Vegetable Minestrone Soup
on Jan 04, 2015, Updated Jul 16, 2024
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This healthy Vegetable Minestrone Soup is packed with fresh vegetables and beans. A hearty and flavorful, meatless and gluten free soup!
The holidays are finally behind us and as fun as they were I am itching to get back on track with my running and my eating. For the past month I have eaten more than my share of cookies and candy and while I loved every minute of it, I’m starting to feel like my stomach is lopping over my pants and that is something I am not comfortable with.
In order to help me rid my body of all the butter and sugar I’ve been pouring into my body, I’m planning to share lots of healthy recipes over the next month starting with this Vegetable Minestrone Soup.
It’s been pretty darn cold here in Colorado since Christmas. We ended Christmas day with a big snow which was absolutely beautiful and perfectly timed. However, it hasn’t warmed up much since then, I think we topped out at 34 one day. We’ve had a few more snows since then and a couple of bitter cold days. Since it’s been so cold the snow hasn’t really had much of a chance to melt so we have about 7 inches accumulated in our backyard.
With all of the snow and ice outside I’ve been staying in and running on my treadmill. I’m so grateful I have it, but the lack of outdoor visual stimulation is really starting to get me down. The other reason I’ve been stuck inside on the treadmill is that I’ve been dealing with a hip flexor issue all through the month of December. I’m not going to lie it’s been painful and mentally and emotionally challenging for me.
I’m not running anywhere near the pace I was this summer and running up and down hills (there are tons of them here in Highlands Ranch) irritates the heck out of my hip. Thankfully I’ve found that running on a flat surface (my treadmill) doesn’t irritate it nearly as much.
So, between all the desserts, cutting back on running, and overall being bummed out about my leg, it’s put me in a bit of a funk lately. Over the past couple days I’ve been getting myself organized and coming up with a plan to get healthy and motivated again. This Vegetable Minestrone Soup was just the beginning and it was a delicious beginning.
If I had my way I’d eat soup for dinner all the time, the husband though doesn’t believe soup on it’s own is a meal. However, we compromise and when I do make it I cook some chicken or make him a sandwich to go with his.
The Vegetable Minestrone soup is packed with vegetables just as the name implies. It has carrots, celery, onions, green beans, spinach, zucchini, and tomatoes in it. For some protein it also has a can of delicious and creamy cannellini beans. To keep the carbs lower and make it gluten free I didn’t add pasta to this soup, but if the pasta is important to you feel free to add some.
This soup is warm, filling, and has so much flavor. It was everything I was hoping for and more. It makes quite a bit so you will have plenty of leftovers for lunch or dinner the next night. Whether you need to get back on track with healthy eating or are just looking for a darn good soup to have on a cold day, this Vegetable Minestrone Soup is sure to fit the bill!
Vegetable Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 3 carrots diced
- 2 stalks of celery diced
- 1/2 pound green beans trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 zucchini diced
- 15 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
- 32 ounces low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil
- 5 ounces fresh baby spinach
- 15 ounce can cannellini beans rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup dry white wine optional
- Shredded parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium high heat add the olive oil.
- When the oil is hot add in the onion and saute for about 3 minutes until it has softened.
- Add in the garlic, carrots, celery, and green beans cooking another 4-5 minutes.
- Add in the zucchini, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, water, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, thyme, and bay leaf.
- Stir everything together and bring it to a boil.
- Lower the heat to medium low so that it is just simmering.
- Simmer the soup for 30 minutes with the lid on.
- Add in the spinach, cannellini beans, and white wine, stirring to combine.
- Serve the soup immediately and top with shredded parmesan cheese if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe! I’ve got it pinned. This will be perfect for hubby and I on our weight loss program.
Thanks so much Marsha! It’s by far one of my favorite soups, I hope you and your husband like it!
Your minestrone is beautiful! So many veggies- and perfect for cold winter nights.
Thanks Sherri! I love packing my soups full of veggies!
Wow! That soup looks amazing. ALL of your soups look fantastic, actually. I HATE photographing soup!
Thanks Nicole, you are so sweet! :-)
Oh my word you read my mind with this soup recipe! With this cold weather, and New Years Resolution for healthier meals, this sounds like a win win!
Soup is my absolute favorite thing to eat on cold days!
I love minestrone soup so much – it’s everything comfort food should be! This looks delish!
Thanks Marye, I totally agree!