Easy Frozen Vegetable Soup

This frozen vegetable soup is an easy, convenient and nutritious dish made without tomatoes, cream or flour. It consists of a handful of ingredients and uses a simple preparation method. Ready in under 20 minutes.

This frozen vegetable soup is made by cooking frozen vegetables with stock and herbs for an easy, delicious meal. These ingredients produce a delicious dish and there is no need to add tomatoes or cream. I also used an easy method of thickening this soup naturally, without the need to add flour (see Instructions below). This hearty soup with frozen vegetables is versatile, adaptable and can be served in a variety of ways (see suggestions at the bottom of the post).

Frozen vegetables are (in most cases) just as nutritious as fresh and in some cases may be even better as they tend to be frozen 'at their peak ripeness'. While they may not be the best choice for salads they are perfect for soups (also including vegetable rice soup and turkey vegetable soup)!

Making soup with frozen rather than fresh veggies simplifies and reduces preparation time. There is no need to peel, chop or sautee the vegetables. Simply combine then cook all the ingredients together, adjust the texture and enjoy!

Frozen vegetable soup ingredients and substitutions

• Frozen vegetables: see below for details.
• Stock: I used vegetable stock, but chicken stock will work well, too, if you don't need this soup to be vegetarian.
• Herbs: I used lemon thyme, but regular is fine, too. I also added fresh parsley at the end of cooking. If you prefer to use dried herbs I recommend starting with about ½ teaspoon of thyme (you can add more later, if needed). Alternatively, use 1 teaspoon of herbes de Provence, Italian herbs or another herb mix. Instead of sweet paprika you can use hot or smoked.
• Butter: regular or plant-based.
• Garlic and onion granules: add more depth of flavour.
• Salt and pepper: add to taste. I recommend using freshly ground multicoloured peppercorns for added flavour, in possible.

What vegetables to use

You can use your favourite frozen vegetable mix. Mine included carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, green beans and corn. I wanted a variety of vegetables in my soup, but 3-4 vegetables are sufficient.

Can I use fresh vegetables instead of frozen

I don't recommend it. Peeling and chopping 2 pounds of vegetables would make preparation long and laborious and that's not what this simple vegetable soup is about. Although fresh vegetables take a little less time to cook than frozen (about 3 minutes less) frozen vegetables are still the best, most convenient ingredient to use in this chunky vegetable soup.

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1. Combine vegetables with stock: Place the vegetables in the pot. Add the thyme and hot stock.

2. Cook soup: Cover and bring the soup to the boil (over a high heat) then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender (be careful not to overcook them).

TIP: Cooking time will depend on the size of your vegetables.

3. Add herbs: Stir in the paprika, onion and garlic granules, fresh parsley, butter and pepper to taste. Cook for another minute or so.

4. Thicken soup: Remove from the heat and using an immersion blender partly puree the vegetables.

TIP: If your frozen vegetables were quite finely chopped to start with you can use a potato masher instead of the blender to thicken the soup.

5. Serve: Taste the soup and adjust the flavour, if needed, then serve.

Serving suggestions

This hearty soup with frozen vegetables is delicious on its own, but you can also serve it with croutons, garlic bread or sourdough for a more substantial meal. You can also serve it with a dollop of sour cream (a popular ingredient in used in traditional Polish soups) for a hint of acidity. Alternatively add a splash of cream, but don't use too much as this can dilute the flavour.

For a protein boost add leftover rotisserie chicken, fried sausage, cooked chickpeas, beans or lentils. You can also serve it with cooked rice, pasta (small pasta shapes), barley or quinoa for added substance.

How to adjust the consistency

Use your emulsion blender to adjust the consistency and texture of this easy frozen veggie soup. The more vegetables you puree the thicker the consistency will become. I like a mixture of pureed and chunky vegetables so my soup is not overly thick, but you can adjust this according to your preference. I prefer a chunky rather than smooth and creamy texture in this soup.

How to add flavour

• Use a variety of frozen vegetables.
• Add a small amount of celery salt (start with ⅓ teaspoon).
• Add bacon bits towards the end of cooking.

Top tips

• Be careful not to overcook the vegetables. Cooking time depends on the size of your vegetables.
• Use hot stock to speed up the cooking process.
• Partly puree the soup using an immersion blender. This will thicken the soup and intensify the flavour.
• This chunky frozen vegetable soup can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Can I freeze this soup

Yes, you can! Despite being made with frozen vegetables it is perfectly ok to freeze this soup. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat in the microwave or on the stove top.

Related recipes to try next

• Winter Root Vegetable Soup
• Polish Cauliflower Soup
• Simple Chunky Leek and Potato Soup

See also these other easy, delicious soup recipes!

Recipe

Keep in touch!

If you make this easy frozen vegetable soup recipe I'd love to know how it turned out for you. What vegetables did you use? Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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