Vegan Minestrone Soup
When the weather gets chilly, I always turn to my favorite Vegan Minestrone Soup. It’s hearty, healthy, and packed with nutrients, making it the perfect comforting meal. It only takes me 15 minutes to prep, and I can easily tweak it to make it a gluten-free vegetable soup whenever I need to.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 178kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 red onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalk diced
- 1 russet potato peeled and diced
- 14½ oz canned diced tomatoes
- 28 oz low sodium vegetable broth
- 2 tsp dried Italian herbs
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cup small pasta elbows or shells - recommend gluten free chickpea pasta or whole wheat pasta.
- 1 pound swiss chard stems trimmed and leaves roughly chopped
- 15 oz cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ⅛ tsp dried red pepper flakes optional
- fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté.
- Next, add the garlic, carrots, celery and potatoes. Sauté for about 5 minutes.
- Add the diced tomatoes, vegetable broth and pasta, stir to combine.
- Stir in the dried herbs and bay leaves; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the swiss chard and cannellini beans, stirring to combine.
- Continue to cook for another 10-15 minutes or until all vegetables are tender and the pasta has cooked through.
- Adjust the seasoning and stir in fresh basil leaves and dried red pepper flakes if using.
- Serve topped with fresh basil leaves.
Notes
- To make the best vegan minestrone soup is to always rinse and drain the beans before adding them to the broth. Trust me, it makes all the difference! I learned this the hard way when I skipped this step once, and the soup turned out a bit too starchy and salty for my taste. Now, I never forget, it keeps the broth clean, flavorful, and just right every time.
- I always make sure to remove the bay leaves before serving, they add amazing flavor but aren’t fun to eat. It’s a simple step that makes a big difference.
- This soup is perfect for cleaning out the fridge. I love tossing in any extra vegetables I have on hand, it’s versatile and reduces waste.
- When I’m making a gluten-free version, I cook the pasta separately since it’s starchier and can thicken the soup. Then I add it in at the end with the tender veggies.
- I sometimes use my Instant Pot or slow cooker for this recipe when I want a hands-off approach. Both methods make it so easy to enjoy this cozy soup with minimal effort!
Nutrition
Calories: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1154mg | Potassium: 698mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 6g