This Vegetarian Minestrone Soup tastes equally delicious in summer and winter. Inspired by diet of the longest-living residents of Sardinia, this soup is healthy, full of hearty vegetables and really easy to make. Great for family lunch or dinner and picky eaters approved.
If you love this recipe, make sure to also try my Spring Minestrone.
Vegetarian Minestrone Soup
There are hundreds of vegetable soups out there. But one of them sticks out more that any other recipe.
If you’ve ever heard about Longevity Diet or Blue Zones Diet, then you probably know that plant based recipes are one of the major factors to a long and healthy life.
One of the recipes that longest-living people in Sardinia swear by is Minestrone Bean Soup. It’s a classic Italian soup made with fresh seasonal vegetables, legumes and round semolina pasta.
Although, many skip the pasta for a gluten-free version.
Hearty Minestrone Soup is so simple to make and each time it can be different depending on the ingredients you have on hands.
That’s why in Sardinia, Minestrone is eaten all year round – for lunch or dinner.
What’s in Minestrone Soup?
There are no hard and fast rules on the ingredients, but generally one will always use onions, garlic, carrots, celery, potatoes, tomatoes and beans.
From here, I personally found that the addition of leeks and fennel intensified the flavor of a soup even more. And a sprig of rosemary added a nice woodsy touch to it.
Which beans should I use?
In this soup, I used 2 types of beans: Chickpeas and Pinto beans. But honestly, any other types of beans will work here as well.
Obviously, the more types of beans use use, the richer the flavor and texture of the soup will be.
You can cook beans from scratch or use canned beans.
My favorite thing about Italian Minestrone is that it’s delicious the way it is. Unlike the case with many soups, this one doesn’t need a dollop of sour cream or a sprinkling of Parmesan.
Vegan Minestrone Soup Recipe
The soup has a wonderful vegetable flavor and is healthy and clean. Perfect for detoxing and also for those of you who follow vegan diet.
If you want to make this soup even more low fat, skip the olive oil and sauté the veggies in a bit of vegetable broth.
Generally, my kids are picky eaters, especially my youngest daughter. But they loved this soup which made me super happy because now I know one more recipe to add to my “picky eater’s menu”.
Can you reheat Minestrone Soup?
Yes, you can reheat Minestrone soup and eat it the next day. However, since couscous (or pasta) tends to expand in soup, I recommend diluting the soup with a cup of broth and reheat until it simmers.
Healthy Minestrone Soup Recipe
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More Healthy Soup Recipe You’ll love
- Curried Cauliflower Soup
- Easy Vegetarian Borscht
- Spanish Gazpacho
- Soupe Au Pistou
- Cauliflower Bean Soup
Vegetarian Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- 1 leek
- 1 fennel
- 2 medium carrots chopped
- 1 can (15 oz) Garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
- ½ can (8 oz) Pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 3 medium potatoes
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ c Israeli couscous or Fregola
- 7 c vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 4 tbsp parsley for serving
Instructions
- Slice off the leek's dark green end. Then thinly slice the remaining pale green part of leek into rings and discard the root end.
- Trim off the fennel stalks and the root end. Cut fennel bulb in half and discard tough outer layers. Slice the remaining fennel crosswise.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot and over medium heat. Add leek, celery, carrots and ½ tsp of salt and and sauté for 5-7 minutes until vegetables are soft.
- Add garlic and sauté for 30 more seconds.
- Add in fennel, potatoes, both types of beans, rosemary
- Dilute tomato paste in 1 cup of broth and add it into a pot.
- Add 6 cups of broth, 1 teaspoon of salt, ¼ tsp of pepper, bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
- Stir in couscous and cook soup for 10 more minutes or until couscous is soft. If the soup gets too thick, you can add an additional 1 cup of broth.
- Adjust the seasoning, turn off the heat and serve with the sprinkling of parsley.
Nutrition
