Vegan Minestrone Soup

By Amalena Caldwell Jump to Recipe

A perfect soup to have as a bowl of comfort food!

October is peak soup season, in my opinion, though soup is obviously something I enjoy all year round. And when I’m thinking about what soup to cook, this vegan minestrone is an easy option as it’s meant to be something that anyone can make. It originates from Italy, where it was a sort of ‘poor man’s soup’ that was made with whatever ingredients happened to be available, often making it very seasonal and an easy fit for a vegetarian or vegan diet. Further back in Roman times, minestrone was something made by the lower classes to get the absolute most out of their available food, which was mostly vegetarian already.

What’s great about this soup today though is how fresh it is. Fresh veggies and flavors turn this soup into an instant comfort food. It might seem like a lot of ingredients just at a quick glance, but it’s really not so difficult to put together since there are no difficult techniques in preparing all the vegetables, beans, and herbs, and you won’t have to wait hours and hours for the soup to be ready.

Picking Pasta

Something to look out for when you’re making vegan minestrone is what type of pasta you’re using. Many types of pasta are made with eggs or are made in a factory that may have cross-contamination with egg products. So, when choosing your pasta be sure to pay attention to the ingredients listed on the box to fit your needs.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) fire-roasted tomatoes
• 4 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 can (15 ounces) white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 cup dry small pasta shells
• 2 1/4 cups baby spinach
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh chopped parsley for garnish

How to Make Vegan Minestrone Soup

Step 1: In a large pot over medium heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic, celery, carrots, and zucchini. Add the dried basil, oregano, thyme, and paprika; Stir to coat the vegetables with the seasonings.

Step 2: Sauté for about 5-10 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

Step 3: Add the diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, and some salt and pepper to the pot. Stir well to combine.

Step 4: Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 15 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together.

Step 5: Add the white beans, kidney beans, and pasta to the pot. Continue to simmer for another 10-15 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked.

Step 6: Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper if needed. Top with fresh chopped parsley when serving.

FAQs & Tips

How to Make Ahead and Store

You can keep your vegan minestrone soup in the refrigerator in an airtight container or freeze it in your freezer in portion-size containers. If freezing, be sure to leave space for the liquid to expand. You can keep it for up to 5 days in your fridge, or in the freezer for 3 months.

Fresh, Fresh, Fresh!

Use fresh vegetables! Fresh celery, fresh zucchini, fresh carrots, fresh onion. And although this recipe uses dried herbs, you can also swap the dried oregano, thyme and basil for fresh versions. It’ll really boost the flavors to a new level.

Avoid the Mush

Careful with the pasta. If it gets overcooked, pasta can get mushy and fall apart. You should add the pasta last to avoid overcooking it and be mindful when reheating leftovers that you don’t overcook in the process, leading to pasta mush.

Serving Suggestions

The best thing to eat with any soup is always bread! Save some zucchinis and make yourself a Zucchini Bread! While this recipe isn’t vegan, you can easily switch out the melted butter and two eggs with vegan butter and vegan egg alternatives to make it so. Try for something more Italian with a Focaccia or Gluten-Free Focaccia, depending on your preference! Both are vegan-friendly recipes, with no eggs or dairy involved in the baking process.

Vegan Minestrone Soup

Amalena Caldwell

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Soup

Cuisine Italian

Servings 6 servings

Calories 151 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 medium carrots diced
• 2 celery stalks diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 zucchini diced
• 2 cans 15 ounces each fire-roasted tomatoes
• 4 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 can 15 ounces white beans drained and rinsed
• 1 can 15 ounces kidney beans drained and rinsed
• 3/4 cup dry small pasta shells
• 2 1/4 cups baby spinach
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

 

• In a large pot over medium heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic, celery, carrots, and zucchini. Add the dried basil, oregano, thyme, and paprika; Stir to coat the vegetables with the seasonings.
  
• Sauté for about 5-10 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
• Add the diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, and some salt and pepper to the pot. Stir well to combine.
• Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 15 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together.
• Add the white beans, kidney beans, and pasta to the pot. Continue to simmer for another 10-15 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked.
  
• Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper if needed. Top with fresh chopped parsley when serving.
  

Nutrition

Calories: 151kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 3gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 734mgFiber: 2g

Keyword Vegan Minestrone Soup

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