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Home » Recipes » Soup Recipes

Root Vegetable Soup

Dated: January 5, 2021 Last Modified: March 19, 2025 This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Winter-Root-Vegetable-Soup

This pureed vegan winter Root Vegetable Soup recipe is healthy and comforting! It's made with veggies like rutabaga, parsnips, and potatoes.

This week we're going to celebrate the underdog of the vegetable world - Root vegetables. One of the best ways to utilize them is to make a big batch of this Winter Root Vegetable Soup.

Winter root vegetable soup in small white bowls garnished with thyme.

A soup like this one is perfect for the weeks following the Christmas holiday because it's hearty and filling (it is January after all) and incredibly healthy at the same time. It helps to balance out all of those cookies and treats that we over-indulged in during the holidays.

This vegan soup is made with pureed root vegetables like rutabaga, parsnips, carrots, and potatoes. It utilizes some of those veggies in the produce section you were never quite sure what to do with.

It's made in one pan on the stove top and yields a large quantity so this soup is perfect to enjoy throughout the week or to throw in the freezer for later.

Move over, cauliflower. It's time for root vegetables to shine!

Jump to:
  • What Is A Root Vegetable?
  • Ingredients For Root Vegetable Soup
  • How To Make Root Vegetable Soup
  • Do Root Vegetables Need To Be Peeled?
  • Should I Sauté Vegetables For Soup?
  • How Can I Add Flavor To My Vegetable Soup?
  • How To Add Even More Flavor
  • What To Serve With Vegetable Soup
  • How Long Does Root Vegetable Soup Last In Fridge?
  • Can It Be Frozen?
  • Root Vegetable Soup
Minced garlic, onions, celery, rutabaga, parsnips, potatoes, and carrots on wooden cutting board with knife.

What Is A Root Vegetable?

A root vegetable is simply an edible plant that grows underground. Root vegetables are super healthy and full of nutrients.

They're typically in season from late fall to early spring making the winter months a great time to enjoy them.

Root vegetables can be added to soups and stews, roasted, boiled, or used to make salads. Examples of root vegetables include turnips, kohlrabi, carrots, rutabaga, parsnips, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, celery root, and radishes.

Another reason to love root vegetables is that they're cheap. You can fill up on them without breaking the bank.

Ingredients For Root Vegetable Soup

Here's what you'll need to make it.

  • 6 cloves Garlic
  • 1 Onion (any color)
  • 4 stalks Celery
  • 4 large Carrots (equals 2 cups sliced)
  • 2 large Parsnips (equals 1 cup sliced)
  • 1 Rutabaga (equals 4 cups diced)
  • 4 Yukon Gold Potatoes (equals 3 cups diced)
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  • 8 cups Vegetable Broth
  • 1 tsp. Kosher Salt
  • 1 tsp. Pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. White Wine Vinegar (or vinegar of choice)
Photo collage of garlic, onions, celery, parsnips, rutabaga, carrots, and broth added to soup pot.

How To Make Root Vegetable Soup

This soup is prepared in one pot on the stove top with minimal ingredients. It really is a no fuss, no frills recipe.

  1. Start by mincing 6 cloves of garlic and 1 onion (any color), and 4 stalks of celery.
  2. Wash and peel 4 large carrots and 2 large parsnips. Cut the carrots and parsnips into slices.
  3. Peel 4 Yukon Gold potatoes and dice into chunks.
  4. Peel the skin of a rutabaga with a knife and discard. Cut the flesh of the rutabaga into chunks.

Do Root Vegetables Need To Be Peeled?

Root vegetables like parsnips and rutabaga are sometimes coated in a food-grade wax before they are shipped to the grocery store. The wax helps to preserve the vegetables and gives them a longer shelf-life.

I highly recommend removing the wax before eating them.

  • To remove the wax soak the vegetables in hot water and scrub them with a rag.
  • Peel the parsnips with a vegetable peeler and cut the skin from the rutabaga with a knife.

Peeling the vegetables ensures that no wax will end up in your soup.

Uncooked vegetable soup in Dutch oven with wooden spoon.

Should I Sauté Vegetables For Soup?

This vegetable soup is easy to make but it's best to sauté the vegetables in the proper order to ensure that they cook evenly.

Potatoes tend to cook more quickly than tougher vegetables like carrots and parsnips so I recommend adding them last.

  1. Heat a cast iron Dutch oven on heavy-bottomed soup pot on the stove top to medium heat. Add 2 Tbsp. olive oil to the pot.
  2. Once heated, add the minced garlic, onions, and celery. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring often.
  3. Add the diced carrots, parsnips, and rutabaga to the soup pot along with 1 tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper. Sauté for 5-6 minutes, stirring often.
  4. Add 8 cups of vegetable broth to the pot along with 2 bay leaves. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce to a low boil, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
  5. After 15 minutes, remove the cover and add the diced potatoes. Cover and allow to cook on a low boil for another 20 minutes or until all of the vegetables are easily pierced with a fork.
Immersion blender pureeing root vegetable soup in soup pot.

