Welcome the new season with this vegan spring minestrone soup recipe. It’s easy, chunky, and perfect for lunch or dinner.
The recipe calls for a delicious combo of colorful veggies, including leeks, carrots, asparagus, and peas. It also features orzo for satiating carbs and kidney beans for plant-based protein.
However, as with most soup recipes, you can easily customize this soup. For example, you can replace the orzo with rice for a gluten-free version.
Try serving this healthy vegan soup with crackers, like our popular Flax Seed Crackers recipe. You can also enjoy it as a side and pair it with a sandwich, like our Pesto and Red Pepper Sandwich.
Table of Contents
What is Minestrone Soup?
Minestrone soup is a dish of Italian origin. Traditionally, it’s made of tomato-based broth, vegetables, beans, and pasta. This seasonal vegan version features spring veggies, along with beans and pasta. However, it contains no broth in order to let the green veggies shine.
Key Ingredients
- Vegetable broth. This will serve as the base of the soup. You can substitute a few cups with water, depending on how much broth you have on hand. Use an off the shelf option from the grocery store or try our homemade vegetable broth.
- Asparagus. Asparagus is a classic spring veggie. It adds color and flavor to the soup.
- Orzo. Orzo is a type small of pasta. To make it gluten-free, use your favorite rice.
- White beans. This ingredient offers satiating plant-based protein. If you don’t like beans, feel free to skip it.
- Dill. Fresh dill gives this soup a fresh, spring-inspired flavor.
How to Make Spring Minestrone Soup
This recipe for spring minestrone soup is mostly hands-off, meaning you won’t need to do a lot of work after cutting and preparing the ingredients. Here’s how to make it:
1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, warm 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the leeks, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until slightly tender.
Add the minced garlic, along with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for another 30 seconds.
2. Add vegetable broth. Simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Add the orzo, asparagus, and peas. You can also add more broth, if needed.
Simmer for another 5 minutes, or until the orzo is fully cooked. Remove from the heat.
4. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Mix in the beans and fresh dill, divide into bowls, and garnish with a sprinkle of fresh lemon juice.
Recipe Tips, Variations, and Substitutions
- Use another pasta. You can use any type of small pasta for this recipe.
- Replace with rice. Instead of pasta, use a quick-cooking rice instead.
- Use chickpeas. If you don’t like kidney beans, try this recipe with canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans) instead.
- Add more vegetables. For an extra chunky soup, add more leeks, carrots, celery, asparagus, peas, and/or beans than the recipe calls for.
- Top with vegan Parmesan cheese. Garnish this soup with your favorite brand of shredded vegan Parmesan cheese.
How to Store Leftovers
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Enjoy the soup within 3 to 4 days.
If you’d like to freeze this soup, you’ll need to plan ahead. Skip the pasta or rice, as the texture of these ingredients may change in the freezer. Then, after you thaw and heat the soup, you can prepare the pasta or rice separately then add it to the dish.
Serving Suggestions
- Flax Seed Crackers — Crackers are a classic pairing for soup.
- Coconut Bacon — Top this soup with smoky coconut bacon bits.
- Chickpea Salad Sandwich — Serve the soup as a side for this sandwich.
Spring Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- ½ bunch asparagus ends removed and sliced
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 1 leek sliced
- 2 stalks celery sliced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 6 to 8 cups vegetable broth
- 1 ¼ cups orzo or another small pasta
- 1 cup canned white kidney beans or chickpeas
- 3 tablespoons fresh dill chopped, plus more for serving
- Lemon for serving
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- Avocado oil
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, warm 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the leeks, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until slightly tender.
- Add the minced garlic, along with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add vegetable broth. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the orzo, asparagus, and peas. You can also add more broth, if needed.
- Simmer for another 5 minutes, or until the orzo is fully cooked. Remove from the heat.
- Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Mix in the beans and fresh dill, divide into bowls, and garnish with a sprinkle of fresh lemon juice.
Notes
- In place of orzo, you can use any type of small pasta or quick-cooking rice.
- For an extra chunky soup, add more leeks, carrots, celery, asparagus, peas, and/or beans than the recipe calls for.
- Serve with bread, dinner rolls, croutons, or crackers.
- Try topping this soup with shredded vegan Parmesan cheese.
- Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Enjoy the soup within 3 to 4 days.
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