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VEGAN MINESTRONE SOUP

Vegan Minestrone Soup is brimming with garden vegetables, beans, spices and pasta for a deliciously healthy and comforting meal! It’s simple, easy to make and a recipe keeper for sure!

side angle view of healthy vegan minestrone soup in a bowl with wooden spoon.

This minestrone soup reminds me very much of Olive Gardens minestrone soup, which I used to eat by the bowl fulls back in the day. Soup, salad and breadsticks was all I ever wanted!

Not only is this homemade soup delicious, but it’s low fat, can be made oil free and so easy to make. It just takes a little prepping of the veggies and a bit of simmering until you’ve got a hearty soup everyone will love!

This soup is jam packed with veggies, making it a healthy recipe you’ll definitely want to add to your dinner or lunch rotation. And it yields a pot full and makes great leftovers! Recipe adapted from Food Network.

side by side photos of the ingredients needed to make vegan minestrone soup.

Ingredients You’ll Need

This recipe brings together a mirepoix simmered with a variety of garden vegetables, spices and pasta creating a deliciously healthy and hearty vegan meal.

Here is everything you’ll need:

  • Mirepoix of carrots, celery and onion
  • Zucchini
  • Green beans
  • Spinach 
  • Beans
  • Garlic
  • Tomatoes 
  • Pasta 
  • Herbs 
  • Veggie broth 
top down view of ingredients to make easy vegan minestrone added to a pot and water being poured into pot before cooking.

How To Make Vegan Minestrone Soup

  • Start by prepping the produce. Drain and rinse the beans.
  • In a large pot, saute the onions, carrots and celery with oil or water, add the remaining ingredients, except for the spinach, bring to a boil, cover askew, reduce heat to low and simmer at a gentle boil for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more broth or water as needed.
  • Five minutes before soup is done, add a handful of fresh spinach, stir to mix. Season with salt & pepper.

Tip: Alternately, you can just add all the ingredients, except for the spinach, to a large pot, bring to a boil and continue with the recipe as written. This makes for one less step!

Can I Make This Soup in a Crockpot?

Yes! Making Italian minestrone soup in the slow cooker is super easy, allowing you to set it and forget it. Take a look at this Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup recipe, it’s full of tips and tricks!

top down view of soup mixed together before bringing to a boil and simmering.

Tips For Your Best Minestrone Soup

This soup has a mild seasoning blend which lets the flavor of the vegetables shine, but you can add more herbs or spices to taste. Plus, here’s a few more ideas of what you could add for your best minestrone:

  • Change up the veggies. The ingredients for this Italian minestrone soup can be changed up with the seasons using whatever is available to you. Use other seasonal veggies such as corn, potatoes, winter squash, peas, parsnips, cabbage, kale, etc. Use frozen veggies when applicable.
  • Use different herbs. Fresh or dried herbs such as basil, oregano, thyme or marjoram all work well. Dried herb blends such as Italian seasoning or herbs de Provence are convenient and flavorful.
  • Add a little heat. Red pepper flakes add a spicy kick.
  • Use small pasta. For the pasta, use small such as elbow, shells, mini penne, rotini. Make your soup gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta.
  • Add vegan sausage. Add in sliced or diced vegan sausage for extra heartiness and protein.
  • Time saving tip: Prep the produce ahead, the night before or in the morning, and keep stored in the fridge until ready make the soup.
top down view of a pot full of freshly made easy vegan minestrone with wooden spoon.

How To Store Leftovers

  • Refrigerator: Leftovers will keep for 5 – 6 days in the refrigerator, stored in a covered container.
  • Freezer: This minestrone soup is freezer friendly and freezes well for up to 2 – 3 months. To freeze, let cool completely and store in freezer safe containers (affiliate link), leaving 1/2 inch head space for expansion. Let thaw before reheating. You can also freeze larger portions in large ziplock bags or containers.
  • Reheat: Simply re-warm on the stovetop over low heat until warmed through. Alternately, reheat in the microwave using 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until warm. It makes a great meal prep for the week with homemade vegan cornbread, no knead bread or naan on the side for soaking up the juices.

