It's soup season! Try our recipe for vegan minestrone soup. It will warm up the hearts and souls of the ones you love.
Like many well-loved dishes, minestrone had humble beginnings. It was initially a staple in poor households in Italy and made with whatever ingredients were on hand. That means authentic minestrone does not have one tried-and-true recipe!
This vegan minestrone soup flies in the face of what Ruth Reichel and the team at Gourmet would’ve considered a real minestrone “with pancetta, Parmigiano-Reggiano and kale.” However, after much research and trial, we’ve developed a lovely version that’s worth making again and again.
How to Make Vegan Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 zucchini, chopped
1/2 pound baby kale, stems removed
1 can (14.5 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
32 ounces good-quality vegetable broth
2 potatoes, cooked and peeled (We love to use leftover baked potatoes!)
1 can (14.5 ounces) low/no sodium organic cannellini beans
In a large stockpot, heat approximately 1/4-1/2 cup olive oil over medium-high heat. Once heated, add chopped onion, stirring occasionally, until softened; it should take about five minutes.
Step 2: Add vegetables
Add the carrot, celery and garlic; cook for another five minutes. Keep stirring. Then, add the chopped zucchini and cook for another five minutes. Last, add the baby kale, stirring and cooking until wilted.
Step 3: Add liquids and simmer
This is where the soup starts to take shape. Stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the vegetable broth and stir. Cook until the ingredients reach a low boil.
Cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for one hour. It’s a good time to start kneading a loaf of Italian bread.
Step 4: Add final ingredients and season
Blend half of the cannellini beans with the canned liquid (aquafaba). Remove cover and stir in the potatoes and blended bean mixture. Then, gently add the remaining beans and stir. Cook uncovered for an additional 15 minutes.
People often think you can’t get “real” favor in food without butter, meat or some other source of umami. That couldn’t be further from the truth! When you cook with fresh, seasonal ingredients, or ingredients that have been preserved at their peak of freshness, and allow them time to come together, you don’t need much to augment the flavor.
In this recipe for vegan minestrone soup, the aquafaba not only helps thicken the soup’s liquid (since it lacks the gelatin found in meat-based soups), but also adds additional water, salt and naturally produced carbohydrates (aka flavor).
The other ways to add flavor to vegan soups include:
Throwing in a dash of paprika, chili powder or cayenne
Use any of the tips above to make vegan soups flavorful and all your own!
How to Make Vegan Minestrone Soup in a Slow Cooker
If you are in a rush and don’t have time to slowly add ingredients, stirring and simmering between steps, use one of our go-to time-savers: the Crock-Pot! Follow steps 1-3 and then instead of cooking on the stovetop, set the slow cooker on low and let the ingredients simmer for 6-7 hours, or until veggies are fork-tender.
My mother taught me how to cook when I was a young girl. The sweet tangerines and crunchy caramelized almonds make this one of my favorite recipes. —Helen Musenbrock, O'Fallon, Missouri
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I use my music to promote a healthy lifestyle, like eating your veggies. This bright salad is loaded with avocado, cucumbers, tomatoes and a little heat factor. —DJ Cavem, Denver, Colorado
Originally a vegetable dish, I added pasta to this salad for family gatherings and church potlucks. Try adding sliced mushrooms and diced tomatoes before serving. —Barbara Burks, Huntsville, Alabama
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Go to Recipe
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I developed this recipe for a friend who needed a potato salad that could withstand Fourth of July weather. The vinaigrette was a safe and delicious alternative to traditional mayonnaise-based potato salads. I've also substituted fresh thyme for the basil. Any fresh herbs would be great! —Melanie Cloyd, Mullica Hill, New Jersey
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A dear friend showed me how to use up cucumbers in a tangy salad. The longer it chills, the deeper the flavor. Look for lemon or pickling cucumbers. —Dian Jorgensen, Santa Rosa, California
I prefer to use spinach or other dark leafy greens because they are tastier than iceberg, and also because of the amount of calcium they contain. I'm always looking for ways to boost my calcium intake since I can't eat dairy. —Holly Bauer, West Bend, Wisconsin
Amazingly, even our kids eat their greens, herbs and garden veggies when they’re prepared this way. Fresh and healthy never tasted more delicious. —Trisha Kruse, Eagle, Idaho
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On long summer days when we just want to relax, I make a cool salad with avocado, berries and mint. The tangerine dressing is refreshingly different. —Carole Resnick, Cleveland, Ohio
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I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, especially when our four children and nine grandchildren come to visit. They always ask for this salad when they're here for dinner. —Doris Dion, Lake Ozark, Missouri
Half Chilean, half Irish descent and all joie de vivre, I'm a food writer/photographer who loves to share stories about different cultures and the magic that is sharing a meal together. When not doing that, you'll find me working on my culinary degree, hanging with family & friends, and just trying to "live deep and suck out all the marrow of life." Salud!