How Can I Add Flavor To My Vegetable Soup?

This root vegetable soup is a great 'blank canvas' recipe. You can tweak it to suit your taste.

  1. Once the vegetables are all fork tender the soup is done. Be sure to remove the bay leaves at this point.
  2. You can serve the soup as-is if you like it chunky or you can puree it using an immersion blender or potato masher. To blend it simply drop an immersion blender in the soup pot (remove it from the heat first) and pulse until you reach your desired consistency.
  3. Once you have reach your desired consistency add 2 Tbsp. of white wine vinegar to the soup and stir to combine. The vinegar helps to brighten up the flavors.

If using an immersion blender be sure not to scrape it across the bottom of the soup pot or it will damage the coating (I've learned this the hard way).

A potato masher works great if you do not have an immersion blender.

How To Add Even More Flavor

You can take things to the next level with any of these ingredients.

  • Heavy Cream, Sour Cream, or Greek Yogurt
  • Coconut Milk
  • Parmesan or Romano Cheese
  • A dash of your favorite spices like curry powder, paprika, or Italian seasoning
  • Fresh herbs of choice
  • A squeeze of lemon juice
  • A sprinkle of flaky salt or herb salt
Scoop of pureed vegetable soup lifted from soup pot in metal ladle.

What To Serve With Vegetable Soup

This soup is great to serve as-is but I always love to enjoy it with some crusty bread, toasted sandwich, homemade biscuits, or savory herb scones.

It's perfect paired with a Reuben or Rachel sandwich, gouda grilled cheese, tarragon chicken salad, or lemon basil BLT.

I love to dip the bread into the soup and the combo makes for a great hearty meal during the wintertime.

A flatbread like this arugula pesto prosciutto pizza or vegetarian Mediterranean flatbread is a nice pairing.

You can't go wrong with a hearty salad like this harvest wild rice salad or butternut squash salad.

Love root vegetables? Check out these recipes!

  • Healthy Harvest Vegetable Soup
  • Air Fryer Parsnips
  • Roasted Carrot Soup
  • Sweet Potato Kale Soup
Winter root vegetable soup in small white bowls topped with thyme next to slices of bread.

How Long Does Root Vegetable Soup Last In Fridge?

This soup lasts 3-4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Be sure to allow the soup to cool completely before transferring to the fridge for storage.

Can It Be Frozen?

This soup makes a great freezer meal! The recipe yields a big batch and may be cut in half if you like. Or, the leftovers can be frozen for later.

How To Freeze

  1. Prepare the soup as directed and allow it to come to room temperature before freezing.
  2. Once cooled, place in heavy-duty freezer bags or airtight food containers, label with the date, and freeze up to 3 months.

How To Thaw

  1. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove top.
  2. If adding extra ingredients like heavy cream or coconut milk it's best to do so at this point after the soup has been thawed and reheated.

Looking For More Soup Recipes? Don't Miss These!

  • Potato Leek Cauliflower Soup
  • Tuscan Vegetable Soup
  • Curried Cauliflower Potato Soup
  • Cannellini Bean, Kale, and Carrot Soup
  • Chunky Italian Vegetable Soup
  • Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
  • Lentil Cauliflower Soup
  • Asparagus Broccoli Soup

Love Root Vegetables? Don't Miss These Recipes!

Grilled Turnips and Radishes

Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese

Celery Root Remoulade

Low Carb Rutabaga Fries

Winter root vegetable soup in small white bowl garnished with thyme.

Root Vegetable Soup

Christine Rooney
This pureed vegan winter Root Vegetable Soup recipe is healthy and comforting! It's made with veggies like rutabaga, parsnips, and potatoes.
4.72 from 7 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipe!
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 45 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 10
Calories 149 kcal

Equipment

  • Dutch Oven

Ingredients
 
 

  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1 onion any color
  • 4 stalks celery
  • 4 large carrots yields 2 cups sliced
  • 2 large parsnips yields 1 cup sliced
  • 1 rutabaga yields 4 cups diced
  • 4 Yukon Gold potatoes yields 3 cups diced
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 8 cups gluten free vegetable broth
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt adjust to taste
  • 1 tsp. pepper adjust to taste
  • 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar or vinegar of choice

