Easy Vegan Minestrone Soup (Healthy, Oil-Free, One-Pot)
This easy vegan minestrone soup is perfect for a cozy night in! Packed with vegetables, protein-rich chickpeas, and pasta, this classic Italian vegetable soup is a nourishing meal you’ll want to come back to again and again. My version is oil-free, plant-based, and one-pot, making it a healthy, beginner-friendly recipe that’s perfect for weeknight dinners.
Why You’ll Love this Vegan Minestrone Soup 🩷
- Beginner-friendly: With simple ingredients, minimal prep, and hands-off cooking, this recipe is great for weeknight dinners.
- Oil-free and plant-based: This light and flavorful soup is so delicious you’ll forget how healthy it is! Packed with fresh produce, plant-based protein, and fiber, it’s a clean and healthy choice to fuel your body.
- Customizable: This recipe is endlessly flexible and forgiving. You can easily substitute seasonal vegetables or pantry staples to use up what you have on hand.
What is Minestrone Soup? 🍲
Minestrone is a classic Italian vegetable soup. It’s traditionally made with seasonal vegetables, beans, tomatoes, and pasta simmered in a savory broth.
The beauty of minestrone soup is that it’s hearty, flavorful, and endlessly customizable. You can make it with whatever vegetables and beans you have on hand, making it a healthy and budget-friendly meal for any time of the year.
A common question is the difference between vegetarian minestrone and vegan minestrone. Some traditional minestrone recipes are vegetarian because they include dairy (e.g., Parmesan cheese stirred into the broth or used as a garnish). This vegan version omits the cheese, relying on vegetables, beans, herbs, and nutritional yeast for well-balanced flavor.
Ingredients for Vegan Minestrone Soup 🛒
- Short/small pasta: Choose whole-grain or chickpea pasta for an added nutritional boost, or use certified gluten-free pasta for a gluten-free option. Ditalini, rotini, elbow macaroni, or stelline (which I used) all work well.
- Zucchini: Adds color, a soft texture, and subtle sweetness. A great source of vitamin C and antioxidants.
- Grape tomatoes: Add juiciness and a ton of flavor. Tomatoes are high in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. You’ll use 1 cup in this recipe—measure them whole first, then quarter them. If you don’t have fresh tomatoes, you can substitute canned diced tomatoes.
- Matchstick carrots: Look for bagged matchstick carrots in the produce section, or make your own by cutting whole carrots into small rectangular pieces. Carrots are high in beta-carotene, benefiting eye and skin health.
- Italian seasoning: I like using store-bought Italian seasoning to save time, but you can make your own using equal parts dried oregano, basil, and thyme. Some store-bought Italian seasoning contains salt, so if you are limiting sodium intake, be sure to check the label and choose a salt-free or low-sodium variety.
- Garlic powder: Adds mellow garlic flavor without the need to sauté in oil.
- Onion powder: Enhances the flavor of the broth.
- Freshly ground black pepper: Adds a peppery kick.
- Canned chickpeas: Add protein and fiber, while enhancing the soup with a satisfying chewy texture. Feel free to substitute another variety of canned beans.
- Low-sodium vegetable broth: Keeps the dish light and flavorful.
- Marinara sauce: Gives the soup a rich, savory, depth of flavor. If you are limiting your oil, sodium, and/or sugar intake, be sure to check the label to find a variety that meets your dietary needs.
- Nutritional yeast: A flaky, low-sodium seasoning that adds savory flavor, along with an array of B vitamins.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Easy Vegan Minestrone Soup (Step by Step) 🥄
Step 1: Bring a pot of water to a boil (for a one-pot recipe, use the same large pot or Dutch oven in which you’ll later be cooking the soup; otherwise, use a small pot so you can make the rest of the soup while the pasta is cooking). Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until the pasta is al dente (tender with some bite). Drain and set aside.
Step 2: Meanwhile (if using a small pot to cook the pasta) or after cooking the pasta (if you’ll be using the same pot for the soup), to a Dutch oven or large pot, add the zucchini, tomatoes, carrots, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, chickpeas, vegetable broth, and marinara sauce. Stir well.
Step 3: Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes or until the zucchini is soft.
Step 4: Stir in the drained pasta (unless storing the pasta separately; see Pro Tip) and nutritional yeast. Taste and add more pepper or seasoning to suit your preferences. If desired, garnish with fresh basil or Italian parsley leaves. Serve immediately.
Recipe Variations (Gluten-Free, Low-Carb) 🌱
- Gluten-free: To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta or cooked rice.
