Gluten-Free, Nourishing and Made Without Stock
I absolutely love soup. It is one of the easiest ways to turn simple vegetables, lentils, beans, herbs and spices into a deeply nourishing meal.
After more than 30 years of creating plant-based food, I have made rather a lot of soup! Some are quick everyday recipes that you can throw together in one pot. Others involve roasting vegetables first to bring out their beautiful natural sweetness. You will also find creamy coconut soups, hearty lentil soups, vibrant seasonal recipes and a few more unusual creations inspired by my years of cooking intuitively.
Every soup on this page is completely vegan and gluten-free. I also make all of my soups without vegetable stock. Instead, I build flavour naturally with vegetables, fresh ginger, garlic, mushrooms, herbs, spices, coconut, nuts and a good pinch of sea salt.
These recipes were created by Anastasia Eden, founder of Kind Earth.
Anastasia is a plant-based recipe developer, cookbook author and retreat chef with more than 30 years of experience creating nourishing vegan food for people around the world.
All of these soup recipes are:
- completely plant-based
- naturally gluten-free
- made without vegetable stock
- created with wholesome ingredients
- full of flavour
- suitable for everyday home cooking
Table of Contents
How Do You Make Vegan Soup Taste Good Without Stock?
2. Vegan Lentil and Bean Soups
4. Squash and Sweet Potato Soups
5. Vegetable and Roasted Vegetable Soups
6. Seasonal Soups with Nettles and Garden Herbs
Frequently Asked Questions About Vegan Soup
What Makes a Good Vegan Soup?
A good vegan soup does not need to be complicated. In fact, some of the best soups come from a few ingredients that naturally work well together.
Vegetables create the body and character of the soup. Lentils, chickpeas, beans, cashews or coconut can make it more substantial. Fresh ginger, garlic, herbs and warming spices build layers of flavour. Roasting vegetables first can bring out an even deeper sweetness and richness.
Texture also makes a difference. You can blend a soup until beautifully smooth, leave it rustic and chunky, or blend just part of it so that it becomes creamy while still keeping some texture.
Many of my soups are complete meals in themselves. This is especially true when they contain lentils, beans, chickpeas, cashews or coconut. They are the sort of soups I make at home, serve on retreats and return to again and again.
How Do You Make Vegan Soup Taste Good Without Stock?
You do not need vegetable stock to make a delicious soup. I never use it in my soup recipes.
The secret is to allow the ingredients themselves to create the flavour. Fresh ginger, garlic, leeks, onions, mushrooms, herbs and spices all bring something different. Passata or tomatoes create richness and gentle acidity. Coconut and cashews add creaminess and depth. Roasting vegetables first brings out their natural sweetness through caramelisation.
Sea salt matters too. It draws the existing flavours together, so taste your soup near the end and adjust it if needed. Sometimes a soup that seems to be missing something simply needs a little more salt, fresh herbs, black pepper or ginger.
If you are new to making soup without stock, start with my easy vegetable soup. It is a wonderfully adaptable template that you can use with whatever vegetables you already have.
Easy vegetable soup without stock:
1. Easy Everyday Vegan Soups
These are the soups to make when you want something easy, warming and nourishing without too much fuss. They use simple ingredients and are ideal for relaxed everyday cooking.
- Easy Vegetable Soup Without Stock
- Fuss-Free Vegan Lentil and Vegetable Soup
- Creamy Vegan Cashew Ginger Soup with Red Lentils
- The Best Mint and Pea Soup You’ll Ever Have
- Serenity Mint Pea Soup
2. Vegan Lentil and Bean Soups
Lentils, chickpeas and beans turn soup into a satisfying meal. They bring texture and substance while happily absorbing herbs, spices, tomato, ginger and coconut.
- Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup with Creamed Coconut
- Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup with Warming Spices
- Spicy Vegan Sweet Potato Soup with Coconut and Chickpeas
- Chilli Black Bean Soup with Mushrooms, Coconut and Sweet Potato
- Coconut Cauliflower and Chickpea Soup
- Creamy Sweet Potato Lentil Soup with Tomato and Rosemary
- Carrot and Ginger Warm Your Heart Soup with Coconut and Lentils
- Carrot and Ginger Wellness Soup with Coconut and Lentils
3. Creamy Vegan Coconut Soups
Coconut is one of my favourite ways to make vegan soup creamy. Depending on the recipe, I might use coconut milk, coconut cream or solid creamed coconut block. It adds richness, helps carry spices and works beautifully with earthy vegetables.
