Vegan Minestrone Soup

From time to time, I find myself on a treadmill at the gym watching Rachel Ray. I watched her take a potentially vegan minestrone soup and turn it into a fat-filled pot of unnecessary calories and fat.

Then, I listened to her rave about the whole rind of parmesan cheese, and the full-fat chicken and beef broth she added for flavor.

Although she used a plethora of vegetables, she sautéed them in olive oil. As always, I love cooking shows but I shake my head, and say "I can make that just as good without all that fat." So, I made a fabulous vegan minestrone soup recipe inspired by Rachel Ray. 

Rachel's "key" to her minestrone soup is slowly cooking layer on top of a layer of vegetables in a particular order. So, without drowning them in oil, I did the same, with vegetable broth and oil-free for my version of vegan minestrone soup.

Instead of using fatty chicken and beef broth, I used Organic Vegetable Broth, and in place of that nasty cheese rind, I used nutritional yeast.

Additionally, I added a  few more vegetables to my vegan minestrone soup recipe, because I love them, and I'm vegan after all.

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN THIS AMAZING VEGAN MINESTRONE SOUP?

• White Onion
• Garlic
• Carrots
• Celery stalks
• Yellow Zucchini
• Green Zucchini
• Baking Potatoes
• Dark Red Kidney Beans
• Chickpeas
• Fresh Green Beans
• Organic Spinach
• Organic Fire Roasted Tomatoes
• Orecchiette Pasta, or any pasta (gluten-free, wheat, or whatever you prefer) 
• Organic Vegetable Broth
• Nutritional Yeast
• Garlic Powder
• Ground Pepper
• Chili Powder
• Onion Powder

MAKE SHOPPING EASIER BY USING A VEGETABLE CHOPPER

One way I make chopping easier and more uniform is to use my favorite vegetable chopper. Not only does this chopper have two different settings for small and larger sized cuts, but it also cuts vegetables identical sizes for uniform cooking. 

I used the small chopping size for my vegetables for this recipe.

COOKING VEGAN MINESTRONE SOUP IN STAGES OR LAYERS

For instance, in the first stage of cooking vegan minestrone soup, I combined garlic, onions, and celery.  

Then I added the carrots and potatoes and half the vegetable broth.  Next, I added the green beans, followed by the partially pureed fire-roasted tomatoes and another can of diced fire-roasted tomatoes.

The next stage is including the yellow and green zucchini, remaining broth, noodles, nutritional yeast, and spices

Although Rachel suggested red kidney beans, I used red kidney beans and chickpeas. But you can choose any beans you prefer.

As a result of cooking in stages or layers, the flavors meld perfectly, and the vegetables cook perfectly based on their nutrient-density. The spinach, because it wilts immediately, is added last. 

Even though the vegan minestrone soup cooks in layers, the beauty of this recipe is it all cooks in one pot. 

This vegan minestrone soup recipe is savory, full of vegetables, and easy to make. And, it is easily achieved without any of the fat and calories in a typical minestrone soup recipe. Making it clean is always a better option than adding unneeded fat and calories.

In fact, I like to make a pot of vegan minestrone soup on Sunday, and Paul and I eat it all week long. I fill up crocks of soup and make other vegan salads for easy packing in the morning.

Cooking and prepping food before-hand makes taking a healthy lunch to work easy.

IF YOU LOVE MINESTRONE SOUP, YOU WILL LOVE THESE VEGAN SOUPS

• Vegetable Soup with Beans
• Vegan Potato Soup
• Soup Recipes for the Fall
• Creamy Vegetable Soup
• Cream of Chickpea Soup Recipe
• Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup
• Vegetable Barley Soup
• Quinoa Vegetable Soup
• Cauliflower Potato Soup
• Potato Leek Soup
• Vegan Clam Chowder Oh My!

Yield: 12 servings

Vegan Minestrone Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Watch out Rachel Ray; my vegan minestrone soup is just as delicious oil-free and plant-based. Enjoy the same savory goodness without all the fat and calories and enjoy this delicious vegan minestrone recipe for lunch, dinner, or freeze it for future meals.

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Ingredients

• 1 large White Onion, diced
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 3 Carrots, diced
• 3 Celery stalks, diced
• 1 Yellow Zucchini, diced
• 1 Green Zucchini, diced
• 2 large Baking Potatoes, diced
• 1 can, rinsed, drained Dark Red Kidney Beans
• 1 can, drained, rinsed Chickpeas
• 2 cups fresh Green Beans, ends snapped off; beans snapped in half
• 1 16 ounce bag Organic Spinach, chopped
• 2 cans Organic Fire Roasted Tomatoes, divided (one can lightly blended but not pureed; one can left as is)
• 1, 8 ounce bag Orecchiette Pasta, or any pasta (gluten-free, wheat, or whatever you prefer) (yield 2 1/2 cups dry pasta)
• 8 cups Organic Vegetable Broth
• 3/4 cup Nutritional Yeast
• 3 teaspoons Garlic Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Ground Pepper
• 3 teaspoons Chili Powder
• 2 teaspoons Onion Powder

Instructions

Rachel Ray cooks her soup in layers: So, follow these instructions by cooking layers, one at a time, adding on top of the first layer.

COOKING LAYER #1

• In a large soup pot, saute garlic, onion, and celery until translucent.

COOKING LAYER #2

• Add carrots and potatoes, and cook for another 10 minutes.
• Add 4 cups of vegetable broth and bring to a boil.

COOKING LAYER #3

• Add green beans.
• Put one can of roasted tomatoes in a food processor and pulse until diced smaller; do not puree.
• Add to pot.
• Add the other can of diced tomatoes, as is, directly to the pot
• Stir.
• Cook for 10 minutes; stirring occasionally.

SPICES AND DENSE vegetable Layer

• Add spices, nutritional yeast, and an additional 4 cups of broth.
• Add zucchini.
• Add Red Kidney Beans and Chickpeas ( you may use any beans you prefer).
• Stir.
• Add pasta and boil for 11 minutes (the time indicated on the bag of pasta)
• Taste to make sure your pasta, potatoes, and carrots are tender.
• Add spinach right at the end; it wilts immediately.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Mueller Chopper 4 Blade Pro Series - Strongest - NO MORE TEARS 40% Heavier Duty Multi Vegetable-Fruit-Cheese-Onion Chopper-Dicer-Kitchen Cutter
• 
  Muir Glen Canned Tomatoes, Organic Diced Tomates, Fire Roasted, No Sugar Added, 14.5 Ounce Can (Pack of 12)
• 
  Anthony's Premium Nutritional Yeast Flakes, 1lb, Fortified, Gluten Free, Non GMO, Vegan
• 
  NutriBullet Pro 900 Hi-Speed Blender/Mixer, 9-piece Set
• 
  De Cecco Orecchiette No. 91 Pasta 16 Oz. Box

Nutrition Information

Yield

12 servings

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 235Total Fat 1gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 0mgSodium 331mgCarbohydrates 45gFiber 10gSugar 7gProtein 13g

Nutrition facts may not be 100% accurate.

Did you make this recipe?

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Kathy Carmichael

Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂

www.kathysvegankitchen.com/about-me