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    Home » Recipes » Soups

    Old Fashioned Vegetable Soup

    Published: Apr 13, 2026 by Libby Hakim · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Looking for a simple and hearty vegetable soup recipe? You've found it! This recipe is based on those I found in early Australian newspapers and is versatile and tasty.

    Old Fashioned vegetable soup in bowl.
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • How to make Vegetable Soup
    • Serving and storage
    • More vegetarian recipes
    • Vegetable Soup Recipe

    Ingredients

    Apart from the veges you see pictured below, you'll also need: olive oil, bay leaves, vegemite, brown rice, vegetable stock, and salt and pepper. The ingredient quantities are listed in the recipe card at the end of this post.

    TIP: This recipe is very versatile and you can easily swap out one vegetable for another. You should have about 5-6 cups of chopped vegetables in total.

    Ingredients for vegetable soup.

    How to make Vegetable Soup

    Step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. However, I'll run through the process quickly here, too.

    Start by peeling the vegetables that need peeling and removing any tops or bottoms that require removal. Chop the vegetables into cubes of about 1.5cm by 1.5cm.

    Next, heat the oil in a large saucepan. Over medium heat, add chopped onions and bay leaves and cook for 1 minute. Add the chopped tomato and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining chopped vegetables and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

    Now, add the vegemite, salt and pepper and rice and cook for another 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Add the stock and water and turn heat to high until the soup comes to the boil.

    Simmer, uncovered, until the soup reduces by about ¼. Cover, and continue to simmer until vegetables are tender. This should take about half an hour in total.

    Serving and storage

    Add chopped parsley before serving, if desired, and serve warm or hot.

    You can store leftovers, covered, in the fridge for 2 days. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    More vegetarian recipes

    Looking for more vege recipes? Try these ones:

    • parsley fritters
      Faye's Parsley Fritters
    • Bubble and Squeak in frypan.
      Bubble and Squeak
    • Zucchini Slice.
      Zucchini Slice
    • mock chicken
      Mock Chicken

    Made this recipe and love it? Please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. (And it really makes my day to hear how Nana Ling's recipes are being made, shared and loved all around the world! - Libby x)

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    Vegetable soup in bowl.

    Vegetable Soup Recipe

    Libby Hakim
    A simple, tasty and versatile vegetable soup.
    No ratings yet
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    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 50 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
    Course Appetizer
    Cuisine Australian
    Servings 8 servings
    Calories 139 kcal

    Equipment

    • large saucepan or boiler with lid

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 medium onion
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1 tomato (or 6 cherry tomatoes)
    • 2 medium potatoes
    • 2 cauliflower florets
    • 2 celery sticks
    • 2 medium carrots
    • 1 parsnip
    • 1 small zucchini
    • 1 teaspoon vegemite
    • salt and pepper (to taste)
    • ½ cup brown rice
    • 4 cups vegetable stock (1 litre)
    • 6 cups water
    • 1 sprig parsley, chopped (optional)

    Instructions
     

    • Chop potatoes, cauliflower, celery, carrots, parsnip and zucchini into cubes (about 1.5cm x 1.5cm).
    • Heat oil in large saucepan or boiler over medium heat. Add chopped onions and bay leaves and cook for 1 minute.
    • Add chopped tomato and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    • Add the remaining chopped vegetables and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    • Add vegemite, salt and pepper and rice and cook for another 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
    • Add the stock and water and turn heat to high until the soup comes to the boil. Simmer, uncovered, until the soup reduces by about ¼. Cover, and continue to simmer until vegetables are tender – about half an hour in total. Add chopped parsley, if desired.

    Notes

    Serving:
    Serve warm/hot.
    Storing:
    You can store leftovers, covered, in the fridge for 2 days.
    Freezing:
    Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
    Tips:
    • This recipe is very versatile – you can change up the veges you use. You should have about 5-6 cups of chopped veges in total.
    • Taste the soup before serving and add more salt or pepper if necessary.
    Nutrition:
    The nutrition information is an automatically generated estimate and is not guaranteed to be accurate.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 139kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 3gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 525mgPotassium: 501mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 2973IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?If you love it, let me know!

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    Hi, I'm Libby, a recipe collector and writer. I love everything about home cooking and share modern classics and recipes that have been passed down for generations – I hope you find a few that bring back treasured memories.

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