Best-Seasonal-Root-Vegetable Soup

By Lauren Mitchell, Test Kitchen Director · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-04 · Updated 2026-04-04

A nourishing soup featuring the freshest root vegetables harvested at peak season, simmered to deep, earthy perfection. This soups ready in about 50 minutes pairs large, finely chopped onion, stalks, diced celery, vegetable broth for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 180 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 2 medium, diced into 1/2-inch cubes carrots
• 2 medium, diced into 1/2-inch cubes parsnips
• 1 medium, diced into 1/2-inch cubes turnips
• 1 large, finely chopped onion
• 2 stalks, diced celery
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Step 1: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add 1 large chopped onion and 2 diced celery stalks, cooking for 5 minutes until onions are translucent and fragrant.
2. Step 2: Stir in 2 diced carrots, 2 diced parsnips, and 1 diced turnip, cooking for 3 minutes to soften edges.
3. Step 3: Add 4 cups vegetable broth, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 bay leaf, 3/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cover, cooking for 25 minutes until vegetables are fork-tender.
4. Step 4: Remove bay leaf and blend half the soup with an immersion blender until smooth (or transfer to a blender in batches), then return to pot. Simmer uncovered for 5 more minutes until sauce coats the back of a spoon.