This easy vegan minestrone soup recipe is the perfect recipe for a quick weeknight meal packed with hearty beans and veggies.

Bowl of minestrone soup with beans and pasta.

This vegan minestrone recipe is healthy, filling, budget-friendly and easy to make in no time at all.

It’s loaded with veggies, pasta, beans and a delicious tomato broth. It’s a go-to at my house for busy weeknights when I don’t feel like cooking.

It can be on the table in 30 minutes including prep time and makes a healthy, filling meal that the whole family will love.

Features

  • Dietary Needs: Vegan, oil-free, can be gluten-free.
  • The recipe makes 6 large meal-sized servings or can be served as a starter or side for 8-10.
  • Nutrition Features: Each serving contains just 131 calories and 1 gram of fat while providing 6 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber.
  • Quick and easy soup that’s ready in 30 minutes.
  • Easy to customize with different veggies like green beans or kidney beans for cannellini beans.

Ingredient Notes

Visual of ingredients labelled with text for making a minestrone soup recipe.

Complete list of ingredients with amounts and full instructions is located in the recipe card below. This section covers ingredient and substitution considerations.

  • Pasta: Try bows, penne, shells or rotini, for a gluten-free recipe, use a gluten-free pasta like brown rice or quinoa (or lasagna noodles try my vegan lasagna soup).
  • Kidney beans: Canned works just great, drain and rinse well before adding, chickpeas, white kidney beans or pinto beans make a good sub!
  • Vegetables: For the flavour based use carrots, celery, onion, garlic. Feel free to add any other veggies you like, such as green beans or zucchini.
  • Vegetable Broth: Homemade, carton, powder or cubes all work great. Choose no salt-added or low-sodium to keep the recipe lower in sodium.
  • Canned diced tomatoes: I like fire roasted best but any kinds works, choose no salt-added if sodium intake is a concern.
  • Dried Herbs: If you don’t have basil or oregano on hand, you can use 2 tsp Italian seasoning.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1. Add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery to a large soup pot with 2-3 tbsp of water, broth or olive oil and cook over medium heat for 7-8 minutes until soft and fragrant.

If the pan starts to dry out, add a little more water or broth as needed.

Cooked, chopped carrot, onion, celery and garlic in a soup pot with a wooden spoon.

Step 2. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer lightly until the pasta is cooked al dente. This may take anywhere from 8-15 minutes depending on the pasta you use.

Quick Tip: Err on the side of slightly underdone and definitely for the pasta as it will continue to cook even after you turn off the heat and you want to avoid mushy pasta!

Beans, pasta and tomato sauce in a large soup pot.

Step 3. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy! A sprinkle of fresh parsley and vegan parmesan are also yummy for topping.

Quick Tip: If you’d like to add some greens to the soup, stir in a few handfuls of spinach or chopped kale at the end.

Overhead view of two bowls of minestrone soup with pasta and beans.

FAQs

Can I use different vegetables?

Sure! You can use any veggies you like, up to 2 cups in addition to the onion.

I would keep the onion and garlic in there but from there you can sub in other veggies like brussels sprouts, green beans, zucchini or bell peppers.

I sometimes add 2 cups of fresh spinach, collard greens or chopped kale at the end just to get some greens in there.

Can I add potatoes?

Since the soup already has pasta, potato wouldn’t be my go-to for this soup, though you can it them if you like. I would recommend peeling and slicing into small 1 cm cubes before adding so they cook fairly quickly. Add them when you add the diced tomatoes.

What kind of pasta can I use?

You can use any kind of pasta you like!

I’ve used whole wheat pasta like bows, rotini and fusilli. I would recommend sticking to short pasta shapes but if you want to use spaghetti or linguine, break the pieces in half or into thirds before adding to the soup for a more even cooking time.

To make it gluten-free minestrone, you can use chickpea pasta, lentil pasta or a quinoa or brown rice pasta.

Just check the cooking time for the type of pasta you use so you have a general idea of how long it will take to cook in the soup.

Can I use something other than kidney beans?

Sure! Chickpeas, white beans, black eye peas, pinto beans or even cooked green lentils would work! Simply swap out the can of kidney beans for whatever you have on hand.

Spoon resting in a bowl of minestrone soup.

Here are some more yummy homemade soup recipes to try:

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Bowl of minestrone soup with beans and pasta.

Easy Vegan Minestrone Soup

  • Author: Deryn Macey
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 6
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Enjoy a big bowl of this vegan minestrone soup when you want something quick, easy, healthy and hearty! It’s great for cleaning out the fridge and pantry too! 

★★★★★

5 from 6 reviews
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Ingredients

  • 1 large white onion, diced, approx. 2 cups (300 g)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 carrots, chopped, approx. 1 heaping cup (150 g)
  • 2 ribs celery, chopped, approx. 1 cup (125 g)
  • 1 x 28 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional, omit if sensitive to spice)
  • 1 1/4 cups small uncooked pasta of choice such as bows or rotini (85 g)
  • 1 19 oz can kidney beans, drained and well-rinsed (approx. 2 cups cooked beans, 330 g)
  • sea salt and black pepper, to taste
  • optional, 2 cups of fresh baby spinach or chopped kale

Instructions

  1. Add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery to a large pot and cook over medium heat in 2-3 tbsp of water or broth (or olive oil) for 7-8 minutes, stirring frequently and adding water as needed if it starts to dry out. 
  2. Add the canned diced tomatoes, basil, oregano, beans, broth and pasta and simmer lightly until the pasta is tender and cooked al dente, approximately 10-15 minutes depending on the kind of pasta you use.
  3. If you want to add some spinach or kale, stir that in now and turn off the heat.
  4. Season with salt and pepper and either serve right away or store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

Storing: Let cool then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge if frozen. Reheat as needed stovetop or in the microwave until heated to your preference.

Substitutions: Use cannellini beans, chickpeas, navy beans or black eye peas in place of kidney beans. Mix and match vegetables: green beans, carrots, celery, zucchini, peas, corn, cauliflower.

Gluten-Free Option: Use your favourite gluten-free pasta such as chickpea pasta, brown rice pasta or quinoa pasta.

If you don’t have dried basil and oregano on hand, Italian seasoning works well.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/6th of recipe
  • Calories: 131
  • Sugar: 6 g
  • Sodium: 250 mg
  • Fat: 1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 27 g
  • Fiber: 5 g
  • Protein: 5.5 g

Keywords: vegan minestrone soup, easy minestrone soup

Originally pubslihed September 28, 2018.