35 Vegetarian Soup Recipes to Keep You Warm All Winter Long (2024)

Katherine Gillen

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PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 45 minutes
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian, keto

For an adult pairing to that homemade grilled cheese, look no further than this flavorful roasted tomato number. Tangy goat cheese and fresh herbs elevate it from the canned classic you used to love as a kid. (Leave the goat cheese out to make it vegan.)

TWO PEAS AND THEIR POD

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, vegan, dairy free

There’s no better desk lunch than this hearty dish. With a blend of spices, vegetables and protein-filled lentils, it will up the ante for every one of your meals this week (seriously, it makes several servings). And we promise it will be more satisfying than your usual $15 salad.

PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL

• Time Commitment: 7 hours, 35 minutes
• Why We Love It: slow cooker recipe, vegetarian, high protein

It has pasta, cheese and even wine—what’s not to like? You won’t realize you’re eating a ton of veggies because there are so many tasty ingredients in this slow-cooked masterpiece. Put on a rom-com while you devour a bowl, and you’re set up for a next-level night in.

AMBITIOUS KITCHEN

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why We Love It: vegan, gluten free, dairy free

Hi, health queen—we love something that’s fragrant and spicy, especially when we’re feeling rundown after a dreary day. With ginger, plant-based protein and fragrant lemongrass, this has everything your body needs to recharge.

PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL

• Time Commitment: 55 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, <10 ingredients

If you love the idea of a crab boil—minus the crab—this creamy soup is reminiscent of the flavorful corn and potatoes served at a New England backyard party. Plus, it only boasts five ingredients, and between prep and cooking, it takes less than an hour to make from start to finish. (Swap olive oil for the butter to make it plant-based.)

FLOATING KITCHEN

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, crowd-pleaser, dairy free

Pour yourself a glass of Chardonnay and sip it with your pinky out alongside this decadent combination of mushrooms and white wine. It happens to be dairy free, but it’s so creamy, you’d honestly have no idea.

MARIA SIRIANO/THE PROBIOTIC KITCHEN

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: <30 minutes, vegetarian, gluten free

Skip the takeout and get in on this light-yet-filling (not to mention nourishing) bowl of noodle soup. The mushrooms are meaty and the miso paste adds a sweet, mellow flavor. If you stir in the miso right when you finish cooking it, you’ll retain those gut-loving probiotic benefits. Win-win.

FEED ME PHOEBE

• Time Commitment: 55 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, dairy free

Impress everyone at the dinner table with a bowl of this vibrant borscht-esque soup. The herbs and citrus give the eastern European classic a modern flare, and because it’s packed with beets, your body will thank you later (they’ve been linked to fighting inflammation and keeping blood pressure in check).

KATHERINE GILLEN

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, dairy free

While many aromatic soups require hours of slow cooking, this Instant Pot creation is quick and vegan-optional if you use vegetable broth. The best part is the final coconut yogurt drizzle, which simultaneously gives it some extra body and a slightly sweet flavor that you’ll love.

PLAYS WELL WITH BUTTER

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why We Love It: dairy free, gluten free, vegan, vegetarian

Who doesn’t appreciate a hearty bowl of chili? This vegan masterpiece marries the spicy flavors of poblano and jalapeño peppers, which give the hominy and white beans a powerful punch. Just give your dinner guests a spice warning in case they aren’t expecting things to get hot.

PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, gluten free

Forget everything you thought you knew about peas. Not only is this bowl savory and flavorful, but the fresh mint on top is seriously refreshing. No one will fight you to finish the whole thing like your mom did with peas back in the day—this time around, you’ll be licking the bowl.

PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL

• Time Commitment: 7 hours, 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: slow cooker recipe, vegan, vegetarian, dairy free, gluten free

Whether you had too much fun at the Christmas party or you’re coming down with a cold, we could all use a little detox at some point or another. With ginger, lemongrass and a mix of fresh vegetables and herbs on top, you’ll finish a bowl of this soup feeling full and nourished.

THE MOM100

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: dairy free, vegetarian

Roasting cauliflower beforehand packs in some serious savory flavor. And although you might not be familiar with sunchokes yet, this is a fantastic introduction to the earthy, iron-rich root vegetable.

THE FULL HELPING

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegan, <30 minutes, dairy free

Frozen dumplings are an underrated secret to a quick, filling meal, and this soup proves it to be true—combined with kimchi, curry paste and coconut milk, it literally tastes like a hug in a mug. And with a squeeze of lime juice, you’ll be glad you have the rest of the pot to finish later.

PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, gluten free

Forget PSLs—this takes the cake for fall-winter pumpkin creations (and you’ll get bonus points if you serve it in a hollowed-out pumpkin). Plus, the combination of rosemary, thyme and leeks will make you feel completely prepared for any blizzards heading your way.

SALT and WIND

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: <30 minutes, vegetarian

This is an egg-cellent dish for any egg-eating vegetarians out there. The slow-roasted tomatoes add tons of flavor, but we’ll be honest: We’ll eat anything with a bunch of garlic in it. (Maybe just have some mints within arm’s reach if you’re planning to socialize afterwards.)

KERRI AXELROD

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: <30 minutes, dairy free, vegetarian

Behold a modern twist on the classic cream of broccoli. This version blends chickpeas into the mix and swaps broccoli rabe for the usual broccoli base. You’ll feel a little lighter than normal, too, because even though it’s extremely rich, it’s secretly dairy free.

