Vegan Minestrone Soup

Minestrone Soup is one of my favorites! It’s HEARTY, FLAVORFUL AND PACKED WITH ALL THE GOOD STUFF. Filling, but incredibly light at the same time. It has veggies, beans and pasta… what’s not to like?! And it’s usually vegan, so it’s one of my go-to meals when I travel and I can’t find vegan food.

This version of the classic Italian dish has so many wonderful vegetables it’s as healthy as it is delicious! It’s perfect for winter days, but I also love having minestrone soup on a cold summer night. It’s so versatile you can use whatever veggies are in season, I used carrots, zucchini, potato, celery, leek and spinach (SO GOOD!) but feel free to use what you have on hand. Minestrone is great for using up leftover vegetables, so this recipe is ideal for ‘clean out the fridge day’.

This Italian soup is easy, fuss-free and budget-friendly. It’s loaded with plants, whole grains, legumes and SO MUCH FLAVOR. And if you use whole grain pasta, minestrone soup is a perfectly balanced plant-based meal. And trust me, a big bowl of this comforting soup will make your day!

Feel like getting cozy with a bowl of soup?! Then you’ll love this Vegan Minestrone Soup. If you try it, let us know what you think. Tag us on Instagram @mondaydreamsblog or leave a comment below. We love hearing from you!

Vegan Minestrone Soup

Nutritious and oh-so-delicious Vegan Minestrone Soup. Super tasty and full of the good stuff! A hearty and cozy crowd-pleasing meal.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Servings 6

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 leek, chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1 medium/big potato, chopped into bite-size pieces
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium zucchini, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 tsp dried basil
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp chili flakes
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
6 cup vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
1 tsp sea salt
1 ½ cup whole-wheat pasta – I used orecchiette
1 14 oz can of white beans, drained and rinsed – or 1 ½ cup of cooked white beans
½ cup frozen peas, thawed
3 cup spinach
Lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Your favorite fresh herbs

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Add onion, leek, celery, carrots, potato and a big pinch of salt and sauté, stirring often, for 5 - 8 minutes. Onions should be translucent by now.
Add garlic, zucchini and herbs (basil, thyme, oregano and chili flakes) and cook for 2 more minutes. If the vegetables start to stick to the bottom of the pan, don’t worry, you’ll deal with that in a second, just keep stirring.
Add tomatoes, broth, bay leaves and salt. Scrape the bottom of the pan with your wooden spoon to get all those sticky bits up. So much flavor there!
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add pasta, beans and peas and cook for another 15 – 20 minutes or until the pasta and the veggies are tender and delicious.
Add spinach and cook for another minute.
Remove bay leaves, taste and adjust seasoning. I added more salt.
Serve with a good squeeze of lemon, freshly ground black pepper and fresh herbs.
Enjoy!