Italian Minestrone Soup

Best Italian minestrone soup with fennel / "finocchio" and fregola pasta in a homemade tomato based broth from scratch. In essence: a super delicious thick vegetable and pasta soup that is vegan and good for you!

Course Soup

Cuisine Italian

Keyword fennel soup, minestrone soup, Vegan

Servings people

Calories 155kcal

Author Florentina

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

US Customary - Metric

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.

Nutrition