This Vegetable Soup Recipe is packed with veggies, mini pasta, and a secret flavor boost! Make this easy one-pot soup in about 30 minutes.
Pair this soup with a crusty baguette or homemade Dinner Rolls and a simple Italian Salad. If you’re looking for a creamy version, try Creamy Vegetable Soup.
The Best Vegetable Soup Recipe
Even as a big vegetable lover (hi, that’s me!), I’ve had my share of less-than-great vegetable soups. Some even made me question my love for veggies altogether!
So when I say this is the best vegetable soup ever, I mean it. It’s full of flavor, loaded with veggies, and surprisingly filling.
Secret Ingredient
The secret to this vegetable soup’s flavor is pesto!
It adds tons of taste without any extra work. Instead of chopping herbs or grating cheese, just stir in a spoonful of fresh basil pesto, and you’re ready for a delicious soup.
Ingredients
- Olive oil: Helps sauté and soften the vegetables, adding flavor.
- Mirepoix: Save chopping time by grabbing pre-chopped mirepoix (a mix of onion, carrot, and celery) from the produce section or use frozen.
- Garlic: Instead of mincing your own garlic, you can use jarred to save time
- Dried thyme, Italian seasoning: Adjust the herbs to your preference—start small and add more as needed.
- Chicken bouillon powder: Alternatively, instead of chicken bouillon, use chicken broth (two 32-ounce containers).
- Fire-roasted diced tomatoes: Add a smoky, tangy sweetness to the soup.
- Mini bow-tie pasta: Stir occasionally to prevent sticking while it cooks.
- Pinto beans: Rinse well before adding.
- Corn, peas: Add in frozen, no need to defrost before.
- Fresh basil pesto: I love Buitoni’s® fresh basil pesto, Rana’s® fresh basil pesto, or make your own.
How To Make Vegetable Soup Recipe
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
- Add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 8–10 minutes until soft.
- Add garlic, thyme, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir for 30 seconds.
- Pour in water, bouillon, and undrained tomatoes. Bring to a boil.
- Add pasta. Cook for 6–7 minutes until tender.
- Stir in beans, corn, and peas. Warm through.
- Serve with a spoonful of pesto in each bowl and enjoy!
Variations
Switch Things Up
- This soup is full of tomatoes, but if you don’t like tomato chunks, use fire-roasted crushed tomatoes instead. You can also use just one can.
- Switch the beans: Try cannellini beans instead of pinto in this vegetable soup recipe.
- Change the pasta: Any small pasta will work if you can’t find mini farfalle. Try mini shells, mini fusilli, or bowtie pasta.
- Swap the veggies: Use other veggies you like, keeping the amounts the same. Frozen veggies like green beans, sweet peppers, broccoli, or cauliflower are great for quick prep.
- Add greens: Stir in 1-2 cups of chopped spinach or kale at the end until wilted (kale takes longer).
Storage
Storage
This Vegetable Soup recipe tastes best the same day. When stored, the pasta soaks up liquid and gets too soft. If you don’t plan to eat it right away, cook the pasta separately or make half the recipe.
The same goes for freezing—the pasta soaks up liquid, so it’s not great for freezing.
More Soup Recipes:
- Butternut Squash Soup with roasted butternut squash
- Zuppa Toscana Soup with Italian sausage
- Sweet Potato Stew reader favorite recipe!
- Quinoa Chili with sweet potatoes
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup 30-minute stovetop recipe
The Best Vegetable Soup
The Best Vegetable Soup is packed with veggies, mini pasta, and a secret ingredient for extra flavor! Whip up this healthy, one-pot meal in 30 minutes!
Equipment
- Large pot
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup diced yellow sweet onion
- 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
- 1 cup thinly sliced celery
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 8 cups hot water
- 8 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder see note 1
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes Muir Glen or San Marzano recommended
- 1-1/2 cups uncooked mini bow-tie pasta
- 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 1-1/2 cups frozen corn
- 1-1/2 cups frozen peas
- 1 container fresh basil pesto see note 2
Instructions
- Place oil in a large pot and heat to medium-high. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté, stirring occasionally, 8–10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add thyme, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. (I add 1/2 teaspoon of each, but add to taste. You may want to hold off adding salt until the end; saltiness varies depending on the broth or bouillon you use.)
- Stir in water and chicken bouillon or low-sodium chicken broth and undrained diced tomatoes. Bring soup to a boil over high heat.
- Once boiling, stir in pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, 6–7 minutes or until pasta is tender. Stir in drained and rinsed beans, corn, and peas just to warm through. Remove from heat, taste/adjust seasonings, and ladle soup into bowls. Add a generous spoonful of fresh basil pesto to each bowl. Stir in the pesto and enjoy!
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Alternatively, instead of chicken bouillon, use chicken broth (two 32-ounce containers). This soup can be made vegetarian by substituting vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Note 2: Make your own pesto or use a fresh-refrigerated (not shelf stable) basil pesto.
Storage: This soup is best enjoyed the same day it’s made. The pasta continues to absorb liquid, bloats, and becomes soft and mushy. If you don’t plan to eat this soup the same day, I recommend cooking the pasta separately (and reducing the amount of liquid in the soup) or halving the recipe. This soup does not freeze well.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 233kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 0.4mg | Sodium: 743mg | Potassium: 723mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 20681IU | Vitamin C: 55mg | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What is the size of the container of basil pesto?
Whatever size — you’ll just be adding it to taste at the end 🙂 Like a spoonful per bowl!
Another great recipe. When I want to make something delish, I Google you!!
Thank you!!!
I am so happy to hear this! Thanks so much Cindy! 🙂
For some reason craving soup in this hot summer… why is refrigerated pesto recommended against shelf-stable?
I find the flavor is much better fresh. I haven’t ever found a shelf-stable pesto that has tasted good!
Just wondering, if I add liquid vegetable broth instead of the bouillon cubes would I reduce the amount of water I am using?
No. It would still be 8 cups liquid
Delicious. I altered the pasta. Otherwise superb soup. I love it. Thank you
Yum! So glad you enjoyed! Thanks Vicki! 🙂
Best vegetable soup I’ve ever made. Added Kielbasa and had hot cornbread. The pesto really did add a special touch and flavor.
I’m so happy to hear! Thanks Harry! 🙂
This soup is SO GOOD, every time I make it I get compliments.
Do you think it would still work if I added beef to it?
So happy to hear that! I’ll be sharing a beef vegetable soup later this year, stay tuned 🙂
Can you add the entire jar of pesto to the soup instead of adding individually?
I personally wouldn’t!
I think this may be the best homemade soup I have ever eaten. I thought the pesto seemed like a strange thing to add to the soup but it was fantastic. My husband loved it.
I’m so glad you enjoyed and you gave the pesto a chance! It’s so good! Thanks Sharon! 🙂