Root Vegetable Soup Recipe | The Rustic Foodie® (2024)

Dated: January 5, 2021 Last Modified: January 24, 2024 This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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.

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!

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)

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.

See Also

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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.

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

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

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

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