Rustic Vegetable Minestrone Soup

Soup is what you’ll find me eating most days for lunch October through March. I love my soups loaded with veggies and fresh herbs. Forget those recipes that call for 2 celery sticks. Why not add the whole bunch? So I do. The result is this EASY veggie-heavy recipe that’s easy to personalize by swapping in veggies you love, and pasta of choice. If you are gluten free…use GF pasta. Whole food plant based? Use bean based pasta! You get the picture - just go make this soup!! 

RECIPE for Rustic Vegetable Minestrone Soup:

Ingredients:

1 lb. carrots

1 bunch celery

1 large or 2 medium zucchini 

1 large onion

5 cloves garlic

3 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning blend 

6 cups vegetable broth

2 28oz cans, 7 cups canned whole peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano* 

1 bunch fresh parsley 

1 16 oz. can kidney beans

Pasta of choice

Instructions:

Wash and chop carrots, celery, zuchinni, onion and garlic and add to a large soup pot. Add a large splash of water and water sauté until zuchinni, garlic and onion start to soften, adding water as needed. Add Italian seasoning and canned tomatoes with they juices mixing to coat veggies with spices. Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat and simmer soup for 20 minutes, until the veggies and cooked and he soup has thickened.  Whole soup simmers cook  pasta according to package directions, drain, rinse and set aside. Once soup is cooked, wash and chop parsley, and rinse and drain kidney beans. Stir parsley and kidney beans into soup. Cover and let parsley wilt into the soup for a few minutes, stirring well. Serve soup in bowls, topping with cooked pasta and extra parsley. Enjoy! 

This soup stores well in the fridge for up to 4 days, and longer in the freezer! 

Recipe notes:

• When it comes to canned tomatoes I am a snob, preferring the flavor of San Marzano tomatoes every time. Use them if you can! 

• I love using chickpea pasta here for extra plant protein + fiber. If you use gluten free or regular pasta, feel free to add a second can of kidney beans.