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This root vegetable soup is very easy to make and is so hearty and warming that it feels like a nice warm hug – it’s perfect for a cold winter day! it comes together in under an hour and is so richly flavoured that you would never believe that it actually happens to be vegan!

This soup is a great way to celebrate winter produce, but it also includes a nutty and creamy hint from some tahini and a little bit of greenery from some wilted chard.

It also remains chunky, so there is no special equipment required to make it! This makes it a great alternative to something like my sweet potato soup or my cauliflower soup.

How to Make a Chunky Root Vegetable Soup

The first step is to roast your vegetables. Roasting develops some more complex flavours in the vegetables and also brings out the natural sweetness in the turnips and parsnips – which is something that you’re just not going to get if you simply boil everything in the soup.

Simply peel and cut some potatoes, parsnips and turnips into bite-sized pieces and then toss them in a bit of olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper.

Arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and move them to a 220°C/425°F oven and roast until browned and tender – about 30 minutes.

While the vegetables are roasting, you can get together the rest of your soup! Start with sauteeing your carrot, celery and leek.

As in lots of my other recipes (such as my white bean soup, chickpea and rice soup or even my pasta e fagioli), I recommend cooking these until they’re beginning to brown and take on lots of flavour – this will take up to fifteen minutes!

Just stir occasionally to ensure that nothing is burning, but it’s not too active during this time.

After your veggies reach their desired stage, then add in some minced garlic, a good amount of chopped fresh thyme and sage and some white miso paste for a bit of salty complexity. Stir this to combine and cook until just fragrant.

Then, just to thicken the soup a bit, sprinkle over a touch of flour and cook that for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Now, pour over some vegetable stock and a bit of soy sauce to up the umami of the soup.

Bring the soup to a simmer before adding in your roasted root vegetables. Then allow everything to simmer together for about ten minutes.

After this time, swirl in a little bit of tahini and some sherry vinegar. The tahini adds a delightful nuttiness and a nice, creamy quality to the soup.

Once you’ve stirred in the tahini and vinegar, add some chopped Swiss chard that you’ve removed from the stems.

This adds a splash of colour and a nice textural difference in the finished soup. Just allow the greens to wilt and turn tender – this should only take a minute or two.

Chunky Root Vegetable Soup (No Tomatoes!)

This soup is so deeply flavourful and is sure to warm you up on a cold day. Packed with lots of hearty root vegetables, it is also easily frozen and reheats perfectly, so make a big batch and eat it whenever you'd like!

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Servings 6

Prep Time 10

Total Time 50

Ingredients

2-3 parsnips peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 medium potato cut into bite-sized pieces
1 turnip peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
60 ml (¼ cups) olive oil divided
1-2 ribs celery finely diced
1 carrot finely diced
1 leek finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp fresh sage finely chopped
2 tsp fresh thyme finely chopped
2 tsp white miso paste
10 g (1 tbsp) plain (all-purpose) flour
2 litres (8½ cups) vegetable stock
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp tahini
2 tsp sherry vinegar
150 g (4 cups) swiss chard torn from stems and roughly chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add the parsnips, potato and turnip. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Move to the oven and roast until just tender and beginning to brown, about 30 mintues.
Meanwhile, add the remaining 3 tbsp of olive oil to a large saucepan and set over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the celery, carrot and leek along with a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have reduced in size considerably and are beginning to brown around the edges – about 10-15 minutes.
Add the garlic, sage, thyme, miso paste and a generous grind of black pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until very fragrant – about 1 minute.
Sprinkle over the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes, or until the flour begins to smell nutty and coat the bottom of the pan.
Pour over the vegetable stock and the soy sauce. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.
Add the roasted root vegetables and stir to combine. Taste to adjust for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper where necessary. Allow the soup to simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the tahini and sherry vinegar and stir to combine. Add the chard and stir to combine. Cook for a few minutes longer, just until the chard is wilted and tender. Taste to adjust for seasoning and serve.