Traditional Minestrone Soup Recipe

This Traditional Minestrone Soup recipe is made with hearty vegetables, beans and flavorful tomato base with pasta. Not only is this a healthy, delicious and filling soup, it’s vegan and Daniel Fast approved! 

Minestrone literally means “thick soup” in Italian, and it is perfect for a warm and comforting meal. While most all Minestrone recipes start with veggies and pasta or rice, they aren’t all vegan. That is why I am super excited to share this vegan Minestrone recipe with you. It’s honestly one of the best I have had!

It’s not only vegan, but it’s everything a good soup should be! It’s loaded with incredible flavor, great texture and is something the entire family will love.

My husband and I do a one-week Daniel Fast every year in January, but we enjoy eating that way so much that I incorporate many Daniel recipes into our rotation the rest of the year. 

This Minestrone soup is one of my favorites along with Roasted Root Vegetable Soup and Black-Eyed Pea Soup, both vegan and so delicious!  Also check out this list of vegan soup recipes. I’ve noted which work for the Fast.

Why We Love This Recipe

• Easy- If you’re looking for an easy recipe, this one is it! This is a chop and drop soup using all basic ingredients. Who doesn’t love that kind of meal on a busy weeknight?
• Vegan- If you are participating in the Daniel Fast you will love having this soup in your line up. Even if you aren’t on the fast or vegan, this is such a great recipe, you’ll crave it all throughout the year.
• Hearty-This is a rich and hearty soup, it is almost like a stew. Between the chunky vegetables and the addition of pasta, it’s the perfect comfort meal.
• Meal prep- One of the many things we love about soup recipes is that they typically make a fairly large amount. It’s great to pack for lunch and it tastes even better the next day, making meal prep a cinch!

What Goes Into This Minestrone

Loads of fresh vegetables – This recipe uses an amazing combination of fresh seasonal vegetables that make a rich and filling thick soup. Perfect for a main course meal.

Fresh herbs – Fresh parsley and fresh basil with the garlic all work together to give it that traditional Italian soup flavor.

Crushed tomatoes-For the soup base, crushed tomatoes are used instead of vegetable broth. This makes a very flavorful tomatoey broth for the rest of the vegetables.

Chickpea pasta- If you’ve never had chickpea pasta, you will be pleasantly surprised at just how good it is. It’s not mushy or overly soft. It holds up really well when boiled, maintaining the bite of an al dente noodle.

Navy beans- We used canned navy beans in this recipe. They are a great source of protein add great texture and creaminess to the soup. If using dry beans, be sure to soak them overnight first.

How to Make this Soup

Combine olive oil, garlic cloves and chopped onion in a large dutch oven or stock pot. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Add potatoes, carrots, celery, and cabbage. Stir well and cook over low to medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add tomatoes and water, stirring well. Cook for about 20 minutes or until veggies are tender crisp.

Rinse then drain beans and add with the parsley, basil, salt and pepper. Cook on medium for about 20 minutes.

While soup is simmering, cook pasta according to package, then drain.

Add cooked pasta to soup.

Adjust salt and black pepper to taste. Serve warm and enjoy!

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Tips for Making Classic Italian Minestrone Soup

Soup is too thick: This soup thickens up the next day. If you find that the soup is a little too thick, you can add a little bit of vegetable stock to thin it out. Just be sure and read the label on the stock to make sure there is no sugar added.

Don’t crowd the pot: Root vegetables will expand when they are cooked so make sure you use a large pot. The Dutch oven or stock pot you are using should be a large enough pot to keep the soup from boiling over.

Cook the vegetables in stages: A key to getting rich layers of flavor in this soup is to cook the vegetables in stages. By sauteing the onions and garlic in olive oil first, it allows the natural sugars to release. This is truly an important step in creating that incredible flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Add-ins and Variations for this Traditional Minestrone Soup Recipe:

If you love this recipe as much as we do, you’ll want to make it time and time again. Here are some vegan variations and add-ins you may want to try next time:

Beans: Instead of navy beans you can use cannellini beans, white beans or red kidney beans.

Rice: Often Minestrone recipes will include rice instead of pasta or a combination of both. That is a perfectly acceptable substitution, though if you are on the Daniel Fast, you will want to make sure and use a whole-grain rice.

Other Vegetables: This is a super versatile recipe and you can use a large variety of vegetables. It’s a great way to use up any leftover vegetables you have on hand. You can use squash, zucchini, butternut squash, green beans or peas. And instead of the cabbage, you can use spinach, kale or any hearty leafy greens you prefer.

More Vegan Recipes