Minestrone Soup with Pesto

My amazing mom has been making this vegan minestrone soup for years and it’s one of my all-time favorites. I love the chunkiness of the vegetables and it’s really more of a stew than a soup. I’ve seen people who “hate vegetables” (!?!), ask for seconds of this soup. Seriously, it’s that good!

Minestrone Soup with Pesto

The soup also freezes quite well. It makes 6 good-sized bowls, so I normally freeze half of it for later. It’s one of those things that tastes even better the next day, when all the ingredients have had time to get acquainted with each other, and it’s great to have tucked-away in the freezer for those days when you don’t have much time, but want something warm and comforting to eat.

The fresh pesto really makes this vegan minestrone soup special, so you don’t want to skip that step. I posted my vegan pesto recipe a couple days ago, and you can easily make it while the soup is simmering.

Vegan Minestrone Soup with Pesto

Update — Vegan Minestrone Soup with Pesto

13-Feb-2020 — I made a double batch of this on the weekend and it’s as delicious as ever! I used 2 punnets of baby cherry tomatoes instead of 4 full tomatoes. I’ve updated the recipe to include that as an option.

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Vegan Minestrone Soup with Pesto

This vegan minestrone soup with pesto is chock-full of fresh healthy veggies. It’s vegan, gluten-free and freezer-friendly!

  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 75 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 mins
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: Soup, Starter
  • Cuisine: Italian, Vegan

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 cups vegetable broth
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 3 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 1 leek, sliced
  • 2 carrots, finely chopped
  • 1 celery stick, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 sprig fresh (or 1/4 tsp dried) thyme
  • 3/4 cup peas, fresh or frozen
  • 1 small zucchini, finely chopped
  • 2 cup green or yellow beans, chopped in 3
  • 4 tomatoes, chopped (or 2 punnets of baby/cherry tomatoes, sliced in half)
  • 2 cups cooked or canned beans (I like to mix kidney, garbanzo and/or white beans)
  • salt and pepper
  • pesto sauce, for topping

Instructions

  1. In large saucepan, heat the stock and water until it reaches a simmering point.
  2. In another saucepan, heat the olive oil. Stir in the onion and leek, and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until the onion has softened.
  3. Add the carrots, celery, and garlic, and cook over medium hear, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook for a further 3 minutes.
  4. Add the veggies to the stock and stir well. Add the bay leaf, thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat slightly, and leave to cook for 10-12 minutes more.
  5. Stir in the peas, if fresh, and the zucchini, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the frozen peas, if using, and the chopped tomatoes. Cover the pan, bring slowly to the boil, then simmer further for 5 minutes.
  6. Stir in the beans and simmer for 10 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper, as needed, and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
  7. Serve in warmed bowls, topped with a dollop of fresh pesto.

Notes

Source: Modified from Classic Italian by Valentina Harris

Keywords: basil, bean, carrot, comfort food, favorite, freezer-friendly, gluten-free, low-carb, make-ahead, nut-free, pesto, soy-free, summer, tomato, soup, minestrone, vegan

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Minestrone Soup with Pesto

19 thoughts on “Minestrone Soup with Pesto”

  1. Definitely my favourite soup! The chopping takes a bit of time, but it’s super easy from there. I like to make a double batch and freeze small containers for later use. The pesto is a great addition but not necessary as the soup is delicious on its own, especially served with some good bread.

    Reply
  2. Hi Angela my name is Annie, I live in Chicago, IL, USA. I’m trying to eat healthy, so I decided I want to b vegetarian. I was looking on all ur recipes and look delicious, I will make all of them for sure, but I noticed that every recipe says only the cooking time and how many serves but you don’t mention anything about how many calories per service. Do you think is possible to include that in each recipe? thanks.

    Reply
  3. OMG. Best soup I’ve ever had In my life. Not a big veggie fan, so I was skeptical, but it was so delicious ! Everyone had 2 bowls ! We can’t wait to have it again.

    Reply
  4. I’ve been waiting for you to post this – since winter is arriving here this will be amazing to have in the freezer!

    Reply
    • Glad to hear it! It’s my favorite! Definitely make the pesto and add a dollop to each bowl before serving. It’s so comforting – and freezes well. Please let me know when you make it!

      Reply

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