Last Updated on June 17, 2026 by Deliciously Organic Editor
I picked up a copy of Nourishing Traditions 13 years ago when I was learning how to cook and bake with unprocessed ingredients. Cream of Vegetable Soup was one of the first recipes I tried and the entire family fell in love with this delightful soup. Abby even requested it for her birthday dinner when she turned three!
The soup offers a comforting mix of vegetables, healthy fats, herbs and sea salt that nourishes from the inside-out. It makes for great leftovers, in fact, my kids took this soup in an insulated thermos to school today! It also freezes well.
If you’re hosting a holiday party, you can even pour the soup into individual shot glasses and top with a small dollop of sour cream and a few thyme leaves. Place them on a tray and pass. Your guests will love it!
We like to serve it with a dollop of creme fraiche, a bit of raw cheddar and some fresh thyme leaves, but you can also serve it without the garnishes or with sour cream in place of the creme fraiche.
PrintCream of Vegetable Soup
Adapted from Nourishing Traditions.
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Category: Main Dish
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter (or 3 tablespoons duck fat for a dairy-free option)
- 2 yellow onions, chopped
- 4 carrots, chopped
- 4 large russet potatoes, chopped (or 1 large head cauliflower chopped for a lower carb option)
- 10 cups chicken stock
- 3 sprigs of fresh thyme, tied together with a piece of twine
- 4 zucchini, cut into 1-inch coins
- 2 teaspoons Celtic sea salt
- 1/2 cup raw heavy cream (or coconut milk for a dairy-free option)
- Creme fraiche, sour cream, raw shredded cheddar (optional)
Instructions
- Melt the butter over low heat in a dutch oven. Add the onions and carrots, put the lid on the pot and let the vegetables sweat for 30 minutes. Add the potatoes and stock and increase heat to medium-high and boil. Reduce the heat to a low boil and cook until potatoes are fork tender. Add the thyme sprigs and zucchini and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until the zucchini are tender. Remove the thyme bundle from the soup. Using a hand-immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. Stir in salt and cream. Taste the soup and add more sea salt if needed. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with a dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche and raw cheddar (if using).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Serves 6-8
Could I use ghee instead of the butter or duck fat?
Yes, but use 3 tablespoons instead.
RE: the Thyme wrapped in twine. I am assuming you remove them before blending the soup?
Oops! Yes! I’ll make the edit. 🙂
Love this recipe! I just used a regular pot on the stove and did it all in one (since I didn’t have a dutch over) and left out the thyme since I didn’t have fresh and it is still amazing. So easy too. Thank you.
Thank you so much for this recipe.
We LOVE soup and the idea of filling shot glasses with soup for company – very clever. Thank you.
During one phase of Covid we were living in a small cottage and there was only a small breakfast bar sooooo we had SOUP ON THE SOFA with our guests.
I look forward to trying this recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! and, I love soup on the sofa! 🙂
Can’t wait to try this! I’m always on the lookout for nourishing meat-free ideas for using up homemade bone broth. And I love the shot glass idea! 🙂
I’ve made this soup twice now and it’s so delicious! Everyone from my 2 year old to my senior citizen parents enjoyed it. Thanks for another great recipe, Carrie!
Hi there. I believe I have hashimoto disease have all the symptoms however bloods don’t show. I see this that this soup have cauliflower I thought we are supposed to avoid certain foods whilst detoxing?
Thank you
Cooked cauliflower is on the “ok” list when dealing with Hashimotos, but it’s important to remember that we are all biochemically individual, so if your body doesn’t do well with cauliflower, then it’s best to avoid it.
What other herbs can I use without overpowering the soup? Will milk be an OK substitute or do I need to make a rue?
I have:
Red potatoes
Leeks/onions
Carrots
Milk
Butter
Olive oil
Parsley
Spice blends from mrs. Dash
Herbs De provence
Black pepper
Vegetable stock
Anybody try sweet potatoes in this? Cauliflower isn’t my favorite…. I was curious how sweet potatoes impacted it 🙂
I haven’t tried it, but it sounds like a good option! 🙂
Any idea what the calorie count is on this?
I’m not sure, but you can enter this recipe into a calorie counter to find out!
I love this recipe! We made a few adjustments to meet our likings, like adding garlic and rosemary. We also only blended half of it because my kids like to have chunks in their soup.
This soup is so delicious and a great way to get veggies in. My kids don’t even like squash, but they loved it. We even made two batches of it in under a week!
Did you leave the skins on the zucchini and the potatoes?
Yes, I leave the skins on.
What does it mean to “let the vegetables sweat?” Do we leave the pan on low heat during this time?
When the heat is on low, and the lid is on, this is called sweating.
Can I use an instant pot to make this soup?
I haven’t tested alternative methods, so I’m not sure.
Where can I get raw dairy products? The only thing I can occasionally find near me, is raw milk.
Check realmilk.com for milk in your area.
I don’t have an immersion blender. Can I skip this step and just eat the soup “as is”?
You can, but it definitely won’t have the same flavor or texture.
Love this recipe.