Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup

This delicious slow cooker vegetable soup takes only 5 minutes of hands-on work, leaving you free to do whatever you like during the 5-6 hours where your crock pot works its magic.

Vegan | GF | Soy-free | Nut-free | No rice

Allergy-friendly and easily adaptable to different dietary needs, this vegetable soup is the ideal starter for your dinner. Whether you’re a spoonie, a busy parent, or an overwhelmed professional, this slow cooker soup is sure to hit the spot in all the right places.

Confession

I’ll be honest: I never liked clear vegetable soup much. Not as a child, and by the time I was an adult and ran my own household, I swore I’d never eat it again.

Yet, here I am.

As I was going over my options for a Spoonie-friendly four-course Christmas dinner, I quickly realised I didn’t have much choice. I’d need to include either a clear soup or a salad, and since I detest leafy salads… 

For one afternoon I entertained the idea of making a Miso soup. Then I tried it and was instantly cured of that notion. That stuff is… not for me (to put it mildly). So a clear vegetable soup it was. And I’d better figure out a way to make it work. That’s how my slow cooker vegetable soup was born. Out of need.

Clear Vegetable Soup Ingredients

A tasty dish starts with the right ingredients—and using only the best ingredients you can afford makes a real difference.

Now, seeing that I’m living on disability, money is tight. And that’s the case for many spoonies, especially those who can’t hold a ‘proper’ job. 

Here’s what I look for when buying veg:

That’s the whole secret. Use only the best vegetables you can afford and your soup will instantly taste better. I can say this with total confidence, because I just tried it.

I added about 2 cups of frozen veggies to roughly 1 litre of vegetable bouillon, and let it simmer in the crock pot for a little over 5 hours. It came out so well, I might now be converted to a clear vegetable soup devotee.

Slow Cooker Soup Variations

For this soup, I used finely chopped leek, garden peas, and a mix of red, green, and yellow bell peppers, but you can use any vegetable you like, with one caveat: don’t use starchy veg—unless you want to turn this into a thick soup that can be served as a complete meal.

If you enjoy eating meat, you could add shredded chicken or traditional Dutch soepballetjes to your soup.

For a more filling plant-based version, adding in a handful of green lentils would work beautifully.

Serving Suggestions

As the starter of a three- or four-course dinner, presentation matters. You can’t just serve your clear vegetable soup in any old crockery and call it a day. I mean, technically you could, but it would spoil the effect. 

So get out your best dishes and silverware, and luxuriate in your restaurant-at-home experience. Because that’s what you’re after here.

Spoonie Notes

This recipe is allergy friendly (just use vegetables your system can handle), gluten-free, and requires almost no effort. Just five minutes of prep, where you dump all your ingredients in the slow cooker.

Storage

As a general rule, soups can be stored in the fridge for up to two days. 

If you need to store your slow cooker soup longer, just freeze it (in portions), and take out only what you need at a time. It will keep in the freezer for at least three months.

Allergy Information

Step-by-Step Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup Recipe

Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup

Gourmet Spoonie

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 hours hrs

Total Time 5 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Course Soup

Cuisine Dutch, Fusion

Servings 4

Equipment

• 1 Slow Cooker

Ingredients

  

• 4 cups vegetable bouillon
• 2 cups mixed vegetables fresh or frozen
• 1 bay leaf
• salt & freshly ground pepper optional, to taste
• ¼ cup gluten-free vermicelli optional

Instructions

 

• Pour 4 cups vegetable bouillon into your slow cooker insert. Use homemade vegetable bouillon (preferred) if you have it, but bouillon from cubes or powder works fine, too.
• Add 2 cups mixed vegetables and 1 bay leaf.
• Put the lid on your slow cooker and cook on low for 5 hours.
• Optional: Add ¼ cup gluten-free vermicelli 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
• Add salt & freshly ground pepper to taste.
• Remove bay leaf before serving.

Notes

This clear soup makes a great starter for a three- or four-course dinner. It’s allergy-friendly, and easily adaptable to different dietary needs: just choose vegetables your system can handle, and if you’re on a low-salt diet, just use very little salt, or leave it out entirely.

The slow cooker makes it ideal for Spoonies, busy parents, and overwhelmed professionals alike, with only 5 minutes hands-on work. 

Keyword comfort food, gluten-free, low-energy cooking, plant-based cooking, slow cooker, soup

This post is part of the mini series The Gentle Art of Winter Cooking, a celebration of spoonie-friendly, easy, and nourishing dishes that provide warmth and comfort on cold days.

Like this Recipe? Pin it!