Creamy Garlic Parmesan Veggie Soup (Print)

Rich, comforting soup with vegetables in creamy garlic Parmesan broth.

# Ingredients:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 large yellow onion, diced
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 2 medium carrots, diced
06 - 2 celery stalks, diced
07 - 1 large red bell pepper, diced
08 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
09 - 1 large Yukon gold potato, peeled and diced
10 - 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
11 - 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
12 - 4 cups vegetable broth

→ Dairy & Cheese

13 - 1 cup whole milk
14 - 1 cup heavy cream
15 - 1.5 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
16 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

→ Seasonings

17 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
18 - 0.5 teaspoon dried oregano
19 - 0.5 teaspoon smoked paprika
20 - 0.25 teaspoon ground black pepper
21 - 0.5 teaspoon salt, or to taste
22 - Pinch of cayenne pepper, optional

→ Thickener

23 - 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

# Directions:

01 - In a large soup pot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for 3 minutes until softened. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
02 - Add the diced carrots, celery, and bell pepper to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
03 - Stir in the diced zucchini, potato, corn, and peas. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables, stirring well to coat all ingredients. Cook for 2 minutes to eliminate the raw flour taste.
04 - Gradually pour in the vegetable broth while stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Add the dried thyme, oregano, smoked paprika, black pepper, salt, and cayenne pepper if desired.
05 - Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes and vegetables are fully tender.
06 - Stir in the whole milk and heavy cream. When the soup is hot but not boiling, add the grated Parmesan and shredded mozzarella cheeses, stirring continuously until fully melted and the soup achieves a creamy, stretchy consistency.
07 - Taste the soup and adjust seasonings as needed. Ladle into bowls and serve hot, garnished with extra Parmesan cheese and freshly cracked black pepper.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen, but honestly takes less than an hour from start to finish.
  • The cheese doesn't just flavor the soup—it creates this luxurious, almost decadent texture that makes you feel like you're eating something restaurant-worthy.
  • It's entirely vegetarian but so hearty and satisfying that nobody will miss the meat.
02 -
  • Never let the soup boil after you've added the cream and cheese—it will break and separate, and trust me, you'll wish you'd paid attention to this one rule.
  • If you accidentally add too much salt, a raw potato slice stirred in for a few minutes will absorb some of it, which I learned after making the soup unpalatably salty one evening and then saving it at the last second.
03 -
  • Grate your Parmesan fresh from a block rather than using the pre-grated kind—it melts infinitely more smoothly and creates a silkier texture.
  • If you want to make this gluten-free, swap the all-purpose flour for cornstarch or a gluten-free flour blend, and nobody will ever know the difference.
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