Perhaps, you could just go ahead and use stock instead instead of water (which is pretty much what soup is supposed to be). They sell stock (also called broth (well, technically they're different, but in practice, no)) in jugs, so you don't have to use those disgusting bullion cubes.
Or you could make the stock yourself. It's fairly easy and cheap. To start, you take equal parts onion, celery and carrot. You're supposed to use the carrot tops, onion peel and tops (wash off the dirt and get rid of the papery peel) and celery leaves and bottoms. You can use the whole vegetable if you want. Add in meat (if you eat it), although just the bones and skin are needed if you do. Bay leaf and some salt and pepper are a must. To all that, add water. Boil for four to eight hours. Alternatively, do it a pressure cooker for like a half hour to fourtyfive minutes. Now this last step is where people get upset (but it's really necessary). Run the broth through a cheesecloth or strainer. Squeeze out all the juice. Throw away the pulp. It now has no flavor.
To that stock you just made, add your vegetables, noodles, chicken, whatever. That's it, you have soup that tastes good. For creamy soup, add in a few potatoes, and then puree just the potatoes in a blender and add them back in. You can also add actual cream (or it's equivalent) for creaminess.
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