Midwestern Harvest Root Vegetable Soup

By AislePrompt Test Kitchen · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-06 · Updated 2026-04-06

A comforting slow-simmered soup featuring locally foraged root vegetables, slow-cooked with thyme and a touch of cream for a velvety finish. This american-inspired soups ready in about 50 minutes pairs unsalted butter, large, diced yellow onion, peeled and diced carrots for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 280 calories and feeds 4, 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 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 large, diced yellow onion
• 2, peeled and diced carrots
• 2 stalks, diced celery
• 3 cloves, minced garlic
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 medium, peeled and diced potatoes
• 1 cup, diced parsnip
• 1 tbsp, chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

1. Step 1: Melt 2 tbsp unsalted butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add 1 diced large yellow onion, 2 diced peeled carrots, and 2 diced celery stalks, cooking for 5 minutes until softened.
2. Step 2: Stir in 3 minced garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
3. Step 3: Pour in 4 cups vegetable broth, add 2 diced medium potatoes, 1 cup diced parsnip, and 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes until vegetables are tender.
4. Step 4: Use an immersion blender to puree soup until completely smooth (or transfer to a blender in batches, venting lid).
5. Step 5: Stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream and simmer for 2 more minutes until heated through—do not boil to prevent curdling.