If you are unsure about creamed coconut or how it differs from coconut cream and coconut butter, you can read my complete guide here:
- Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Coconut, Nutmeg and Rosemary
- Creamy Mushroom Soup with Coconut and Love
- Easy Creamy Coconut Carrot Soup with Ginger and Paprika
- Turmeric and Ginger Sweet Potato Soup with Coconut Milk
- Celeriac and Coconut Soup with Makrut Lime Leaves and Lemongrass
- Mushroom, Coconut and Healthy Greens Soup
- Beetroot and Shiitake Soup
4. Squash and Sweet Potato Soups
Squash and sweet potato were made for soup. Their natural sweetness works beautifully with ginger, coconut, mushrooms, lentils and warming spices. Roasting them first can deepen their flavour even further.
- Roast Squash Soup with Lentils and Warming Spices
- Winter Squash and Lentil Soup with Warming Spices
- Easy Vegan Squash Soup with Ginger and Coconut
- Thick Creamy Coconut Squash Soup with Ginger
- Roast Cashew Soup with Butternut Squash and Ginger
- Mushroom and Cardamom Squash Soup
5. Vegetable and Roasted Vegetable Soups
Vegetables can create an incredible range of flavours and textures in soup. Roasting brings out sweetness and depth, while fresh herbs can transform even the simplest ingredients.
- Roast Tomato Soup with Sweet Potato, Peppers and Parsley
- Vegan Borsch Without Stock
- Leek and Beetroot English Winter Soup with Garden Herbs
- Celtic Leek and Potato Soup with Rosemary and Thyme
6. Seasonal Soups with Nettles and Garden Herbs
Seasonal greens and herbs bring a special kind of aliveness to soup. Nettles are one of my favourite wild foods, especially when their fresh growth appears in spring.
Please make sure that you identify nettles correctly and gather them from a clean place away from roads, spraying and regular dog walking. Wear gloves while picking and handling them. Cooking removes their sting.
Frequently Asked Questions About Vegan Soup
Are all of these soup recipes vegan and gluten-free?
Yes. Every recipe on this page is completely plant-based and gluten-free. I have been plant-based for more than 30 years and all of the recipes on Kind Earth are vegan and gluten-free.
Do I need vegetable stock to make vegan soup?
No. In fact, none of my soup recipes uses vegetable stock. Vegetables, mushrooms, ginger, garlic, herbs, spices, tomato, coconut, nuts, sea salt and black pepper create plenty of natural flavour.
How can I make vegan soup creamy without dairy?
Coconut milk, coconut cream, creamed coconut and blended cashews can all create a lovely creamy soup. Potato, sweet potato, squash, cauliflower, lentils and beans also thicken naturally when cooked and blended.
How can I thicken vegan soup?
Blend all or part of the soup with a hand blender. You can also include red lentils, potato, sweet potato, squash, beans, chickpeas, cashews, coconut or cauliflower. Creamed coconut and homemade cashew cream in a blender also act as thickening agents for vegan soup.
All of these help create a naturally thicker texture without flour or dairy.
Can I freeze vegan soup?
Most vegetable, lentil and bean soups freeze very well. Allow the soup to cool, portion it into suitable containers and freeze. Defrost it thoroughly and reheat until piping hot. The texture may thicken after freezing, so add a splash of water if needed.
How long does homemade vegan soup keep in the fridge?
As a general guide, cool your soup promptly, transfer it to a covered container and refrigerate it. Most of my soups are best eaten within three days. Reheat only what you need and make sure it is piping hot throughout.
What can I serve with vegan soup?
Many of the lentil, bean, chickpea and cashew soups are filling enough to eat by themselves. You can also serve soup with sourdough bread, gluten-free bread, flatbread, a fresh salad or homemade oatcakes.
My Scottish oatcakes recipe works a treat with vegan soups:
Can I change the vegetables in these soups?
Often, yes. Soup is wonderfully forgiving. Root vegetables can usually be exchanged for other root vegetables, and greens can be swapped for spinach, chard, kale or seasonal alternatives. Read the individual recipe first because some ingredients are important to its particular flavour and texture.
How do I store fresh ginger for soup?
Fresh ginger freezes brilliantly and can be grated straight from frozen. You can find my complete guide to keeping it fresh here:
More Kind Earth Recipe Collections
If you enjoyed these soups, you might also like my complete collections of healthy gluten-free vegan dinners, breakfasts and naturally sweetened desserts.
Healthy vegan dinner recipes:
Healthy vegan breakfast recipes:
Refined sugar free vegan desserts:
A Final Note About Vegan Soups
Soup does not need stock, dairy or complicated ingredients to taste incredible. With vegetables, lentils, beans, herbs, spices and a little kitchen intuition, you can create something deeply nourishing from the simplest ingredients.
These vegan soup recipes have emerged over many years of cooking at home, creating food for retreats and following whatever inspiration happens to arrive in my kitchen. I hope that you find a few new favourites here and that they bring warmth, nourishment and a little everyday magic to your table.
with love
Anastasia x
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