Delia Smith Vegetable Soup​ Recipe

This classic vegetable soup is the kind of comforting, everyday cooking Delia does so well: simple prep, honest ingredients, and a bowlful that tastes far greater than the sum of its parts. It’s softly chunky with a light, savoury broth, gently sweet from carrots and leeks, and finished with herbs for that cosy British flavour. It’s an easy, beginner-friendly soup you can have on the table in about 50 minutes. I like it best with a handful of oven-baked croutons for crunch, but it’s just as lovely with crusty bread.

Ingredients

For the soup

• 2 tbsp olive oil (or 25g butter)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 leeks, trimmed and finely sliced (white and pale green parts)
• 2 celery sticks, finely diced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced small
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (about 300g)
• 150g swede or turnip, peeled and diced (optional)
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed (optional)
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1.25 litres hot vegetable stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp dried thyme (or 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves)
• 150g frozen peas
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional, to finish)

Optional croutons for serving

• 2 slices bread (white, sourdough, or wholemeal), cut into 1.5cm cubes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Pinch of dried thyme (or a little fresh thyme)
• Pinch of salt (optional)

How to Make Delia Smith Vegetable Soup​ Recipe

Oven preparation (for optional croutons)

• Prepare the oven: Preheat the oven to 200°C or 180°C fan. Line a small baking tray so the croutons crisp up quickly and do not stick.
• Season the bread: Toss the bread cubes with olive oil and thyme (and a tiny pinch of salt if you like). Spread in a single layer for even browning.

Mixing and simmering the soup

• Soften the base vegetables: Set a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil (or butter), then tip in the onion, leeks, and celery with a pinch of salt. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and glossy but not browned.
• Add the hearty vegetables: Stir in the diced carrots, potatoes, and swede (if using). Cook for 2 minutes so everything gets lightly coated in the oil.
• Build flavour: Add the garlic (if using) and tomato purée. Stir for 1 minute to take the raw edge off the purée.
• Add stock and herbs: Pour in the hot vegetable stock. Drop in the bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a gentle simmer, then lower the heat and cook for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a knife.
• Finish with peas: Stir in the frozen peas and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, just until they are hot and bright green.

Baking (croutons) and blending

• Bake the croutons: While the soup simmers, bake the prepared bread cubes for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once halfway through, until crisp and golden. Set aside.
• Blend a little for body: Fish out and discard the bay leaf. For a lightly thickened soup without losing the chunky texture, blend 1 to 2 ladlefuls (using a blender or stick blender) and stir it back into the pan.

Cooling and assembling (serving)

• Cool briefly if blending more: If you plan to blend a larger amount, let the soup stand for 5 minutes first. This makes it safer and helps prevent steam pressure in a jug blender.
• Season properly: Taste, then add salt and black pepper as needed. Stir in the lemon juice if you want a brighter, fresher finish.
• Assemble and serve: Ladle into warm bowls and scatter over the croutons. Serve straight away while the soup is piping hot.

Tips

How do I stop vegetable soup tasting bland?

Salt in layers and use gentle simmering rather than a hard boil. Cooking the tomato purée for a minute and finishing with a squeeze of lemon helps the flavours taste clearer and more rounded.

Why are my vegetables still hard?

The most common reason is pieces being cut too large. Dice everything small and evenly, and make sure the soup is truly simmering, not just warm. Potatoes and swede will take the longest, so they need to be cut slightly smaller than carrots.

Can I make it thicker without adding cream?

Yes. Blend a couple of ladles of soup and stir it back in, or add an extra potato. Both options thicken naturally and keep the flavour clean and savoury.

How do I avoid oily soup?

Keep the heat medium-low when softening the onion and leeks. If the oil looks like it is pooling, your heat is too high and the veg will fry rather than soften, which can throw the balance off.

Serving Suggestions

• Crusty bread and salted butter
• Cheese toasties or a simple grilled cheese
• A sprinkle of grated Parmesan or mature Cheddar
• A spoonful of pesto swirled into the bowl
• Extra herbs, such as chopped parsley or chives

Storage

Room temperature

Cool the soup quickly, then refrigerate within 2 hours. Soup should not be left out on the counter for extended periods.

Refrigerator

Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the hob until piping hot, stirring occasionally so the vegetables heat evenly.

Freezing

Freeze in airtight containers (leave a little headspace) for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge, then reheat thoroughly. If the potatoes soften slightly after freezing, blending one ladleful can improve the texture.

Nutrition

• Calories: 180 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 26 g
• Protein: 5 g
• Fat: 6 g
• Saturated Fat: 1 g
• Sodium: 650 mg

Nutrition values are estimates and will vary depending on the stock and exact vegetables used.

FAQs

Delia Smith Vegetable Soup​ Recipe

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: SoupCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

bowls

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

35

minutes

Total time

50

minutes

Calories

180

kcal

50

minutes

A comforting, classic British vegetable soup inspired by Delia Smith: gently chunky, savoury, and full of simple everyday vegetables. Perfect with crusty bread or homemade croutons.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil (or 25g butter)

• 1 large onion, finely chopped

• 2 leeks, trimmed and finely sliced (white and pale green parts)

• 2 celery sticks, finely diced

• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced small

• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (about 300g)

• 150g swede or turnip, peeled and diced (optional)

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed (optional)

• 1 tbsp tomato purée

• 1.25 litres hot vegetable stock

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 tsp dried thyme (or 2 tsp fresh leaves)

• 150g frozen peas

• Salt and black pepper, to taste

• 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional, to finish)

• 2 slices bread, cut into cubes (optional croutons)

• 1 tbsp olive oil + pinch of thyme (optional croutons)

Directions

• If making croutons, preheat the oven to 200°C or 180°C fan and line a small tray.
• Heat olive oil (or butter) in a large saucepan. Add onion, leeks and celery with a pinch of salt and cook gently for 8 minutes until softened.
• Stir in carrots, potatoes and swede (if using). Cook for 2 minutes, then add garlic (if using) and tomato purée and cook 1 minute more.
• Pour in hot stock. Add bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cook for 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
• Add frozen peas and simmer for 3–5 minutes. Remove bay leaf, then blend a small portion (optional) for a lightly thickened broth.
• Season with salt and black pepper. Finish with lemon juice if you like it brighter.
• For croutons: toss bread cubes with olive oil and thyme, bake 8–10 minutes until crisp and golden.
• Ladle into warm bowls and top with croutons. Serve straight away.

Notes

• Dice the vegetables small so they cook evenly in the same time.
• For a thicker soup, blend 1–2 ladles of soup and stir it back in.
• Stock cubes vary in salt. Season at the end so it does not turn too salty.
• Soup keeps well and often tastes better the next day.