Hearty Minestrone Soup

Hearty Minestrone Soup

vegan ~ plant-based ~ dairy-free ~ egg-free

Serves: 12
Total Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Author/Credit: Jessica Williams/Vegan Rescue

Hearty Minestrone Soup! When I think of soup I immediately think of my dad. Papi would always make soup in the winter. There was a time that he lived alone. He would make large batches of soup. He’d have it for dinner throughout the week. He would sometimes take a thermos to work for lunch filled with soup. I imagine there are thousands of variations of this soup. True to its vegetarian origins this version is truly a hearty Vegan classic. I used Organic/Non-GMO ingredients in this recipe. This soup will warm your tummy and fill you with a good source of protein and fiber among other nutrients.

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Large White or Sweet Onion, chopped

3 Celery Ribs, chopped

4 Small Carrots or 2 Large, scrubbed and sliced

1 Large Zucchini, cleaned and chopped

5 Garlic cloves, minced

3 Quarts Vegetable Broth

1 (15.5 oz can) Dark Red Kidney Beans

1 (15.5 oz can) Light Red Kidney Beans

1 (15.5 oz can) Garbanzo Beans

1 (28 oz can) Diced Tomatoes

1 (16 oz pkg) Frozen Cut Green Beans

1 (10 oz pkg) Frozen Spinach

2 Tsp + 2 Tbsp Salt

1 Tsp Pepper, fresh cracked/ground

1/2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper (reduce the amount for less kick)

1 Tsp Italian Seasoning

1/2 Tsp Ground Sage

1/2 Tsp Oregano

1/2 Tsp Dry Basil

2 Cups Pasta (I used med. shells this time)

Directions:

In a large stockpot (at least 12 quart) heat olive oil. Then add onions and sauté them for a few minutes until translucent. Add celery and carrots then sauté about 2-3 minutes. Add 2 Tsp salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic and zucchini and sauté for another minute.

Next, add vegetable broth, tomatoes, kidney/garbanzo beans and bring to slow boil about 10 minutes. Finally, add green beans, spinach, pasta and seasonings (remaining salt, Italian, sage, oregano and basil) continue on a low boil/simmer until pasta is cooked through and green beans are done about 8 minutes. Enjoy!

Note: This post utilizes canned beans and frozen spinach/green beans. However, I have made this also utilizing dried/soaked/cooked beans and fresh spinach/green beans. Substitute canned beans for 1 1/2 to 2 cups of cooked beans. For the spinach and green beans, I threw in two big handfuls of fresh baby spinach. Plus, a bunch of fresh green beans (trimmed and cut in half) in the last few minutes of cooking.