It’s a homemade version of cup-a-soup!!! A creamy Vegetable Soup made without cream, with noodles and lots ‘n lots of veggies. Adapt this recipe to whatever veggies you have – fresh or frozen. This one is all about that creamy broth!
Creamy Vegetable Soup
This is a homemade version of the Cream of Vegetable Soup cup-a-noodle packs which is a little optimistically labelled with “lots of noodles!!” Because let’s be honest – a powder soup packet mix for a mug can only have so many noodles in it.
And while we’re on the topic, there’s not that much veggies in it either. (And I STILL loved it growing up!)
Hence the beauty of homemade!
Secret Ingredient: Vegeta
This is a standard creamy soup recipe, thickened with a roux made with melted butter and flour. It’s made with both milk and vegetable or chicken broth (or flavour), plus one very important secret ingredient: Vegeta.
Vegeta is a vegetable stock powder and this is what I use in place of salt in this soup. More flavour!! It’s widely available here in Australia, found in the herbs & spices section of supermarkets.
A NOTE ON STOCK POWDERS AND MSG
Vegeta contains MSG which is a food additive. In years gone by, there has been the misconception that MSG is “bad for you”. MSG is one of the most extensively researched food additives and studies show that MSG does not contain anything that is specifically harmful to you. However, there are people who are sensitive to it, just like with many foods like peanuts.
Here is some information on this topic from the Food Authority of NSW, Australia, and here is some more information on Vegeta, including other recipes I use it in!
Fridge forage time!
I’ve made this cream of Vegetable Soup using ingredients that I (think I) spy on the packets of the cup-a-noodle soups. A mixture of fresh (carrots, celery, onion, capsicum) and frozen (peas and corn), all vegetables that make my weekly shop.
However – and regular readers know I say this a lot – feel free to make this using any vegetables you want! Use 7 to 8 cups of chopped veggies of choice, including onion.
I like to break the pasta into short pieces to make them easier to eat with a spoon, because as much as we all love the long pasta pulls, nobody likes hot soup slapping around on their chin.
To mimic the cup-a-noodles, I use linguine here, but any pasta will do – short or long.
Soup dunkers
I know this has noodles in it, so one could consider a side of bread as carb overkill. But nobody ever says no to warm crusty bread for dunking into creamy soup broths, right?? Here are some of my favourites!
Best way to store noodle soup
If you leave cooked pasta in any liquid, it becomes bloated and overly soft. My Asian roots make me a rice snob – I cannot stand overcook mushy rice – and this snobbery extends to pasta.
So if making ahead or you know you’ll have lots of leftovers, cook the pasta separately and place into bowls then ladle over the soup. This is because pasta left in any liquid becomes bloated and overly soft.
This applies to all noodle and pasta soups! – Nagi x
PS I should probably mention the SUPER LOW CAL version of this Cream of Vegetable Soup (what’s the secret??!🤫)
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Creamy Vegetable Soup with Noodles (No cream!)
Ingredients
- 50g (3 tbsp) butter , unsalted
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1/2 onion , finely chopped
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/3 cup (70g) flour (Note 2 cornflour/cornstarch GF)
- 3 cups (750 ml) milk , any (I use low fat)
- 2 cups (500 ml) vegetable or chicken broth , low sodium
- 1 cup (250 ml) water
- 3 tsp Vegeta or other stock powder (Note 1)
- 200g / 7oz linguine or other pasta , broken into 4 pieces
- Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetables (sub 8 cups any diced veg):
- 2 carrots , diced
- 2 celery ribs , diced
- 1 red capsicum/bell pepper , diced
- 1 cup corn kernels , frozen or canned drained
- 1 cup frozen peas
Optional garnish:
- Fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large pot over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 2 minutes. Then add carrot and celery. Cook for a further 2 minutes, then add capsicum and cook for another 1 minute.
- Add flour and mix, cook for 1 minute.
- Add about half the broth and mix. Once flour is incorporated into the broth, add remaining broth, milk, water, dried thyme, Vegeta and pepper. Mix, then add corn and peas.
- Bring to simmer then lower heat slightly.
- Break pasta into 4 pieces and add into pot. Cook for 10 minutes or until pasta is just cooked. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and serve, garnished with a tiny sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves if desired.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Other favourite soup recipes
Chicken Noodle Soup from scratch, using a whole chook or try this faster Chicken Noodle Soup
Classic Pumpkin Soup – or try this roasted No Chop Pumpkin Soup
Lentil Soup (it’s amazing!)
Life of Dozer
This is what happens if you sit at the table next to me at the coffee shop.
That soup bowl is just the right thing for the current Sydney weather.
I DID hear it was pretty gloomy these school holidays!