Cosy winter vegetable soup- in 1 hour!

A completely flexible and deeply comforting winter vegetable soup recipe, with the option to add a little chorizo for an extra layer of smoky, savoury richness. This soup is all about adaptability and ease, making it perfect for using up whatever fresh winter root vegetables and cabbage you already have in your kitchen. Carrots, parsnips, potatoes, swede, turnips, leeks, celery, or even a handful of greens will all work beautifully, allowing you to tailor the soup to your taste and what’s in season.

Designed to be hearty, nourishing, and full of flavour, this soup is the ultimate cosy meal to warm you through the cold days and dark evenings of January. It’s exactly the kind of dish you crave when the weather turns chilly and you want something wholesome, filling, and soothing. Served steaming hot, it feels like true comfort food — simple, rustic, and satisfying — whether enjoyed on its own with a slice of crusty bread or as a starter to a larger meal.

The optional chorizo adds a lovely depth and gentle heat, infusing the broth with smoky paprika notes, but the soup is just as delicious without it, making it easy to keep vegetarian or vegan if you prefer. Herbs, stock, and slow simmering bring everything together into a rich, well-balanced bowl that tastes even better the longer it cooks.

Despite its hearty nature, this soup is wonderfully straightforward to prepare. It takes less than 25 minutes to chop the vegetables and get everything into the pot, and then you can let it gently simmer for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. The longer it cooks, the more the flavours deepen, making it perfect for slow evenings at home. Easy, flexible, warming, and endlessly comforting, this winter vegetable soup is a reliable go-to recipe for the colder months and a delicious way to make the most of seasonal produce.

Winter vegtable soup- ingredient list! 

Two tablespoons of sunflower oil
One thinly sliced onion
Three cloves of thinly chopped garlic
Two carrots, chopped into 1.5 cm/¾in pieces
Cut two turnips into 1.5 cm/¾in pieces.
One large potato, ideally Maris Piper, sliced into 1.5 cm/¾in pieces
Cut one large parsnip into 1.5 cm/¾in pieces.
Two heaping teaspoons of sweet paprika, plus enough to serve
One heaping teaspoon of fiery, smoked paprika
One 400g tin of finely chopped tomatoes
One tablespoon of tomato purée
125g/4½oz of skinless chorizo sausage (we prefer picante), sliced into 5mm pieces (optional)
100g/3½oz One cube of chicken stock was used to make 1.75 litres (3 pints) of rinsed and drained puy lentils.
100g/3½oz cavolo nero, freshly ground black pepper and flaky sea salt, sour cream or crème fraîche, to taste, and kale or spring greens with rough midribs removed, shredded into 2cm/¾in pieces.

Winter vegtable soup- step by step instruction guide!

Step 1
Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan or a roomy, flame-proof casserole set over a medium heat. Once the oil is warm, add the finely chopped onion and garlic and cook them gently for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure they soften evenly. Take care not to let them brown or take on any colour — the goal is to gently coax out their natural sweetness and aroma, creating a soft, fragrant base for the soup. While the onion and garlic are slowly frying, prepare the vegetables. Peel the carrots, turnips, potatoes, and parsnip, then cut them into roughly even chunks of about 1.5cm (¾in). Keeping the pieces a similar size helps them cook evenly and ensures a consistent texture throughout the soup. As you chop, set the vegetables aside, ready to be added to the pan once the onion and garlic are perfectly softened and aromatic.

Step 2
Add the prepared root vegetables to the pan with the softened onion and garlic, making sure everything is well combined. Cook gently over a low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften slightly and take on some of the flavour from the onion and garlic. This gentle cooking helps build depth and ensures the vegetables start to release their natural sweetness. Next, stir in both the sweet paprika and the smoked paprika, coating the vegetables evenly. Allow the spices to fry for a few minutes, stirring constantly, so they become fragrant and lightly toasted without burning. Then add the chopped tomatoes and the tomato purée to the pan. Increase the heat slightly and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring regularly, allowing the tomatoes to break down and the purée to cook out, creating a richer, more concentrated base for the soup.

Step 3
Add the chorizo to the pan, followed by the Puy lentils and the stock, stirring well to combine all the ingredients and ensure nothing is sticking to the base. Bring the soup up to the boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Allow it to cook slowly for around 45 minutes, stirring every now and then, until the vegetables are completely tender and the lentils are soft but still holding their shape. This slow simmering stage allows all the flavours to meld together and develop into a rich, hearty broth. Once the vegetables and lentils are cooked, add the cavolo nero, kale, or spring greens to the pan, stirring them through the soup so they are well submerged. Continue to cook for a further 5 minutes, or until the greens have wilted and softened but still retain a little texture and colour. Stir regularly during this final stage to ensure the greens cook evenly and are evenly distributed throughout the soup.

Step 4
Season the soup generously with salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper, tasting and adjusting as needed until the flavours are well balanced and fully rounded. Once seasoned, ladle the hot soup into deep, warmed bowls, making sure each portion has a good mix of vegetables, lentils, and broth. Finish with a dollop of soured cream or crème fraîche swirled gently over the top for richness, then add a light sprinkling of paprika for colour and a subtle extra warmth before serving.