I hope you love this easy homemade minestrone soup recipe as much as I do! It comes together in about 30 minutes, and to cut some corners, I'm using canned beans and canned tomatoes. An essential flavour component here is the stock! I really like using vegan-friendly chicken-flavored bouillon paste or cubes. To take the flavour over the top, use fresh herbs instead of dried ones if you have them on hand.
I used to eat canned minestrone soup whenever I was sick, and honestly, even when I wasn't. I also ate it as an after-school snack; yeah, what a weirdo! You'd think a teenager would be on the couch eating a bag of potato chips, but not me. I was already vegetarian in high school, so this was the perfect way to satisfy my hunger, with vegetables, pasta, and beans all in one bowl. Gosh, I was such a sensible teen. But it's wholesome choices like that that led me here to you, so let's be grateful.
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This recipe is from my ebook even more vegan comfort classics: bonus recipes to feed your face! It contains 15 never-before-released recipes I put out alongside my first best-selling cookbook, Vegan Comfort Classics. If you pre-ordered that cookbook, you might have claimed this ebook as your free gift. But that still means a lot of you don't have it, so it's finally getting its own moment here.
why you'll love this easy minestrone soup
- it's ready in about 30 minutes, start to finish, using canned beans and canned tomatoes to cut down on prep without cutting corners on flavour.
- it's a serious upgrade on canned minestrone. If, like teenage me, canned minestrone was your go-to, this homemade version has all of that same cozy, nostalgic flavour with way more depth: fresh vegetables, a flavourful vegan chicken-style stock, and pasta that doesn't turn to mush in the can.
- it's a full meal in one pot. Between the vegetables, two kinds of beans, and pasta, this is hearty enough to stand on its own.
- it's naturally vegan and can be made gluten-free with a quick pasta swap.
ingredient notes
- vegan chicken-flavoured bouillon is the flavour backbone of this soup! It's worth seeking out specifically rather than substituting a plain vegetable stock, since it's what gives the broth its classic, savory minestrone flavour.
- fire-roasted diced tomatoes add a subtle smokiness that plain diced tomatoes won't give you. If you can find no-salt-added, you'll have more control over the final seasoning.
- kidney beans and navy beans are the classic minestrone combination, giving you two different textures in every bite.
- ditalini, small shells, or elbow macaroni all work well here for the pasta. Anything small enough to fit on a spoon alongside the vegetables and beans.
- fresh herbs can be swapped in for the dried basil and oregano if you have them on hand, and will take the flavour up a notch.
how to make minestrone soup
- heat a large stockpot over medium heat with olive oil. Once hot, add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes, until sweating and slightly softened.
- add the carrots and celery and sauté for 3 minutes. Then add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute, lowering the heat if necessary to prevent burning.
- add the zucchini, spices, salt, and pepper, and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Then add the tomato paste and stir to coat the vegetables for about 1 minute.
- add the stock, canned tomatoes, kidney beans, navy beans, and pasta. Bring to a low boil and cook for 5 minutes.
- add the green beans, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- serve while the pasta is al dente.
tips for the best minestrone soup
- use fresh herbs if you have them. A handful of fresh basil and oregano stirred in near the end brightens up the whole pot.
- don't skip the fire-roasted tomatoes. They add a depth of flavour plain canned tomatoes can't match.
- cook the pasta separately if you're meal-prepping. Since the pasta continues to absorb liquid in the fridge, boiling it separately and adding it to each bowl when reheating keeps the texture right.
- taste and adjust the seasoning at the end. Bouillon brands vary in saltiness, so give the soup a final taste before serving, and adjust salt and pepper to your liking.
what to serve with minestrone soup
This soup is a full meal on its own, but a few things make it even better: crusty bread or garlic bread for dipping, a simple side salad for something fresh, and I like adding a sprinkle of vegan parmesan on top of the soup for extra savouriness.
how to store the minestrone soup
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The pasta will continue to absorb liquid and expand as it sits. This is normal, and the soup is still great, but add a splash more stock when reheating if it's thickened up more than you'd like. You can also boil the pasta separately and stir it into each bowl when reheating, to keep it from over-absorbing.
frequently asked questions
Yes, completely! Even including the "chicken-flavoured" bouillon, which is a plant-based product designed to mimic that classic savory broth flavour without any animal products.
It has all of the same comforting, familiar flavour as canned minestrone, but with fresh vegetables, a more flavourful broth, and pasta that's cooked properly instead of going soft in a can. Canned soup notoriously is very high in sodium too, so we skip that! It still comes together almost as quickly, using canned beans and tomatoes to keep the prep simple.
Yes! Swap the pasta for your favourite gluten-free small pasta shape, and double check that your bouillon is gluten-free (most are, but brands vary). When using gluten-free pasta I would recommend boiling it in a separate pot to al dente, rinsing it well, and only adding it to servings of hot soup. Gluten-free pasta tends to get very starchy while cooking and mushy very quickly.
It's best fresh, since the pasta texture suffers after freezing and thawing. If you want to freeze a batch, freeze the soup without the pasta, then cook fresh pasta to add in when you reheat it.
easy minestrone soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 C finely diced red onion (about 1 large onion)
- 1 C finely chopped celery (about 2 stalks)
- 1 C finely chopped carrot (about 1 large carrot)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 C diced zucchini (about 1 zucchini)
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 vegan chicken flavoured bouillon cubes or 2 teaspoons bouillon base dissolved in 6 cups hot water or 6 cups vegetable stock
- 1 (28 oz/796 ml) can diced fire roasted toamtoes (no salt added)
- 1 ½ C or 1 can (14 oz/398 ml) cooked kidney beans
- 1 ½ C or 1 can (14 oz/398 ml) cooked navy beans
- 1 C ditalini, small shells, or elbow macaroni
- ½ pound green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
Instructions
- Heat a large stockpot over medium heat with olive oil. Once hot add onion and sauté for 2 minutes until sweating and slightly softer.
- Add carrots and celery and sauté for 3 minutes. Then add garlic and sauté for 1 minute, lowering heat if necessary to prevent burning.
- Add zucchini, spices, and salt and pepper and sauté stirring occasionally for 3 minutes. Then add tomato paste and stir to coat vegetables for 1 minute.
- Add stock, canned tomatoes, kidney beans, navy beans, and pasta. Bring to a low boil and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add green beans, lower heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Serve while pasta is al dente. If you have leftovers the pasta will absorb more liquid and expand. It’s still fine, but when reheating just add a bit more stock if you need more liquid. Alternatively you could always boil the pasta to al dente in a separate pot. Drain and add cooked pasta to the heated soup when serving.
Mandy
This soup is amazing! An absolute favorite with my family. It's just so nourishing and satisfying. Even my two year old loves it and she is a very harsh critic 🙂
Lauren Toyota
oh great! SO HAPPY to hear that!