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Vegan minestrone soup in mini le creuset pots
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4.80 from 5 votes

Vegan Minestrone Soup

Thanks to the few minutes you'll spend accumulating some browned bits on the bottom of the pot and the layers of flavorful ingredients, this vegan minestrone soup has a deep, satisfying savoriness. If you're not concerned with making it vegan, see the note about adding a parmesan rind.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Soups
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: vegan minestrone soup
Servings: 8
Calories: 322kcal
Author: Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion diced
  • 3 medium ribs celery diced
  • 2 medium carrots diced
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 8 cups lower-sodium vegetable stock
  • 26 ounces diced tomatoes*
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 medium gold potatoes diced (no need to peel)
  • 3 medium zucchini diced
  • 10 ounces frozen cut green beans
  • 1 15- ounce can kidney beans rinsed and drained
  • 1 15- ounce can white beans rinsed and drained
  • 1 15- ounce can chickpeas rinsed and drained
  • 1 small bunch kale stemmed and torn into bite-sized pieces
  • 40 fresh basil leaves torn

Instructions

  • In a very large lidded pot (I used a 9-quart dutch oven), warm the olive oil over medium-high heat.
  • Add the onions, celery, and carrots and sprinkle the salt overtop. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to get tender and there’s plenty of nice browning on the bottom of the pot.
  • Add the garlic and cook, stirring a couple of times, for one minute, until you can really smell the garlic.
  • Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for a minute more.
  • Pour in the stock and diced tomatoes. Add the thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes. (If you're using the parmesan rind mentioned in the notes, add it now). Stir and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. (You won’t be able to see them, but you can feel the difference with your spoon.) Bring to a boil over high heat.
  • Add the potatoes, zucchini, green beans and canned beans. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
  • Add the kale and cook about 10 minutes more, until all the vegetables are tender.
  • Off the heat, stir in the basil leaves.
  • Ladle into bowls and serve, with grated (vegan) cheese to pass at the table if you like.

Notes

  1. Don't rush browning the vegetables, since the browned bits contribute to the soup's deep flavor.
  2. I've written the recipe with all the vegetables already chopped, but in reality I often heat the pot and chop and toss in the ingredients as I go. As long as you tend to work quickly, this is a fine way of doing things that evokes Italian grandmothers and may even help with the browning process.
  3. If you're not concerned with making this soup vegan, it's a great idea to add a big piece of parmesan rind along with the broth. It adds tons of umami and a welcome hint of creaminess.
  4. Serve it with some crusty bread and a bottle of wine for a casual cool-weather get-together, or hoard it for your family.
  5. Leftovers keep well tightly sealed in the fridge for a week and only get better over time. Or freeze them for up to a year.
I first published this recipe in 2015. I've updated the post for clarity, but the recipe remains the same.

Nutrition

Calories: 322kcal | Carbohydrates: 59.2g | Protein: 14.8g | Fat: 4.8g | Fiber: 15g