Instructions
 

  • Mince 6 cloves of garlic, 1 onion (any color), and 4 stalks of celery.
  • Wash and peel 4 carrots and 2 parsnips (be sure to remove wax from parsnips). Cut the carrots and parsnips into slices.
  • Peel 4 Yukon Gold potatoes (or potatoes of choice) and cut into chunks.
  • Peel the skin of a rutabaga with a knife (making sure to remove any wax) and discard. Dice the flesh of the rutabaga into chunks (the same size as the chunks of potato).
  • Heat a cast iron Dutch oven on heavy-bottomed soup pot on the stove top to medium heat. Add 2 Tbsp. olive oil to the pot. Once heated, add the minced garlic, onions, and celery. Saute for 4-5 minutes, stirring often.
  • Add the diced carrots, parsnips, and rutabaga to the soup pot along with 1 tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper. Saute for 5-6 minutes, stirring often.
  • Add 8 cups of vegetable broth to the pot along with 2 bay leaves. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce to a low boil, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
  • After 15 minutes, remove the cover and add the diced potatoes. Cover and allow to cook on a low boil for another 20 minutes or until all of the vegetables are easily pierced with a fork. Once the vegetables are all fork tender the soup is done. Be sure to remove the bay leaves at this point.
  • Serve the soup as-is if you like it chunky or you can puree it using an immersion blender or potato masher. To blend it simply drop an immersion blender in the soup pot (remove it from the heat first) and pulse until you reach your desired consistency.
  • Once you have reach your desired consistency add 2 Tbsp. of white wine vinegar to the soup and stir to combine.
  • To Serve: Garnish with your favorite toppings and serve with crusty bread (optional).

Notes

You can sub any variety of potato you like for Yukon Gold potatoes.
I recommend a low-sodium brand of vegetable broth to keep sodium levels low. Feel free to adjust salt and pepper levels to your liking.
You can garnish this soup with toppings such as heavy cream, sour cream, Greek yogurt, coconut milk, fresh herbs, or some herb salt.
Feel free to cut this recipe in half if you would like a smaller batch.
Be sure to remove the food-grade wax found on store-bought root vegetables before consuming.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 149kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 3gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 989mgPotassium: 684mgFiber: 5gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 5284IUVitamin C: 32mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 1mg
Keyword winter vegetable soup, healthy vegetable soup, root vegetable soup recipe
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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About Christine

My name is Christine Rooney. I live in rural Minnesota with my husband. I own and operate The Rustic Foodie and work as a freelance photographer and writer. I like my food to be like anything else in life - down to earth and full of flavor.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Gloria

    January 06, 2021 at 10:09 am

    5 stars
    I love root vegetables....and ALL these recipes sound fantastic. I will be sure to give some a try this winter.

    Reply
    • Christine

      January 07, 2021 at 4:44 am

      Hi Gloria - I feel like root vegetables get overlooked but are so tasty! Enjoy!

      Reply
      • Susan Reynolds Maldarella

        November 15, 2024 at 3:50 pm

        4 stars
        After having breast cancer I have changed my eating habits. Eating only plant based foods and this one fits the bill! Excellent! The best!

        Reply
        • Christine

          November 18, 2024 at 12:26 am

          Hi Susan - I'm so glad to hear that you're enjoying it! Take care! 🙂

          Reply
  2. Helen

    January 13, 2021 at 1:35 am

    5 stars
    I am always looking out for new soup recipes at this time of year and this looks really hearty and warming. Think I'll cook up a batch for or work-from-home lunches soon.

    Reply
  3. Alison Lowry

    January 22, 2023 at 11:28 pm

    5 stars
    I completed a three week cleanse which calls for root vegetable soup broth as the 2nd step of easing into eating again. I had never tried parsnips or turnips in soup but this recipe turned out perfect! I will be using it from now on! I can't wait to finish off the pot over the next few days! Thank you! 🙂

    Reply
    • Christine

      January 23, 2023 at 1:19 am

      Hi Alison - I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed this soup! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Jane

    April 19, 2023 at 12:40 pm

    5 stars
    I have been making this soup for years. I first saw the recipe in a soup cookbook. It was the same except no garlic, celery.or vinegar.Frozen Peas are added at the end. It also added milk and corn starch to thicken it at the end. (hence, no vinegar)No pulsing. I have also made Christines recipe. Its great. Then I tried it with sweet potatoes instead of white, and did not include the garlic, celery or milk/corn starch,and used a lg Vidalia onion. Also I added a can (rinsed ) of cannelli beans for more fiber. It had an overall sweeter taste. Its great for dieting...I have it 2x a day. This is a very versatile and healthy soup,as Christine has stated.

    Reply
4.72 from 7 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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Thanks for stopping by! My name is Christine Rooney. I live in rural Minnesota with my husband. I own and operate The Rustic Foodie and work as a freelance photographer and writer. I like my food to be like anything else in life - down to earth and full of flavor.

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