This creamy Root Vegetable Soup features a smooth and earthy blend of beets, parsnips, onions, and potatoes with a simple seasoning to bring out the best Fall flavors. You can swap out root vegetables based on what you have. With just 8 whole-food ingredients plus spices, it's a simple dish for beginner and experienced cooks. It packs a lot of warm fuzzy feelings into one bright bowl!
This comforting root vegetable soup is most popular in the Fall and Winter months when root vegetables are a welcomed staple food. It's a new and different way to enjoy root vegetables when you're looking for an alternative to roasting with oil.
Because of this recipe's wholesome and nourishing ingredient list, I often make it when I have a cold or am feeling unwell due to chronic illness.
Make this recipe as a side dish or pair it with crusty bread like my Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread for a truly mouthwatering meal combination! For more gluten-free and vegan bread pairings, check out my 3-ingredient Gluten-Free Baguette Recipe, Gluten-Free Artisan Bread, and No Knead Gluten-Free Bread.
For more vegetable soup recipes, check out my Vegan Minestrone Soup, Thai Coconut Curry Soup with Tofu, Savory Pumpkin Stew, Tomato Soup with Shrimp, and Instant Pot Minestrone Soup.
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How to make it (with photos)
Make a fun and delicious root vegetable soup with just a handful of ingredients and a few beginner-friendly steps.
Ingredient Notes + Substitutions
This root vegetable soup recipe uses just 8 whole food ingredients plus a few spices. It is naturally gluten-free and vegan as written.
Root Vegetables
I wrote this recipe with a blend of beetroots, potatoes, and parsnips, but feel free to switch it up!
While many root vegetable swaps will work well in this recipe, I think it tastes best when beets are included. Beets are harvested in late summer and early Fall. They last for months when stored properly, so you are likely to find them in the supermarket during the Fall and Winter months. You can make this dish with golden or traditional red beetroots.
Use potatoes or sweet potatoes, add rutabaga or celeriac (celery root), swap parsnips for turnips, add carrots... this recipe is very versatile! Taste the soup as you go and adjust spicing and liquid amounts as needed.
I also recommend checking the comments to see what other readers have tried and enjoyed!
Coconut Oil + Coconut Milk
I used coconut oil and coconut milk for a plant-based root vegetable soup that's ultra comforting. However, butter or olive oil and either heavy cream or half-and-half make good replacements using dairy. Note that full fat coconut milk has a richness that is between heavy cream and half-and half, so you may need to slightly adjust the amount to get your desired consistency.
You also need a yellow onion, garlic, vegetable broth or chicken broth, ground cumin, turmeric, a bay leaf, salt and pepper, and lemon juice to taste (optional for brightness).
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients with quantities.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Learn how to make root vegetable soup with these 5 simple steps!
- Onion: Heat coconut oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring on occasion, until caramelized (approximately 5-7 minutes). Use splashes of water as needed to deglaze the pan.
- Garlic: Add garlic and stir until golden and fragrant (about 2 minutes).
- Cook the root veggies: Add broth, root vegetables, spices, and bay leaf. Stir together. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer until root vegetables are tender (about 15 minutes).
- Puree the soup: Remove the bay leaf. Turn off heat and use an immersion blender to puree completely. You can also use a standard food processor or standing blender -- in this case, wait for the soup to cool completely before pureeing.*
- Coconut milk: Stir in the coconut milk and serve hot.
*Important: Do not puree hot soup in a standing blender or food processor. The heat can cause the soup to expand and the top to pop off, creating a mess and burn hazard.
Expert Tip
Make the process (and root vegetable soup) smooth using an immersion or upright blender.
If you have an immersion blender, you can make this soup easily just before eating.
If using a standing blender or food processor, make this recipe earlier in the day or the night before so you can safely transfer and puree the soup in batches once cooled. Reheat before serving.
Recipe FAQ's
Here I answered some frequently asked questions about this root vegetable soup recipe. Don't see your question? Leave it in the comments at the end of this post and I'll answer within two business days.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Yes! Root vegetable soup makes very good leftovers. Like many soups, the longer it sits, the more time the flavors have to meld. I find it's best on days two and three.
You can roast the root vegetables first in the oven with a little bit of oil. This will give a nice roasted root vegetable flavor, but it is not necessary since this soup is plenty flavorful as is. If roasted until soft and caramelized, you will want to add the root vegetables in a little later in the soup-making process since they are already soft.
Related vegetable soup recipes to consider...
Looking for more vegetable soup recipes like this root vegetable soup? Check these out:
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the comment field below. Thank you!
📖 Recipe
Root Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 medium yellow onions roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth (475 ml)
- 3 medium beetroots , any color, peeled and diced
- 2 medium parsnips peeled and diced
- 2 medium white or sweet potatoes peeled and diced
- 1 14-ounce can full fat coconut milk (400 ml)
Spices
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 bay leaf
Finishing Touches
- salt and pepper to taste
- lemon juice to taste optional, just the tiniest bit!
Instructions
- Onion: Heat coconut oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring on occasion, until caramelized (approximately 5-7 minutes). Use splashes of water as needed to deglaze the pan.
- Garlic: Add garlic and stir until golden and fragrant (about 2 minutes).
- Cook the root veggies: Add broth, chopped root vegetables, spices, and bay leaf. Stir together. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer until root vegetables are soft (about 15 minutes).
- Puree the soup: Remove the bay leaf. Turn off heat and use an immersion blender to puree completely. You can also use a standard food processor or standing blender -- in this case, wait for the soup to cool completely before pureeing.*
- Coconut milk: Stir in the coconut milk. Add salt and pepper to taste and a small squeeze of lemon juice for brightness if you like. Serve hot.
Stella Quinn says
I made this last year and was excited to try it again! I even bought an immersion blender with this recipe in mind. It makes a lot of soup, but I did add an extra beet and a rutabaga too. I think it was about 8 servings for me and my boyfriend. I think the recipe changed a little because I don't remember the lemon juice, but I tried it and it was really good! Definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a new way to eat fall root vegetables.
Sara says
I fed this soup to my boyfriend who doesn't really like beets. I made sure to use the yellow ones so he couldn't tell. We were both really surprised how tasty this soup is! I also took Jamie's advice and it was really tasty with Irish Soda bread!