Winter Vegetarian Minestrone Soup
on Jan 08, 2019, Updated Nov 07, 2024
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This Vegetarian Minestrone Soup is the best way to use fresh winter produce. Combined with a delicious tomato base and beans, this soup checks all the right boxes – healthy, hearty, filling, flavorful, and loaded with veggies!
I love soups that double up as meals. But if you are not a soup person, then I am positive that this Vegetarian Minestrone Soup will change that! It’s spicy, tangy, herby, and SO delicious that even pickiest of eaters will gobble this one right up!
Traditional Italian minestrone soup has its base in a fresh tomato sauce that’s seasoned with herbs, veggies, some kind of meat and pasta. But I really wanted to keep this light on the stomach but still hearty. So this is my version of a lighter, stew-like minestrone soup.
- Perfect fridge clean out recipe – you can add whatever winter veggies you have available
- A one-pot dump-and-go soup where everything gets cooked in just one pot
- Super customisable – change up the veggies, add or skip pasta, make it thicker or more stew like – this soup turns out amazing either way
- Skipped the pasta and added beans to up it’s protein and nutritional value
- Loaded with veggies which makes it super high in fiber and essential vitamins
jump to section: Vegetarian Minestrone soup
Vegetables that go into this Minestrone Soup
A lot of vegetables can be used in this soup. Starting with root vegetables like potato or sweet potato to more seasonal veggies like squash and pumpkin, along with greens like spinach and kale.
In my version of veg winter minestrone soup, I have added onions, celery, carrots, butternut squash, french beans and kale. Kidney beans add another of texture, and not to mention nutrition. You can substitute it with any of your favorite cooked beans.
Pasta in Vegetarian Winter Minestrone Soup
Traditionally, Italian minestrone soup uses some form of pasta or rice. You can add pasta to this recipe by adding 1/2 cup dried pasta along with the french beans along with 1 1/2 cups water or stock. The additional liquid helps the pasta cook, and because the starch in the pasta will thicken the soup considerably.
Richa’s Top Tips
- I use a store-bought chunky marinara sauce to save time and effort in the kitchen. Plus the herby flavors work really well in this recipe.
- You can cook the tomatoes from scratch or use tomato puree if that’s what you prefer.
- This recipe is super customisable, so feel free to add whatever beans, veggies, and seasonings you like and have available.
If you’ve been following along for a while, you know that I’m not one for boring insipid soups. If I’m eating soup, I want it to be hearty, usually thick and full of flavor. And this vegetarian winter minestrone soup hits all the right notes!
Winter Vegetarian Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 6 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 3/4 cup Onions, chopped
- 3/4 cup Celery, chopped
- 3/4 cup Carrots, chopped
- 400 grams Marinara Sauce, store bought chunky (any other pasta sauce)
- 2 cups Water
- 1/2 teaspoon Oregano, dried
- 1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli Flakes
- 2 cups Butternut Squash, cubed
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 3/4 cup Kidney Beans, or any other beans of your choice (cooked)
- 3/4 cup French beans, chopped
- 2 cups Kale Leaves, roughly chopped (stems removed)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot and add garlic, onions, celery and carrots. Saute for a few minutes till the onions start turning translucent.
- Pour in the jarred marinara sauce along with water, oregano, chilli flakes, butternut squash and salt. Give it a quick mix, cover and let this simmer for 15-20 minutes till the butternut squash is fork tender.
- Add kidney beans and french beans and simmer for another five minutes. Lastly add the chopped kale and turn off the flame. Cover and let this rest for 10 minutes to let the kale wilt. You can top this soup with grated parmesan, sour cream or olive oil for additional yums.
Notes
Some Substitutions:
- Store bought marinara sauce can be substituted with canned tomatoes or fresh tomatoes + tomato puree. If you do so, add more herbs to the sauce to make up for the flavor. I would add dried oregano, basil and thyme.
- Cooked kidney beans can be substituted with cannellini or basically any beans of your choice. You can also add cooked lentils to the soup.
- Kale can be easily substituted with spinach if that’s what you have on hand.
Nutrition
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This recipe is delicious. I made it for a small group fireside, outdoors in winter. Everyone really enjoyed the hardiness of the root vegetables, absolutely wonderful!
Wow, sounds like the perfect holiday, Molly! Glad you liked my minestrone recipe. Stay tuned for more!
nice
winter vegetarian minestrone soup is abest in winter. this is one of my favorite recipe.
Thanks!
winter vegetarian minestrone soup is a best in winter.this is one of my favorite recipe.
Wow! Looks so good. Keep Inspiring Your followers & emailers, so they get delicious food to eat.
Thank you!