They'd be perfect with some cheese and bread for a simple meal!
throughthefibrofog says
Oh I always make double (or triple!) and freeze some for those nights when cooking feels too much. And yes, with bread and cheese is my favourite too!
Shruti Chopra says
The turning on of the Christmas lights was always such an occasion. Somehow Regent Street did it better than Oxford Street and that annoyed me because I lived closer to Oxford Street. I remember the cold cutting winds hitting the face and my nose going numb and then getting home, feeling my face defrost and having soup. There really is nothing better in that moment than soup and this looks like one that I'd love to try. I'm going to bookmark this for when Mumbai has its fake winter in the months ahead. 🙂
throughthefibrofog says
I agree! I think I prefer the Regent Street lights too, and the Carnaby Street ones have been good the past few years. It's a nice to tradition to go up in the cold and then a bit if shopping, and maybe dinner isn't. Haha, I like the idea of 'fake winter' 🙂