FREE 5-Ingredient Recipe EBook

Why You Need My Healthy Vegetable Soup Recipe
Ingredients & Substitutions
How To Make Vegetable Soup
My Tips For Adjusting Flavor
Healthy Vegetable Soup (30 Minutes!) Recipe card
More Vegetable Soup Recipes
Recipe Reviews

Skip the bland canned stuff… my healthy vegetable soup recipe is packed with savory flavor from fresh produce, broth, and herbs! Although I love to make hearty soups with veggies, like my cabbage hamburger soup and Mexican chicken soup , this is my best vegetable soup recipe to lean on when you want something light and quick. I’ll show you how to make it with your favorite in-season ingredients to warm you up from the inside out (all in just over half an hour). Plus, it’s so easy to customize. Make it with me!

Why You Need My Healthy Vegetable Soup Recipe

Light, but big on flavor – Veggies with savory, herby tomato broth? It’s the best of both worlds.
Simple ingredients – You’ll find everything you need at any grocery store, and possibly even in your refrigerator. Best of all, it’s easy to customize with whatever you have on hand. I often make this recipe for vegetable soup when I want to clean out my fridge!
Fast to make – I love that I can whip it up in just 30 minutes on busy weeknights.
Fits many healthy lifestyles – I make this healthy vegetable soup with fresh ingredients, so of course it’s got lots of veggies! But it’s also naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and low carb.

Hot vegetable soup in a ladle close up. - 3

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my homemade vegetable soup, what each one does in my recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card .

I see vegetable soup recipes as a blank canvas — you can add almost anything. Here are the basic components that you can customize based on your preferences and what you have:

Vegetables – Most often, I make this healthy vegetable soup with onions, bell peppers, cauliflower, green beans, canned diced tomatoes, and garlic. But I’ve also made it with other veggies, like kale or spinach (or throw in some leftover sauteed kale or sauteed spinach ), zucchini, cabbage, broccoli, or sliced celery ribs. Fresh veggies taste the best, but I’ve used frozen when I needed to. If you’re including greens, add them toward the end of cooking the soup.
Broth – I prefer the flavor of reduced-sodium chicken broth here. You can use vegetable broth (to make this vegetable soup recipe both vegetarian and vegan), or otherwise homemade bone broth is amazing.
Starches – I didn’t include any to keep this soup light. To make it more hearty, throw in potatoes, corn kernels, butternut squash, carrots, beans (like chickpeas or white beans), corn, or green peas. Cut larger veggies into bite-sized pieces.
Seasonings – Aside from the obvious salt and pepper, I add Italian seasoning , because it tastes great and saves time getting out multiple seasoning containers. If you don’t have any, you can use any combination of dried herbs you like, such as basil, rosemary, thyme, parsley, oregano, marjoram, or tarragon. If you have fresh herbs, triple the amount, as their flavor is less concentrated. I like to throw in some dried bay leaves for flavor as well.

Veggies, broth, and seasonings in bowls. - 4

How To Make Vegetable Soup

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card .

Saute the aromatics. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven ( this is my favorite one !) over medium heat. Saute the onions and bell peppers until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant.
Add the vegetables and broth. Add the cauliflower, green beans, diced tomatoes, broth, seasonings, and bay leaves, if using. Stir to combine.

Veggies added to the Dutch oven with broth. - 6

Simmer. Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until the veggies are tender. This is the part where my house smells amazing! 😉
Serve. Remove the bay leaves, and ladle into bowls. Sometimes I like to serve this healthy vegetable soup with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese or fresh parsley.

Finished healthy vegetable soup in a Dutch oven, before removing the bay leaves. - 7

My Tips For Adjusting Flavor

Sometimes the taste can vary depending on your veggies and brand of broth or diced tomatoes. Plus, everyone is a little different. Here are some ways I adjust this healthy vegetable soup when needed — and so can you:

Too sweet? Mix in a splash of vinegar, salt, or tabasco.
Too bland? Add more salt, or an extra dash of herbs and spices. Your preferences might be a little different from mine, but it’s so easy to customize this if you feel like something is missing!
Too spicy? A little heavy cream (or coconut cream) tames spicy foods, or dilute with extra broth or some vinegar.
Too salty? Extra tomatoes or some lemon juice can help.
Too acidic? Dilute with cream or coconut cream, or add more salt.

