This vegetarian minestrone soup is packed full of fresh vegetables and makes for the most delicious weeknight meal. We swap the usual pasta for quinoa in this easy recipe!
Classic minestrone is made with pasta. But since we often bend the rules around here, rather than pasta I added in quinoa. (If you do want pasta in your soup, might I suggest this Easy Chicken Noodle Soup?) While not quite as pronounced texturally as the pasta would be, the quinoa adds a subtly nutty flavor that plays well with the other elements of this vegetarian minestrone soup and makes it a little bit heartier too!
Why This Vegetarian Minestrone Soup Belongs on Your Menu
This vegetarian minestrone soup is flavorful feel good food. Here’s why you’ll love it!
- The perfect, simple meal. This minestrone recipe comes together really quickly, so for those nights when you don't really have a plan for dinner but still want something comforting and nourishing? This soup is it.
- Make it a starter. This minestrone soup also works beautifully as a simple first course. Serve a smaller portion with cheesy stuffed shells to turn it into a complete and satisfying meal.
- Super versatile. Although I used spring vegetables in this version, this is a recipe you can easily change up. I encourage you to tweak the recipe and use a) what’s in season and b) what you enjoy. Not a kale fan? try spinach! Don’t want funky smelling pee? Swap the asparagus for green beans! Don’t like peas? Sweet corn would be delicious!
- Great for leftovers. Make a big batch and enjoy it throughout the week! The flavors deepen as it sits, making it even better the next day. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge and simply reheat when you’re ready to eat.
What You’ll Need
Here’s a list of the simple, fresh ingredients you’ll need to make this vegetarian minestrone soup. Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Olive oil
- Aromatics – Garlic, onion, and carrots build flavor in the base.
- Diced tomatoes – Canned tomatoes make it easy!
- Water or vegetable broth
- White quinoa – Rinse this well if yours doesn’t specifically say on the package that it was pre-rinsed.
- Italian seasoning – For classic herb flavor; a mix of dried basil, oregano, and thyme works too.
- Bay leaves
- Salt + pepper
- Veggies – I use zucchini, asparagus, kale or spinach, and frozen peas.
- Nutritional yeast or Parmesan – For garnish; nutritional yeast keeps it dairy-free while Parmesan adds a richer finish.
How to Make Vegetarian Minestrone Soup
This is an incredibly easy soup to make! Here’s what you’ll need to do.
- Cook the aromatics. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté the garlic, onions, and carrots until they’re softened.
- Simmer. Stir in the tomatoes, water, quinoa, spices, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the rest of the veggies. Uncover, stir in remaining vegetables, and cook for 10 minutes more, or until the asparagus is tender but slightly crunchy.
- Finish. Adjust the seasoning and serve with nutritional yeast or Parmesan.
Tips for Success
Here are some additional tips to ensure your soup turns out flavorful and perfectly cooked every time.
- Go easy on the salt if you use broth. Vegetable broth is salted, so I recommend adding a smaller amount of salt if you opt for broth instead of water and then adjusting to taste. You can always add more salt later, but you can't take it out once it's added.
- Don't overcook the vegetables. If you’re like most people, you probably want tender or tender-crisp vegetables—not mushy! Use a fork to test the veggies for doneness.
- Thicken it up if you’d like. Traditional minestrone soup gets some thickening from the starches released by the beans and pasta. If you’d like, you can puree a cup of the soup and then stir it back into the pot to thicken it a bit.
Variations
I love this recipe as written, but it’s also one you can tweak and customize! Here’s some inspiration.
- Add a Parmesan rind. If you are not a strict vegetarian or vegan, adding a Parmesan rind to the soup as it cooks is a classic way to infuse it with more flavor.
- Stir in some beans. To make it a bit heartier, feel free to throw in a can of beans. White, kidney, garbanzo or navy beans would all work well!
- Finish with a swirl of pesto. A spoonful of pesto (I love this Everyday Vegan Pesto!) will elevate the herbaceousness of this vegetarian minestrone soup.
Serving Suggestions
To serve, I highly suggest a piece of toasted bread and a touch of nutritional yeast or Parmesan. You get a slightly cheesy flavor (which is so familiar with a dish like this) and have the perfect vessel to soak up the remaining tomatoey broth. Garlic Rosemary Quinoa Crackers would be amazing too! For an easy lunch, serve it alongside an egg salad sandwich.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Store any leftover vegetarian minestrone soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezer: Transfer the soup to a freezer-safe container or bag. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To reheat: To thaw and reheat, simply let the soup defrost in the fridge overnight and then heat on the stovetop until warmed through.
