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A quick and easy, delicious, kid-friendly, veggie loaded soup using pantry and freezer staples! This Vegan Minestrone Soup can be on your table in just about 30 minutes!
If you’re trying to cut down on your meat consumption or just add more vegetables into your meal plans, this easy Vegan Minestrone Soup is a great place to start.
Pantry and freezer staples make it a hearty meal that’s quick to throw together. It’s one of my kids’ favorite soups!
It also makes great leftovers the next day. Pack it up in a thermos for a cozy warm-you-up lunch at work or school.
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
Tomatoes ~ Canned crushed tomatoes are the base of this easy soup. If you only have diced or whole peeled tomatoes, you can purée them first in a blender before adding them to the soup.
When I was growing up, we always made this soup using V8 or sometimes, Spicy V8. It is delicious, but high in sodium. If you go this route, hold off on adding any extra salt.
Broth ~ Use low sodium vegetable broth and adjust the taste by adding your own salt, if necessary.
If you use regular broth instead of low sodium, do not add any extra salt until after simmering the soup and tasting.
Vegetables ~ I use a package of frozen mixed vegetables for convenience. They’re a grocery staple in our house because they’re quick, easy, and require no chopping. Because they are frozen at the peak of ripeness, they have nutritional value at least equal to, if not greater than, fresh veggies.
You can certainly use all fresh vegetables if you wish.
Beans ~ I like dark red kidney beans for this recipe. Light red kidney beans are also good.
If you don’t have red beans, white beans, like navy or cannellini beans are great. I would not suggest black beans or pinto beans for this Italian soup recipe.
Nutritional yeast ~ Grated parmesan cheese is often an ingredient in minestrone soup. Nutritional yeast provides a savory, somewhat cheesy, flavor that is similar.
If you don’t have it, can’t find it, or don’t like it, you can leave it out. Or sprinkle some homemade vegan parmesan cheese onto individual bowls right before serving.
Herbs ~ Dried herbs are always in my pantry at the ready. A combination of parsley, oregano, and thyme boost the Italian flavors in this dish. You can use Italian seasoning instead of the separate herbs if you have it.
Noodles ~ We like macaroni noodles the best with this soup. Ditalini is a also a great choice. Use your favorite small shaped noodle. Or use rice, if you prefer.
Gluten free noodles work just a well.
If you want a lighter soup, you can leave out the noodles altogether.
How to make the recipe
Sauté the onions in vegetable broth (or use oil, if you prefer) until soft and translucent (1). Add the garlic, dried herbs, salt and pepper (2) and stir well to combine (3). Add the frozen mixed vegetables and stir to combine (4).
Add the crushed tomatoes (5) and veggie broth (6). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat a simmer for 20 minutes. Add the beans, nutritional yeast (7), and kale, if using, and stir to combine and heat through (8).
Serve with cooked noodles or rice.
Storage/Freezing
Leftovers will keep for 3 to 4 days in an air-tight container in the fridge. Store the soup separate from the pasta.
You can also freeze this vegan minestrone soup. Transfer to a freezer safe container or plastic bag. It should keep well for up to 3 months.
To thaw, place in the fridge overnight. To reheat, gently simmer in a pot on the stovetop or transfer to a microwave safe bowl and heat for a minute or two until warmed through. Reheating time will vary depending on the quantity of soup you are warming.
Pro tips for success
~ Use frozen mixed vegetables, canned tomatoes, canned beans, and dries herbs to get this vegan minestrone soup on the table in about 30 minutes. I promise it will be just as delicious as if you used fresh.
~ Be sure to drain and rinse the canned beans before adding them to the soup.
~ Cook the noodles separately and add them to individual bowls before serving. Or use leftover noodles you have hanging out in the fridge.
~ Store the noodles and soup separately otherwise the noodles will continue to soak up the liquid, get mushy and create a very thick soup.
~ Serve with crusty bread, salad, or both for an even more substantial meal.
FAQs
Minestrone is a tomato based Italian soup with vegetables, beans, and usually pasta or rice.
Yes! Minestrone is high in fiber and many vitamins and minerals thanks to all the vegetables. Store bought varieties likely have too much sodium and excess oils. Make it yourself at home for the healthiest version.
Pasta e Fagioli means “pasta and beans.” It can be tomato based or broth based and is typically seasoned with onions and garlic. It may contain meat or can also be vegetarian. Recipes vary by ingredients, but always contain pasta and beans.