In my experience, PH balance is often all a vegetable soup needs. Lemon juice or vinegar add more acidity, while heavy cream or coconut cream will make it more alkaline (if tastes sour or spicy).

Want to add a protein? I’ve got recipes for beef vegetable soup or chicken vegetable soup . You can also just use the recipe I have here and simply add your protein before simmering the soup, along with an extra 1-3 cups of broth.

Recipe Video

Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.

2 tbsp Olive oil ▢
1 large Onion (diced) ▢
2 large Bell peppers (diced, the same size as onions) ▢
4 cloves Garlic (minced) ▢
1 medium head Cauliflower (cut into 1-inch florets) ▢
2 cups Green beans (trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces) ▢
2 14.5-oz cans Diced tomatoes ▢
8 cups Chicken broth, reduced sodium (or vegetable broth for vegetarian/vegan) ▢
1 tbsp Italian seasoning ▢
2 medium Bay leaves (optional) ▢
Sea salt (optional, to taste) ▢
Black pepper (optional, to taste) ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.

Heat olive oil in a pot or dutch oven over medium heat.
Add the onions and bell peppers. Saute for 7 to 10 minutes , until onions are translucent and browned.
Add the minced garlic. Saute for about 1 minute , until fragrant.
Add the cauliflower, green beans, diced tomatoes, broth, and Italian seasoning. Adjust sea salt and black pepper to taste. Add the bay leaves, if using.
Bring the soup to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium low, and cook for about 10 to 20 minutes , until veggies are soft.

LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!

Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size : 1 cup

Tips: If the flavor of your soup isn’t quite what you like, check out my tips above to help you figure out what it’s missing.
Store: Keep the soup covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Meal prep: I like to cut the vegetables ahead of time, because it makes cooking this healthy vegetable soup recipe is a breeze! Store them in the refrigerator until ready to use. You can also make the entire soup ahead — I love it reheated for lunch.
Reheat: Warm on the stovetop, or in the microwave, until warm.
Freeze: Cool to room temperature, then pour into airtight zip top bags. Lay flat in the freezer until solid, and after that you can move them upright to save space if needed. Thaw in the fridge overnight (in a container or pot to be safe, in case it leaks!).

📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Healthy Ebook Bundle !

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy .

Add Your NotesYour Notes

Homemade Vegetable Soup

More Vegetable Soup Recipes

Need more healthy veggie soup recipes? I have lots! Below are some of my favorites, or find my other healthy soups here .

Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List

Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?
The Basic Keto Meal Formula
Understanding Macros
Keto Food Swaps
Keto Food List
Electrolyte Basics
Keto Diet Types
Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?
Recipe Reviews

Even though I have a great guide to starting a keto diet , people often ask me for a quick keto cheat sheet they can use. That’s why I created this simple keto diet cheat sheet , so that you can have all the info you need handy. We’ll cover the basic keto formula for building meals, foods to eat and to avoid, delicious keto swaps for high-carb foods, electrolyte basics, and 4 ways to follow the keto lifestyle.

You can keep reading to view this info, or download my keto cheat sheet printable pdf to print out or save ad-free on any device (plus the pdf has more details!).

Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?

Keto Cheat Sheet System - printable pdf's and ebooks - 10

Get all this information and MORE in convenient printer-friendly format – 13 cheat sheet pages you can take with you anywhere or keep in your kitchen, plus 4 recipe cookbooks! Includes:

Keto food list (230+ foods) – Super detailed & color-coded, with net carb counts, so you’ll know exactly what to eat.
Foods to avoid on keto – Detailed and specific list so that you know exactly what to watch out for.
Macros cheat sheet – Explains everything you need to know about macros to succeed on keto.
Keto food swaps (60+ foods) – Covers virtually every food you love, so you don’t have to miss out!
Keto meal formula – With specific food ideas, so it’s easy to mix-and-match.
Keto flu guide – Understand what it is and exactly how to avoid it.
Electrolyte cheat sheet – With whole food ideas + bonus keto tips.
Keto Diet Types – Summary of 4 ways to do keto, so you can choose what fits you best.
FOUR (4!) Keto Swaps Recipe EBooks – Dozens of recipes to replace bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, desserts, and other carbs you’d otherwise miss.

