Matt Tebbutt’s vegetable soup trio turns one silky leek and potato base into three distinctive, veg-packed soups. Finish it as a comforting classic with vegan cream and chives, blend it with courgette and watercress for a fresh green soup, or add roasted carrots and sherry caramel for a sweet, savoury autumn bowl.

Prep: less than 30 mins

Cook: 30 mins to 1 hour

Serves: 4

Dietary: Egg-free, vegan, vegetarian

By Matt Tebbutt
From Saturday Kitchen 17 October 2026

This vegetable soup trio scores a Nutri-Score of B. It is built on leeks, potatoes, celery, courgettes, watercress and carrots, with only a small amount of added sugar in the carrot soup’s sherry caramel.

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The kit that makes this recipe easy:

Blender – a must for turning the shared base and each vegetable variation into a smooth soup.
Large saucepan – for simmering the leek and potato base and the courgette variation.
Frying pan – for making the sherry caramel and crisping sage leaves.

Ingredients

For the leek and potato base soup

2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, diced
4 garlic cloves, sliced
4 sticks celery
2 leeks (white parts only), diced
150g/10½oz floury potatoes, peeled and diced
1 bay leaf
1 small bunch thyme, tied together
1.5 litres/2½ pints vegetable stock
2 tsp vegan cream, to serve
2 tbsp croutons, to serve
1 tbsp chopped chives, to serve

For the courgette and watercress soup

500g/1lb 2oz courgettes, diced
300g/10½oz watercress, stalks removed
½ lemon, juice only
2 tbsp olive oil
50g/1¾oz vegetarian Parmesan or Old Winchester cheese, to serve
drizzle basil oil, to serve
handful fresh basil leaves, to serve
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the roasted carrot soup

350g/12oz roasted carrots
100g/3½oz caster sugar
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 crispy sage leaves, to serve
100g/3½oz croutons, to serve

Customise

Swap the floury potatoes for an extra leek if you prefer a lighter, less thick base soup.
Use spinach instead of watercress, adding it at the very end so it keeps its colour.
Replace the sherry vinegar with white wine vinegar in the caramel, using the same quantity.

How the timings work

One gentle hob does the base: soften the aromatics for 20 minutes, cook the potatoes for 5 minutes, then simmer everything in stock for 20 minutes.
While the base simmers: prepare the courgettes, watercress, lemon, roasted carrots and soup toppings.
While the base blends: divide it into three portions and start the courgette and watercress soup.
During the courgette’s 15-minute cook: blend the roasted carrots into the final third of the base and make the sherry caramel.
Everything lands on the table together: finish the leek and potato soup with vegan cream, croutons and chives; the green soup with olive oil, cheese, basil oil and basil; and the carrot soup with sherry caramel, crispy sage and croutons.

Method

First, make the leek and potato base (about 45 minutes)

Soften the aromatics: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the onions, garlic, celery and diced leeks, then cook gently for 20 minutes, until soft, sweet and translucent but not browned.
Add the potatoes: Stir in the diced floury potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, letting them take on a little flavour without colouring.
Simmer until tender: Add the bay leaf, tied thyme and 1.5 litres/2½ pints vegetable stock. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are soft right through and a knife slides in with no resistance.
Blend smooth: Remove and discard the bay leaf and thyme. Blend the soup in a blender until completely smooth. Divide it into three equal portions.

Finish the leek and potato soup (about 2 minutes)

Serve the classic version: Return one third of the base to the pan and warm it gently. Serve with a swirl of vegan cream, croutons and chopped chives.

Make the courgette and watercress soup (about 18 minutes)

Cook the courgettes: Pour a third of the base soup into a large saucepan and add the diced courgettes. Simmer gently for 15 minutes, until the courgettes are tender and translucent.
Keep the green colour: Add the stalk-free watercress at the very last minute, then remove the pan from the heat. Blend until smooth and vivid green.
Season and finish: Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then add a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, vegetarian Parmesan or Old Winchester cheese, basil oil and fresh basil leaves.

Make the roasted carrot soup (about 15 minutes)

Blend the carrots: Put the remaining third of the base soup in a blender with the 350g/12oz roasted carrots. Blend until smooth, then warm gently and season with salt and pepper.
Make the sherry caramel: Place the caster sugar in a deep frying pan over a medium heat. Cook without stirring until it melts and turns amber. Take great care, as boiling sugar is extremely hot.
Stop the cooking: Carefully add the sherry vinegar and stir until combined. The caramel will bubble vigorously, so use a deep pan and stand back.
Serve: Ladle the carrot soup into bowls and finish with the sherry caramel, crispy sage leaves and croutons.

Tips and swaps

Get ahead: Make the leek and potato base up to 3 days ahead, then divide and finish each soup just before serving.
Keep the green soup bright: Add the watercress only at the end and blend immediately; prolonged cooking dulls its colour.
Control the caramel: Use a deep pan, do not stir the sugar, and add the vinegar carefully once the caramel is amber.
Swaps: Use spinach instead of watercress, or white wine vinegar instead of sherry vinegar.
Leftovers: Store each soup separately in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently until piping hot throughout, adding a splash of stock or water if needed.
Dietary note: Use vegetarian Parmesan or Old Winchester to keep the green soup vegetarian and vegan-friendly.

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Vegetable soup trio

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