More Scrumptious Soup Recipes to try
Vegetarian Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small white onion diced
- 1 cup sliced carrots about 2 medium
- 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes (I used Tuttorosso)
- 4 cups water or vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup white quinoa uncooked
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt + pepper to taste*
- 1 cup chopped zucchini 1 small or 1/2 of 1 medium
- 1 1/2 cups chopped asparagus
- 1 packed cup chopped kale or spinach
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- Nutritional yeast or parmesan to garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onions and carrots and cook until starting to brown, about 2 – 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, water, quinoa, spices, bay leaves, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Bring mixture to a boil, then cover and reduce to simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove lid and stir in remaining vegetables. Cook for 10 minutes more until asparagus has started to soften, but still has a light crunch.
- Taste, adjust seasonings as needed and serve immediately. Garnish with nutritional yeast (or cheese) if you want some cheesy flavor.
Notes
Nutrition
This is one of my go to soup recipes that I have shared with people for a few years now. Simple and tasty! I’ve adapted it to make it seasonal based on whatever veggies are in season at the time.
This recipe was SO good! Even got my boyfriend to eat it and he loved it as well!
Woohoo!! That’s a major win 🙂
Hi Alyssa do you think tori color quinoa would work? Cant wait to make this
Yep!
I’ve made this soup a couple of times. I just love the freshness of the spring vegetables. Thank you so much for sharing.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying it!! xx
This is a very yummy soup…love it and so easy to make 🙂 Thx a lot!!
So glad you enjoyed it!
We love this soup – so healthy and filling! Thank you! This is definitely on my homemade soup list! X
Mmm! So glad you like it, Ann 🙂 xo
Thanks for the recipe! I want to try swapping the quinoa with organic brown rice. Can you advise if this would change the cooking instructions at all?
Thanks!
You could totally try, but it will affect the cooking time dramatically. I’d say you’ll want to simmer it for at least 45 minutes before adding in the remaining veggies, but you’ll have to just go with how fast the brown rice is cooking. Let me know how it turns out! xx
I’m interested in making this for a friend who is having surgery later in the week. How does it hold up for leftovers? Thinking about the asparagus & zucchini as both can get soggy with overcooking…just wondering how they are a day or two later… thx!
I’ve kept this in the fridge for a few days and it’s been totally fine!
Loved it and family did too! Can’t remember a healthier more vegetable laden dish. Thanks!
So glad! Thanks for sharing!
Will this soup freeze well? I don’t wan the extras to go to waste if I can’t finish it right away.
Definitely!
Could I use fresh tomatoes instead of canned ones?
Sure!
Racheal – you read my mind !
I have been getting bored with just eating quinoa alone or garlic added ! So I have all the ingredients down and Bobby and I plan to make this for the weekend and freeze for other days when the monsoon rains ( what it has felt like ) come back oh wait if they ever leave Lynchburg ! It’s so easy to make and a lot like my veggie soup , but I never thought to put kale in my soup , my grandma ️always put chopped spinach in hers so I should have known ! Can’t wait to taste it later today !
Can’t wait to hear what you think of it! Such a simple and delicious dish. And a great way to use up quinoa for sure 🙂
I added a package of tri-color cheese tortellini for my family as our dinner. I also replaced the peas w/ dried lentils (and added additional water, as per instructions). HUGE hit!
LOVE! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi! Do you think I could make this recipe in a slow cooker?
I think so, yeah! You probably won’t need that much time — probably just a few hours. Keep me posted!
If I make this and serve the next day, will the quinoa swell and soak up the broth like pasta?
I don’t think so! We froze our leftovers and reheated them and it was fine. If it does, just add a touch more water 🙂
The family loved the Minestrone they said it is a keeper
So glad you enjoyed it!
Maybe this isn’t normal but I seriously crave soup year round!! Even when it gets into the 90s down here in Louisiana. I’m always ready for a heaping bowl of veggies. I’d love to add some chickpeas to this!
Haha probably because soup is the BEST! and cold soups like gazpacho are perfect for that type of weather…mmm! Love the idea of chickpeas 🙂
Love the idea of spring vegetables in minestrone! Can’t wait to try this!
Come pack and let us know what you think! 🙂
I pretty much throw in anything in the fridge or what happens to tickle my brain. I love soups of all kinds.
That’s why soups are so great! You can really put ANYTHING in there! 🙂
I love soup and this sounds so good. Will try it soon. Thank you for you hard work on healthy recipes.
You’re so welcome! Can’t wait to hear what you think of the soup 🙂