Get The Printable Keto Cheat Sheet System + EBooks (Only $37)

The Basic Keto Meal Formula

Eating keto doesn’t have to be complicated! While there are plenty of delicious easy keto recipes to choose from, you don’t even have to cook from a recipe to get started.

Simply follow the keto cheat sheet formula of protein + veggie + fat for your meals.

Be sure to choose a moderate amount of protein, only low carb vegetables (mostly ones that grow above ground), and generous fat to attain an optimal macro ratio. That’s approximately 60-75% of calories from fat, 20-25% protein, and 5-10% from carbohydrates. The table below will give you ideas for what to choose.

Pick A Protein	Pick A Veggie	Add Fat
Beef Chicken Pork Eggs Lamb Turkey Fish Shellfish Protein powder Venison	Cauliflower Broccoli Zucchini Leafy Greens Cucumbers Brussels Sprouts Cabbage Asparagus Radishes Bell Peppers Jicama Celery	Butter Avocado Oil Cheese Bacon Avocado Lard Ghee Mayo Nuts MCT Oil

Understanding Macros

Macros are macronutrients for short. They include fat, protein, and carbohydrates.

You can calculate your own macros using the macro calculator , but the macro keto cheat sheet below will explain how to look at macros when following a keto lifestyle.

Carbs Are A Limit.

Keeping carbs low is what gets you into ketosis and keeps you there. Ketosis means that you’re using fat as your primary energy source instead of sugar, and requires keeping carbs very low.

A good starting point is 20-25 grams net carbs per day, but you can experiment after a few weeks to see if your body stays in ketosis at higher levels. People who are very active may be able to do more and stay in ketosis, up to around 50 grams per day.

“Carbs are a limit” means that you set a limit for how many carbs to eat per day and don’t exceed it. You don’t have to hit that limit, so if you’re under that’s okay, just don’t go over. Ideally most of your carbs would come from low carb vegetables, and if you’re eating enough veggies, you’ll usually get close to the limit naturally.

A common misconception is that reaching ketosis requires a certain macro ratio, but it’s really only restricting your carb intake that gets you there [ * ]. In the absence of sufficient carbs to use as energy, the body will switch to using fat as fuel. This is called the metabolic state of ketosis.

Protein Is A Goal.

Protein is made up of amino acids, the building blocks of all our cells. It’s a crucial for keeping our muscles strong and for many cellular functions [ * ].

“Protein is a goal” means that you always want to eat enough protein to reach the goal each day, but not exceed it too much. You want enough for your needs, but excess protein can trigger gluconeogenesis, which is protein being converted to sugar [ * ] and can kick you out of ketosis.

Fat Is A Lever.

Fat is the primary macronutrient in a keto lifestyle, because being in ketosis means that fat is your primary fuel source. Fat as a fuel source will come from your food, and if you are losing weight, from your body.

A big advantage of a keto lifestyle is the high fat intake. It keeps you full and satisfied, making it easier to stick to, and using it as the primary fuel source makes it easier on your body to burn body fat, with a lower chance of breaking down your muscle (provided you get enough protein).

Aside from reaching your protein goal and limiting your carbs, the remainder of your calories on a keto diet comes from fat.

Don’t fear fat – it’s your main energy source on keto, and getting enough of it trains your body to use fat for fuel instead of sugar. That means that as long as you are not overdoing your overall calorie intake, you’ll efficiently burn your body fat for fuel as well.

“Fat is a lever” means that you can increase or decrease your fat intake depending on your goals and hunger levels. Increase it (along with exercise) to gain muscle, or decrease it to lose weight.