INSPIRALIZED

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why We Love It: gluten free, vegan, vegetarian

Reminiscent of lasagna, this is the ultimate comfort food we never knew we were missing. The zucchini is shaved into ribbons, mimicking the texture and look of lasagna noodles to a T. The lentils replace ground beef or turkey—but trust us, even your meat-loving uncle won’t be able to taste the difference.

OhCarlene

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, dairy free

This Thai-inspired soup blends butternut squash with coconut milk and soft, silken tofu, making for a texture so decadent that it gives off some real main dish energy. (You can easily leave out the fish sauce to make it fully vegan, BTW.)

CHOCOLATE FOR BASIL

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, dairy free

Creamy peanut butter blends with sweet potatoes and spicy habanero peppers, making for an incredible sweet and spicy combination. To be honest, the crispy baked okra is the best part of this dish, but we like to save those for last. This is truly unlike anything we’ve ever made, but it’s certainly a stew to remember.

WHAT'S GABY COOKING

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: <15 minutes, vegetarian, dairy free

This soup is certainly fiery, so it’s not for the faint of heart. But as an added benefit, it will clear your sinuses in an instant. Keep it in your back pocket for cold season.

The Yellow Butterfly

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, dairy free, <30 minutes

Here’s a creative way to use up a lot of goods already in your pantry (chickpeas, coconut milk, spices and broth). The warm flavors will take the chill off any frigid winter night, and when served with some toasted naan, it becomes the ultimate comfort meal.

COOKIE AND KATE

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, dairy free, gluten free

This flavorful soup packs in a long list of nutritious yet easy-to-find ingredients. The quinoa adds some protein-packed texture, while the kale and other veggies bring color, vitamins and of course, tons of flavor. Unless you want to add the optional Parmesan cheese, it also happens to be vegan.

JESSICA IN THE KITCHEN

• Time Commitment: 4 hours, 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, vegan, dairy free

With the rich taste of mushrooms and the texture of wild rice, this certainly makes for one heck of a meal. It’s recommended that you use real wild rice—not just a wild rice blend—to avoid any mushiness.

Feel Good Foodie

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, make ahead

Although tortilla soup is usually made with chicken, this gives you the opportunity to try it plant-based. And being able to top it off with fun ingredients like avocado, cheese, diced onions and cilantro makes it a total winner winner (no-chicken) dinner.

Brown Sugar

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, beginner-friendly, one pot

Everyone needs to store an easy veg chili recipe up their sleeve, and this one is filling, cheap and quick to make. With meatless “meat” crumbles, a few different types of beans and zucchini, your crew might not even realize it’s plant-based. Make things fancy and set up a toppings bar with shredded cheese (or vegan cheese), cilantro and tortilla chips.

BUTTER BE READY

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, vegan, one pot

This aromatic, veggie-packed soup was created in the name of Meatless Monday by a blogger who doesn’t actually consider herself vegetarian—and she says it easily fulfills any and all of her cravings. If you ask us, all soups call for a crusty bread, so consider baking a loaf yourself or simply picking up some from the nearby bakery.

MAKE IT DAIRY-FREE

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 8 minutes
• Why We Love It: Instant Pot recipe, vegetarian

Here’s yet another Instant Pot soup recipe that takes virtually no time to make, but tastes like you spent the entire day cooking. It’s a delicious Mexican-inspired meal all by itself, that can be easily elevated with some tortilla chips, or—gasp!—maybe even some garlic bread. It only calls for 10 ingredients (so grocery shopping will be a breeze) and you likely already have many of them sitting in your pantry.

Katherine Gillen

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, Instant Pot recipe, one pot

Use any type of ’shroom you like here, whether that’s baby bellas, shiitakes or a wild mix. And because we know you’re wondering, the leftovers reheat beautifully.

CAITLIN BENSEL/THE MEDITERRANEAN DISH

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, high protein, <500 calories

While we highly recommend you include the grated Pecorino Romano for a full-bodied flavor, you can also leave it out to make this hearty soup completely plant-based.

DAVID LOFTUS/SAM’S EATS

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, <500 calories

Substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock in this recipe to make it vegetarian, and complete it with roasted garlic and chili oil for spicy flavor.

CAROLINA RODRIGUEZ/THE LULA CAFE COOKBOOK

• Time Commitment: 4 hours, 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, gluten free

In this twist on miso soup, the star ingredient is caramelized in browning butter, where it develops deep nutty aromas andintensifies all of the other flavors (apples! onion! sweet potato!) in the mix. Use store-bought vegetable stock if you want a shortcut.

NISHA VORA

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegan, vegetarian, beginner-friendly, dairy free

There are a few tricks for making a creamy soup without any actual cream. Our favorite method? It has to be cashews, which can transform a brothy pot into a silky, luscious puree like nobody’s business.

Katherine Gillen

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why We Love It: sheet pan recipe, vegetarian

You makeentire mealson your belovedbaking sheet, so why can’tsoupjoin in on the fun? Simply chop all your vegetables, toss everything on a sheet pan with some olive oil and seasonings and roast until caramelized and tender. All that’s left is to blend and top with whatever pleases you—we chose a crunchy seed brittle, but croutons or cheese would be equally delicious.

YUMNA JAWAD/FEEL GOOD FOODIE

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, beginner-friendly

Think of this brothy version of the viral TikTok recipe like a rich, creamy update on your typical tomato (or, even better, a grown-up version of Spaghetti-Os).

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Freelance PureWow Editor

Senior Food Editor

Katherine Gillenis PureWow’s senior food editor. She’s a writer, recipe developer and food stylist with a degree in culinary arts and professional experience in New York City...