Vegan Minestrone Soup
Hearty, vegetable-packed vegan minestrone with beans, pasta, and a tomato-based broth seasoned with oregano, basil, thyme, and paprika.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 TbspOlive oil
- 1 Onion medium
- 3-4 clovesGarlic
- 1 Potato large
- 1 Carrots large
- 1 Parsnip
- 1 Celery stalk
- 14 ozRed kidney beansor any other bean like canellini beans pinto beans, or cranberry beans
- 14 ozChickpeas dry not canned
- 14 ozChopped tomatoes
- 2, 5 ozTomato paste
- 6 cupVeggie broth
- 1 cupSmall shells pasta aka Conchiglie dryor any other pasta of your choice
- 1 tspOreganoground
- 1 tspBasilground
- 1 tspThyme driedground
- 1 tspSweet paprika powder
- 1 Bay leaves
- Parsley fresh
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
Instructions
- If your 14 oz chickpeas are dry (the recipe calls for dry chickpeas), soak and cook them before you begin: cover with plenty of water and soak overnight (8+ hours) or quick-soak by boiling 2 minutes then letting sit 1 hour. Drain, rinse, then simmer in fresh water 45–60 minutes until tender; drain and set aside. (If your kidney beans are canned, drain and rinse them; if they are dry, cook them the same way as the chickpeas before proceeding.)
- Prepare the vegetables and herbs: peel and chop the medium onion; peel and mince 3–4 garlic cloves; wash, peel, and dice the large potato; wash, peel, and slice the large carrot and the parsnip; wash and chop the celery stalk; finely chop the fresh parsley. Set prepared ingredients aside.
- Cook 1 cup small shells pasta in a separate pot according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook 3–4 minutes until softened.
- Add the minced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the sliced carrot, sliced parsnip, and chopped celery. Stir and cook 5–6 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Stir in 2.5 oz tomato paste and 1 tsp sweet paprika powder. Cook 1–2 minutes, stirring, to combine and deepen the tomato flavor.
- Add the 14 oz chopped tomatoes, 1 tsp oregano (ground), 1 tsp basil (ground), 1 tsp dried thyme (ground), 1 bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.
- Pour in 6 cups vegetable broth and bring the soup to a gentle simmer.
- Add the diced potato to the simmering soup. Cook 10–12 minutes, or until the potato is tender when pierced with a fork.
- Add the cooked chickpeas and the 14 oz red kidney beans (drained and rinsed if canned, or pre-cooked if dry). Simmer 5 minutes more to heat the beans through and meld flavors. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
- Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the cooked pasta and warm everything together 1 minute.
- Serve hot, topped with the chopped fresh parsley.
Equipment
- Cast-iron Dutch Oven (3-quart / 2.8 liter)
- Stockpot
Notes
Chop vegetables evenly– We added carrots and root veggies first as they need the most time to be cooked. The next one should be potatoes, as they need less time to be tender. Mushrooms and leafy greens need even less time to be ready.
Dry vs canned legumes– If you’d like to use dry beans and chickpeas, you should cook them separately and only add them to the soup once soft and ready to eat.
Is it hot and spicy?– Well, not really. However, if you prefer a little hotness, you can add a bit of chili powder or red pepper flakes.
Thickening the soup– It is a hearty soup and usually, it doesn’t need to be thickened with flour or starch.
Dry vs canned legumes– If you’d like to use dry beans and chickpeas, you should cook them separately and only add them to the soup once soft and ready to eat.
Is it hot and spicy?– Well, not really. However, if you prefer a little hotness, you can add a bit of chili powder or red pepper flakes.
Thickening the soup– It is a hearty soup and usually, it doesn’t need to be thickened with flour or starch.