Keto Food Swaps

One of my favorite challenges is creating recipes, or just discovering, keto food swaps. These are delicious keto replacements for traditionally high-carb or high-sugar foods.

So, I created this keto diet cheat sheet with all the swaps in one place! I also have more keto food swaps in my Easy Keto Cookbook .

Keto Swaps For Breakfast

Instead Of This…	Eat This
Pancakes	Almond flour pancakes or coconut flour pancakes
Oatmeal	Keto oatmeal with hemp seeds
Cinnamon rolls	Fathead cinnamon rolls
Cereal	Keto nut granola
Muffins	Almond flour muffins or coconut flour muffins
Donuts	Almond flour donuts
Scones	Almond flour scones
High-sugar smoothies	Smoothie with berries or avocado
Hash browns	Cauliflower hash browns
Breakfast casserole	Breakfast casserole with no potatoes
Egg whites	Whole eggs
Turkey bacon	Bacon
Waffles	Chaffles

Keto Swaps For Bread

Instead Of This…	Eat This
Bagels	Fathead bagels
English muffin	Almond flour English muffin
White bread	Keto white bread
Multigrain bread	Coconut flour bread with seeds
Tortillas for wraps	Coconut flour tortillas
Corn taco shells	Cheddar cheese taco shells
Burger buns	Oopsie rolls , portobello mushroom caps
Breadsticks	Cauliflower breadsticks
Biscuits	Almond flour biscuits
Cornbread	Almond flour cornbread
Croutons	Parmesan crisps
Rice	Cauliflower rice , konjac rice

Keto Swaps For Meals & Side Dishes

Instead Of This…	Eat This
Breaded wings	Crispy air fryer wings (unbreaded)
Low-fat meat & poultry	High-fat cuts, or cook low-fat cuts with fat
Mashed potatoes	Mashed cauliflower
Roasted potatoes	Roasted or fried radishes
Tacos	Taco salad
Pizza	Fathead crust , chicken crust , or cauliflower crust pizza
Lasagna	Eggplant lasagna
Potato salad	Cauliflower “potato” salad
French fries	Jicama , rutabaga , or zucchini fries
Tater tots	Cauliflower tots
Wraps	Lettuce wraps , almond flour tortillas
Sushi	Naruto-style or homemade rice-free sushi
Breaded chicken or fish	Breaded cuts with almond flour or pork rinds
Spaghetti	Zoodles , spaghetti squash , shirataki noodles, kelp noodles

Keto Swaps For Snacks & Sauces

Instead Of This…	Eat This
Nachos	Cheese crisps
High-sugar fruit	Berries & other keto fruits
Crackers	Almond flour crackers
Hummus	Cauliflower hummus
Soft pretzels	Fathead pretzels
Popcorn	Puffed cheese
Granola bars	Grain-free granola bars
Jam	Sugar-free berry chia jam
Sweet fruity yogurt	Full-fat plain Greek yogurt with berries
Sweet salad dressing	Ranch , blue cheese , or plain vinaigrette
Ketchup	Mustard and/or sugar-free ketchup
BBQ sauce	Sugar-free BBQ sauce
Sweetened peanut butter	Natural, sugar-free nut butters
Light mayo	Avocado oil mayo
Maple syrup	Sugar-free, maple flavored syrup
Potato chips	Zucchini chips , pepperoni chips , pork rinds

Keto food swaps - snacks and sauces - 14

Keto Swaps For Cooking & Baking

Instead Of This…	Eat This
Sugar	Monk fruit or allulose
Powdered sugar	Powdered monk fruit or allulose
White flour	Almond or Coconut flour (use in tested recipes)
Making baked goods soft/chewy	Xanthan gum, flax seed meal, psyllium husk powder
Breadcrumbs	Pork rinds or almond flour
Margarine	Butter, coconut oil, or ghee
Vegetable oil	Olive or avocado oil
Bananas	Banana extract
Chocolate chips	Sugar-free chocolate chips
Cornstarch or flour roux	Xanthan gum or gelatin powder (used at the end)
Simple syrup	Dissolve monk fruit allulose blend in water over heat

Keto food swaps - baking and cooking - 15

Keto Swaps For Drinks

Instead Of This…	Eat This
Lemonade	Water with lemon
Soda	Flavored sparkling water
Milk	Almond milk, coconut milk, heavy cream
Latte	Butter coffee
Coffee creamer	Heavy cream
Sweet wine	Dry wine
Beer	Ultra light beer
Mixed drinks	Hard liquor with soda + lemon

If you’re looking specifically for keto alcohol options, browse the full keto alcohol guide .

