Vegan Minestrone Soup Recipe
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Best vegan Italian minestrone soup with fennel / “finocchio” and fregola pasta in a homemade tomato based broth from scratch. In essence: a super delicious 1-pot thick vegetable and pasta soup!
Vegan Minestrone Soup
This easy classic Italian vegan minestrone soup captures all the sweet fragrant flavors of Italian fennel sausage but without any of the meat, saturated fat and cholesterol. Meatless, dairy free (pure vegetarian recipe) and filled with nutrients. Usually served as primo piatto (between starter and main course), I personally love my Minestra to be the main course enjoyed ribollita style: with torn pieces of extra garlicky bruschetta floating on top.
The soup is brimming with savory flavor and pure comfort from simple, healthy and nutritious ingredients. It can easily be made whole food plant based compliant by simply sautéing in water instead of olive oil and making sure your pasta is made from whole grains or swapped entirely with a whole grain like barley or farro.
About the Fennel (aka Finocchio)
Choose a firm white bulb without blemishes or many signs of browning. You’ll want to use both a fresh bulb and some dry seeds. Fresh Florence fennel is a sweet bulbous vegetable from the carrot family with a very mild and unique anise flavor. (Contrary to popular belief it does not taste like a licorice stick so please don’t let that hold you back from making this soup).
The fennel seeds are also sweet but with a more intense anise flavor profile that holds up well to slow cooking in soups and stews. I also like to use the frilly fennel fronds as an herb for garnish, they look a lot like fresh dill but very different in flavor. Although the stalks are edible and flavorful they could be quite fibrous just like celery, make sure to finely chop them if you decide to use them here, I always do.
Pasta for Minestrone
Traditionally different small shape pasta aka “pastinas” are best to cook in broth. Orzo, stelline, anellini, lumachine, ditalini rigati, farfalline, grattini, even mini gnocchi, just pick a favorite.  For me it has to be fregola di sarda aka Italian couscous, the little toasted pearl pasta you usually seen in Italian wedding soup. It’s my go to for a hearty pot of Pasta e Ceci, there really isn’t a pasta shape more fun to eat in broth in my humble opinion.
The pasta is meant to be cooked straight into the soup to absorb the flavors and also help naturally thicken the broth. If for whatever reason you decide to cook your pasta separately, make sure to cook it in plenty of salted water. All things considered, there’s something to be said about both the depth of flavor and texture of pasta cooked in broth and the marriage of flavors that takes place during this process.
Recipe Tips
- Gluten Free – The fregola can be swapped for gluten free pasta of your choosing or replaced with diced potatoes, lentils and even butternut squash.
- Grains vs Pasta – For an even healthier adaptation of this recipe you can swap the pasta with a whole grain. Barley and farro are classic ingredients found in Italian minestrone soup but wheat berries, wild rice and even quinoa could be used instead.
- Add Ins – For an even thicker soup you can add in some shredded savoy cabbage and a can of cannellini beans. A handful of chopped Italian kale (Kavalo Nero) or baby spinach wilted at the last minute will add a nice boost of micronutrients to the meal. Any freezer vegetables that need using up could go in here: broccoli, asparagus, green peas, green beans, mushrooms and even cauliflower.
- Storage – This is one of those soups that taste even better the next day as all the flavors get to marry overnight. It keeps well in the fridge up to 5 days and can be frozen for a rainy day if desired.
Serving suggestions…
how to make vegan Italian minestrone soup
Vegan Italian Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 1 onion diced
- 1 carrot (peeled + grated)
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 1 small fennel bulb thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp capers (brined +roughly chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp fennel seeds
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 28 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 pinch red chili flakes or to taste
- 8 cups water
- 1 cup small shape pasta (I used fregola / Italian couscous)
- 1/2 cup Italian parsley roughly chopped
- S + P to taste
Instructions
- Preheat a heavy bottom soup pot over medium heat and sautee the onion in a light drizzle of olive oil (or water for WFPB compliance) until translucent and starts to get a little color. Add a pinch of salt and chili flakes and give everything a good stir.1 onion, 1 pinch red chili flakes or to taste
- Stir in the grated carrot, diced bell pepper and sliced fennel. Toss to combine with the onion and cook a few more minutes on medium high heat until the veggies start getting a little color.1 carrot, 1 bell pepper, 1 small fennel bulb
- Push the veggie mixture to the sides. Drizzle a little olive oil in the center of the pot and add the garlic, capers and fennel seeds. Cook until fragrant taking care not to let the garlic burn. Stir well.2 Tbsp capers, 4 cloves garlic, 1 Tbsp fennel seeds
- Add the diced tomatoes, bay leaves, rosemary and water. Bring to a simmer and cover with a lid. Cook the soup on medium low heat for 25 minutes to concentrate the flavor.2 bay leaves, 1 sprig rosemary, 28 oz can diced tomatoes, 8 cups water
- After 25 minutes have passed taste the soup and season it with a generous pinch of salt. Add the fregola couscous or whatever small shape pasta you are using.1 cup small shape pasta
- Cook until the pasta is al dente. Usually fregola takes between 15 and 17 minutes to cook but other small shape pastas are done in half that time, so it’s important to follow the cooking times on the package. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.S + P to taste
- Stir in the fresh parsley and serve with homemade crusty bread or garlic bruschetta.1/2 cup Italian parsley
Notes
- The Fennel - Choose a firm white bulb without blemishes or many signs of browning. You'll want to use both a fresh bulb and some dry seeds. Fresh Florence fennel is a sweet bulbous vegetable from the carrot family with a very mild and unique anise flavor. (Contrary to popular belief it does not taste like a licorice stick so please don't let that hold you back from making this soup).
- Gluten Free - The fregola can be swapped for gluten free pasta of your choosing or replaced with diced potatoes, lentils and even butternut squash.
- Grains vs Pasta - For an even healthier adaptation of this recipe you can swap the pasta with a whole grain. Barley and farro are classic ingredients found in Italian minestrone but wheat berries, wild rice and even quinoa could be used instead.
- Add Ins - For an even thicker soup you can also add some shredded savoy cabbage and a can of cannellini beans. A handful of chopped Italian kale (Kavalo Nero) or baby spinach wilted at the last minute will add a nice boost of micronutrients to the meal. Any freezer vegetables that need using up could go in here: broccoli, asparagus, green peas, green beans, mushrooms and even cauliflower.
- Storage - This is one of those soups that taste even better the next day as all the flavors get to marry overnight. It keeps well in the fridge up to 5 days and can be frozen for a rainy day if desired.Â
Nutrition
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This might just be the most delicious minestrone I’ve ever made. The flavor is out of this world, I can’t believe there’s no sausage in here and thank you for inspiring me to cook with fennel, what a delicious combination! Must make recipe!