Serving Suggestions

I like to garnish this minestrone soup with parsley, a squeeze of lemon and twist of fresh cracked pepper. Here are a few of my favorite sides:

top down view of a bowl full of freshly made easy vegan minestrone with wooden spoon.

More Soup Recipes You’ll Love

If you try this easy minestrone soup recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.

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VEGAN MINESTRONE SOUP

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 10 reviews

Loaded with veggies, beans and pasta, this Vegan Minestrone Soup is healthy, comforting and so easy to make in one pot and ready in about 30 minutes!

  • Author: Julie | The Simple Veganista
  • Prep Time: 5 min
  • Cook Time: 25 min
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4 – 6 1x
  • Category: Soup, Entree
  • Method: Simmer, Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Vegan, Italian

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or 1/4 cup water for water saute
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, diced
  • 2 celery ribs, diced
  • 34 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 zucchini, cut into half moons
  • 1/3 pound green beans (about 1 1/2 cup), cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 can (14oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can (14oz) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
  • 1 can (28oz) diced tomatoes, with juices
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend
  • generous pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 23 bay leaves
  • 1 cup small pasta (elbow, shells, mini penne, rotini)
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 24 cups water
  • 2 handfuls fresh spinach
  • mineral salt & pepper to taste

To serve, optional

  • lemon, juice of
  • fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

Saute: In a large dutch oven or pot, add the oil or water and saute the onion, carrot and celery for 5 minutes.

*Alternately, you can skip sauteing and add all the ingredients, except for the spinach, to a large pot, bring to a boil and continue with the recipe as written. This makes for one less step!

Cook: Add remaining ingredients, except the spinach, bring to a boil, cover askew, reduce heat to low and simmer at a gentle boil for 20 – 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Soup is done when veggies are tender and pasta is cooked. Add more broth or water as needed.

Add spinach: Five minutes before soup is done, add the spinach and stir to mix.

Let soup cool a few minutes and serve with a squeeze of lemon and chopped parsley on top. Pairs will with homemade Vegan Cornbread, crusty Artisan Bread or soft and chewy Vegan Naan for soaking up the juices.

Serves 4 – 6

Store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This soup also freezes well and will last for up to 2 months.

Notes

Various herbs to use: If you don’t have Italian seasoning on hand, use 1 teaspoon EACH dried oregano, basil, thyme. Also, 1 tablespoon of herbs de provence would be great.

Change up the veggies. The ingredients for this Italian minestrone soup can be changed up with the seasons using whatever is available to you. Use other seasonal veggies such as corn, potatoes, winter squash, peas, parsnips, cabbage, kale, etc. Use frozen veggies when applicable.

Add vegan sausage. Add in sliced or diced vegan sausage for extra heartiness and protein.

Time saving tip: Prep the produce ahead, the night before or in the morning, and keep stored in the fridge until ready make the soup.

Slow-Cooker: Take a look at this Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup recipe, it’s full of tips and tricks!

Recipe adapted from Food Network.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 238
  • Sugar: 7.7 g
  • Sodium: 398.2 mg
  • Fat: 2.1 g
  • Saturated Fat: 0.3 g
  • Carbohydrates: 46 g
  • Fiber: 11.9 g
  • Protein: 12.1 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

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16 Comments

  1. This soup is perfect! I followed the recipe exactly using the water sauté method. I used canned green beans because I was not sure of the quality of fresh beans which were out of season. I loved how the celery remained just a bit crunchy. It makes much more than six servings though, so I will be freezing some. Thank you so much for this delicious recipe! It will definitely be going into my meal rotation.






  2. This is a wonderful recipe! I just made it today, and I love the little bit of spice from the pepper flakes. This will be a regular winter soup for me now.






  3. Super healthy & delicious. It’s become our home staple now! Love the ideas to change it up according to seasons! A splash of lemons and salt to taste add the finishing touch to the dish! Thank you!!!






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