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Weeknight Vegan Minestrone Soup

February 3, 2023 Plant-Based Juniors Leave a Comment

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This simple vegan minestrone soup is perfect for weeknights, and comes together in only 30-40 minutes! Made with frozen vegetables for a simple, healthy dinner.

bowl of soup for kids

This vegan minestrone soup is perfect for weeknights when you just want to use ingredients you already have on hand. Whole wheat pasta, canned tomato sauce and canned beans are always something we keep stocked up in our pantry for simple recipes like this one.

With food prices so high right now, we love relying on frozen vegetables. Frozen vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh, and usually a fraction of the price. We love using them in cooked meals, like soups and stews. Frozen vegetable mixes are also great to use to cut down on veggie prep time and last longer.

bowl of noodle soup with a kids spoon

Why we love this recipe

This recipe is also a great way to introduce more vegetables into your kids meals. As most kids love pasta, serving this soup with plenty of noodles alongside some vegetables and beans can help to introduce new foods alongside already accepted ones. Another trick is to serve a small amount of soup in the bottom of a bowl, and then spoon plain pasta on top. This is another way to excite your kiddos with a food they already love.  

Soups are also an excellent way to increase your family’s hydration during the colder months when we may not feel as thirsty for cold water. Staying hydrated is also important to protect ourselves from the cold and flu season. Having a warm, veggie packed meal like this vegan minestrone soup is perfect for supporting our immune system.  

The tomato sauce we add to the soup is an excellent source of vitamin C, which pairs well with the fiber and iron rich white beans to boost the bioavailability of the plant based iron. Tomatoes are also a great source of vitamin A, which pairs well with the olive oil to increase the absorption of this fat soluble nutrient.  

bowl of soup with elbow noodles

Why use frozen veggies?

We love using frozen vegetables when we can because they last longer, don’t spoil as quickly, and are often less expensive than fresh produce. Frozen vegetables are a quick source of fiber and vitamins and minerals. There are lots of great variety mixes that are already pre chopped so all you have to do is add them to whatever recipe you are making. 

minestrone soup pot

Here’s what goes into our vegan minestrone soup:

  • Onion and garlic 
  • Tomato Sauce 
  • Canned white beans 
  • Vegetable broth 
  • Frozen veggies 
  • Nutritional yeast 
  • Dried oregano, basil, and thyme 
  • Dried short pasta
pot of soup with noodles and beans for minestrone

How to make minestrone soup:

Sauté half of a finely diced white onion in olive oil and a pinch of salt until softened. Add in minced garlic cloves and cook for another 30 seconds until just fragrant. Fresh garlic can easily burn, which is why we add it after we’ve cooked the onion.

Add in a can of tomato sauce, a can of drained white beans, vegetable broth and bag of frozen mixed vegetables. We use the blend with green bans, carrots, peas and corn but any blend will work!

Stir in the spices: dried oregano, basil, nutritional yeast, thyme and salt. Depending on the broth you choose, you may need more or less salt than thee recipe calls for. If serving this to younger babes, you can use a low-sodium broth and then add in salt after you’ve portioned out theirs.

Bring the soup to a boil, and then reduce the heat to simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes. 

While the soup is simmering, bring a separate pot of water to a boil to cook 8 ounces of any short pasta shape. Or if you prefer to cook the pasta directly in the soup just add 2 additional cups of broth or water (may need more depending on cut of pasta). 

If we are feeling fancy/have the time, we’ll stir in some fresh chopped parsley or basil and a garnish of vegan parmesan but it’s great as is.

bowl of vegan minestrone soup

Tips for success

You can make this vegan minestrone gluten free by substituting the wheat pasta for your favorite gluten-free pasta or a legume based variety.

Substitute white beans or any other canned bean you have in your pantry. Kidney beans or chickpeas would work well. 

Play around with the frozen veggies you use to see what your kids like best. 

Cook the pasta on the side so your kids have extra plain noodles to spoon on top for serving. This may help with any initial views of soup if it’s a new food– and seeing the pasta first can help with comfort and acceptability.

If you want to save leftovers, cook the pasta separately and add individual portions to the minestrone. Pasta that sits in the soup overnight will soak up extra liquid and become soggy.

Weeknight Vegan Minestrone Soup

This simple vegan minestrone soup is perfect for weeknights and comes together in only 30-40 minutes! Made with pantry ingredients and frozen vegetables for ease.
Print Recipe
Prep Time:20 minutes
Cook Time:15 minutes
Total Time:35 minutes
Servings:4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1/2 onion finely diced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
  • 1 15 oz can white beans rinsed and drained
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 10 oz bag frozen mixed vegetables
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp dried basil
  • 1/4 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp nutritional yeast
  • 8 oz dried short pasta shape like macaroni elbows, shells, farfalle, etc.
  • chopped fresh parsley or basil, and grated vegan parmesan optional for serving

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a soup pan over medium heat. Add in the onion along with a pinch of salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic cloves and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
  • Add in the tomato sauce, white beans, vegetable broth and frozen mixed vegetables.
  • Stir in the dried oregano, basil, nutritional yeast, thyme, and salt (depending on broth— we usually choose. low-sodium brown and then add an additional 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of salt, but can be to taste).
  • Bring the soup to a boil, and then reduce the heat to simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes.
  • While the soup is simmering, bring a separate pot of water to a boil to cook 8 ounces of any short pasta shape. Or if you prefer to cook the pasta directly in the soup just add 2 additional cups of broth or water and cook the noodles directly in the soup. If you use a larger cut of pasta than an elbow, you may need more water or broth.
  • Season to taste, then serve. Optional garnish with fresh chopped parsley or basil or vegan parmesan.

Notes

You can make this gluten free by substituting the wheat pasta for a legume based variety like Red Lentil Penne. 
Substitute white beans or any other bean you have in your pantry. Kidney beans or chickpeas would work well. 
Play around with the frozen veggies you use to see what your kids like best. 
Cook the pasta on the side so your kids have extra plain noodles. 
If you want to save leftovers, cook the pasta separately and add individual portions to the minestrone. Pasta that sits in the soup overnight will soak up extra liquid and become soggy.

Chime in below and let us know if you tried this recipe! 

If you liked this vegan minestrone recipe, here are some other weeknight dinner ideas to check out: 

Vegan Tomato Lentil Soup

Black Bean Sliders 

Red Lentil Pasta Primavera

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