Brown's Hearty Vegetable Soup with Thyme

By Lauren Mitchell, Test Kitchen Director · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-05 · Updated 2026-04-05

A deeply flavorful, slow-simmered vegetable soup with a touch of thyme, perfect for chilly days and packed with garden-fresh goodness. This american-inspired soups (vegetarian) ready in about 50 minutes pairs medium, diced carrots, stalks, diced celery, large, diced onion for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 120 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

• 3 medium, diced carrots
• 2 stalks, diced celery
• 1 large, diced onion
• 2 medium, diced potatoes
• 1 medium, diced zucchini
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 tsp fresh, or 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves, minced garlic
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Step 1: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add 1 large diced onion, 2 diced celery stalks, and 3 diced medium carrots; sauté for 5 minutes until softened and golden at the edges.
2. Step 2: Stir in 3 minced garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn.
3. Step 3: Add 2 diced medium potatoes, 1 diced medium zucchini, 4 cups chicken broth, 2 tsp fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried), 1 tsp dried parsley, 1 tsp kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper to the pot.
4. Step 4: Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes until all vegetables are tender.
5. Step 5: Use an immersion blender to partially puree the soup until smooth but still retaining some vegetable chunks, or transfer 1 cup to a blender and return to the pot.
6. Step 6: Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Simmer uncovered for 5 more minutes to allow flavors to meld before serving.