Keto Food List

When looking for a keto cheat sheet printable, the most-requested information is a keto food list.

The great thing is that keto doesn’t have to feel restrictive. It’s incredibly satisfying and there’s such a wide variety of foods you can eat!

Keto foods to eat and avoid summary - 17

Foods To Eat On Keto

Leafy greens – Such as spinach, chard, and lettuce.
Above-ground veggies – Such as peppers, zucchini, and cauliflower.
Full-fat cream & cheese – Such as heavy cream, sour cream, and full-fat hard cheeses.
Natural meats – Such as beef, lamb, and pork.
Berries – Such as raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries.
Avocados
Unsweetened nut milks – Such as almond milk and coconut milk.
Almond flour and coconut flour
Eggs
Healthy fats – Such as coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil and butter.

Foods To Avoid On Keto

White flour & sugar
Rice & grains – Such as barley, wheat, and corn.
Milk & yogurt – Such as fruit on the bottom yogurt, sweetened Greek yogurt, and all milk.
Cereal
Processed food – Such as granola bars, candy
Most fruit – Such as apples, bananas, and grapes
Hydrogenated fats – Such as vegetable oil, soybean oil, and margarine
Sweetened beverages & condiments – Such as soda, ketchup, and sweet dressings
Starchy veggies – Such as peas, carrots, and beets.
Potatoes – Such as sweet potatoes and white potatoes.

That’s the short keto diet cheat sheet version of all the keto food categories, but I recommend downloading the full Keto Cheat Sheet System. It includes a super detailed printable keto food list with over 100 items, including 2 color-coded pages with net carb counts, along with 6 more pages of keto cheat sheets:

Keto Cheat Sheet System - printable pdf's and ebooks - 18

Get The Keto Cheat Sheet System PDF (Only $37)

Electrolyte Basics

Getting enough electrolytes is crucial for anyone, but especially so on a keto diet. The reason is that ketosis has a diuretic effect, which increases excretion of water and electrolytes, especially sodium [ * ]. This is often the cause of the keto flu.

For more details on electrolytes and avoiding keto flu, check out the full keto flu guide here .

The important thing to know about electrolytes is that replenishing them will keep keto flu away and keep your body functioning well. I always recommend an electrolyte drink and whole food sources of anything your body needs before resorting to supplements, so I made a list of what to eat to get each of the 3 major electrolytes – sodium, magnesium and potassium.

Here’s your keto diet cheat sheet for getting electrolytes from food:

Sodium	Magnesium	Potassium
Bone broth Boullion cubes Bacon Salted nuts Pickles	Seaweed Seeds Nuts Avocado Leafy greens	Potassium chloride Avocado Bone broth Spinach Broccoli Mushrooms Beef Pork

Keto Diet Types

People follow a keto lifestyle for different reasons. Some do it just to lose weight, others are after better overall health, increased energy, and reduced inflammation.

Strictly speaking, the defining factor of a keto diet is the metabolic state of ketosis, which is achieved by restricting carbs. However, many people (myself included) also reduce or eliminate processed, inflammatory, or low-nutrient foods.

Below is your keto cheat sheet summary of the different ways that people follow keto. You choose what works best for your goals and lifestyle!

Strict Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, count all calories and macros, and eat clean, unprocessed foods.
Lazy Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, and track only net carbs OR eat keto foods without tracking.
Dirty Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, with “if it fits your macros” approach including processed foods.
Low Carb – Up to 50-100g net carbs daily, less strict.

For a more detailed listing of these different types of keto with pros and cons, grab the Easy Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF below!