Minestrone is very similar. It often does contain pasta and beans, but doesn’t necessarily have to. Sometimes rice is used instead of pasta. A larger variety of vegetables is typically found in minestrone than in Pasta e Fagioli.
When containing pasta or rice, minestrone is hearty enough to be a meal on its own. If you’d like to make it into an even more substantial meal, try serving it with crusty bread, a salad, or both.
More easy vegan soup recipes
- Hungarian Red Lentil Soup
- Creamy Tomato Soup
- Speedy Pea and Broccoli Soup
- Instant Pot Vegan Split Pea Soup
- Vegan Black Bean Soup
- Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Soup
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment below with your feedback.
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Vegan Minestrone Soup
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ yellow onion peeled and diced
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- 1 package (16 oz) frozen mixed vegetables or 3 cups mixed vegetables like diced carrots, green beans, peas and corn.
- 1 can (28 oz) canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 carton (32 oz) low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon pepper or to taste
- 1 can (15 oz) canned red kidney beans rinsed and drained (or 1.5 cups of home cooked beans)
- 1 cup chopped kale optional
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast optional
- 2 cups cooked noodles We like macaroni noodles. Ditalini is also a good choice. (Use gluten free noodles, if desired)
- fresh chopped parsley to garnish
Instructions
- In a soup pot over medium heat, sauté the onion in ¼ cup of the veggie broth until soft and translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes
- Add the garlic, parsley, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir well and sauté 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the frozen vegetables, crushed tomatoes, the rest of the carton of veggie broth. Stir well to combine.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes to allow the veggies to become tender and the flavors to mingle.
- Add kidney beans, nutritional yeast, and kale, if using. Simmer another 2 to 3 minutes to warm through.
- Serve over cooked noodles with fresh chopped parsley to garnish.
Cyndy says
Delicious and Easy! Love it
Jenn Sebestyen says
Thank you, Cyndy!
Julie says
I came across this recipe about two months ago when looking for some recipe ideas for my very busy, vegetarian, teen daughter. I was looking for things that I could have ready in the fridge so that she could just quickly heat up. This soup was more than I could hope for. She loves it! It is quick, easy, can be frozen (I freeze it with out the pasta and then make that fresh or use left overs). It is so delicious that our whole family loves it and will happily eat it as a main course. We eat it weekly. I make a double batch bi weekly and freeze half. Very inexpensive also! Thank You!!!!
Jenn Sebestyen says
Oh, Julie, this makes me so happy! It’s also great with leftover rice thrown in if you don’t have pasta. So versatile! Thank you for letting me know how much you all love it! 🙂
Sophia | Veggies Don't Bite says
I’m not quite ready to admit summer is over…it’s a denial I have and considering we are still in summer weather over here, I don’t blame me. But this sounds amazing and definitely need to file it away for when I’m ready to come to terms with fall.
Jenn S. says
The temps actually spiked back up here too. It’s in the 80’s all weekend and upper 70’s for the entire next week. I had already embraced fall – the leaves are changing and falling and the temps were in the 50’s-60’s, so this warmer weather has me a little unhappy. The only thing I don’t like about fall is how quickly winter follows it!
Nicole Dawson says
Minestrone is such an awesome soup to make, especially when you’re short on time but still want something nutritious. I bet that kale in their takes it up a notch too. We usually throw spinach in ours but the kale would make it a little heartier and great for those cooler months.
Jenn S. says
Thanks, Nicole. It’s definitely a hearty soup. I love it all year, but totally perfect for fall and winter.
Vanessa @ Veganfamilyrecipes says
Now that is one delicious and hearty looking minestrone. My kids would love to dig into a big bowl of that. Pinning it now so I don’t forget to make it!
Jenn S. says
Thank you, Vanessa! I think our families have very similar tastes! Hope you all love it!
Mel | avirtualvegan.com says
All those lovely veggies! I love minestrone. it’s so flavourful and I like the filling pasta in it. It’s much more satisfying because of that. I wish I had a bowl right now!
Jenn S. says
The pasta definitely turns it into a meal! Thanks, Mel!
Julie @ Running in a Skirt says
Yaaassss!!! Love adding kale to soup like this! So tasty! This is a must make.
Jenn S. says
Thank you, Julie! I hope you love it!