- Low-carb: For a low-carb version, eliminate the pasta. If desired, add more non-starchy vegetables, such as cauliflower or spinach, to enhance the texture of the soup.
Substitutions 🔄
This recipe is highly customizable, so feel free to swap in similar ingredients if you don’t have everything on hand. Easy substitutions include:
- Yellow squash or green beans instead of zucchini.
- Canned cannellini, Great Northern, or kidney beans instead of chickpeas.
- Canned diced tomatoes instead of grape tomatoes.
- Crushed or canned diced tomatoes plus a tablespoon of tomato paste instead of marinara sauce.
- Rice or broken spaghetti instead of small pasta.
Equipment 🔪
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Small pot
- Colander
- Dutch oven or large pot
- Ladle (preferable) or large spoon
Serving Suggestions 🥗
Pair with crusty bread or my Italian Chopped Salad.
Storage ❄️
Store any leftover vegan minestrone soup in the fridge for 4 to 5 days or freeze it for up to 3 months.
Pro Tip for the Best Vegan Minestrone Soup ✨
When stored, the pasta will absorb some of the broth and swell up, giving the soup a more stew-like consistency. If you know you’ll have leftovers and want to prevent this from happening, do not add all the pasta to the pot on the last step. Instead, store the pasta separately and add it to individual servings of soup right before you are ready to serve it.
FAQ ❓
Yes! It’s nutrient-dense, thanks to veggies, beans, and fiber.
Technically, you can, but all the starch from the pasta will end up in the broth, throwing off the color, texture, and taste of the soup. For this reason, I highly recommend cooking it separately and adding it at the end.
Yes! Spinach, kale, and Swiss chard all work well and will add a boost of nutrients and color. Simply stir them in at the end until they are just wilted.
I used stelline, which are fun little star shapes, but other types of small pasta, such as ditalini, elbow macaroni, small rotini, and small shells are great options.
Easy Vegan Minestrone Soup (Healthy, Oil-Free, One-Pot)
Equipment
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- cutting board
- sharp knife
- small pot (optional)
- colander
- Ladle (preferable) or large spoon
Ingredients
- ½ cup short pasta (I used stelline, but ditalini, rotini, or elbow macaroni also work well; see Note)
- 1 medium zucchini diced
- 1 cup grape tomatoes quartered (measure them whole first, then quarter them)
- ½ cup matchstick carrots
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
Garnishes (optional)
- fresh basil leaves
- fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley leaves
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil (for a one-pot recipe, use the same large pot or Dutch oven in which you’ll later be cooking the soup; otherwise, use a small pot so you can make the rest of the soup while the pasta is cooking). Add the pasta and cook according to package directions (usually around 7 to 9 minutes at medium-high) until the pasta is al dente (tender with some bite). Drain in a colander over the sink and set aside.
- Meanwhile, or after cooking the pasta, to a Dutch oven or large pot, add the zucchini, tomatoes, carrots, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, chickpeas, vegetable broth, and marinara sauce. Stir well.
- Bring the ingredients in the Dutch oven or large pot to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes or until the zucchini is soft.
- Stir in the drained pasta (unless storing separately; see Note) and nutritional yeast. Taste and add more pepper or seasoning to suit your preferences. If desired, garnish with fresh basil or Italian parsley leaves. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Store any leftover soup in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. Vegan minestrone soup also freezes well for up to 3 months (allow it to cool to room temperature before freezing).
- When stored in the soup, the pasta will absorb some of the broth and swell up, making the soup more stew-like. If you know you’ll have leftovers and want to prevent this from happening, do not add the pasta to the large pot on the last step. Instead, store the pasta separately and add a portion of it to each individual serving just before you are ready to eat it.
Tried This Recipe? Leave a Review! 📣
I hope you love this easy vegan minestrone soup recipe as much as I do! It’s one of those recipes that works great for any time of the year. If you tried it, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ rating and a comment below to let me know how it turned out. Be sure to save this recipe to Pinterest to make again and check out my other cozy plant-based soups for more inspiration!
More Cozy Vegan Recipes 🌱
Warm up with these cozy vegan favorites:
- Instant Pot Red Curry with Chickpeas and Rice
- Instant Pot Black Beans and Rice
- Stuffed Shells with Spinach Tofu Ricotta
- Instant Pot Green Curry Rice
- Instant Pot Lentil Soup
- Healthy Vegan Green Bean Casserole
- Spicy Vegan Lasagna Soup
- Easy Vegan Immunity Soup
- Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Blistered Tomatoes and White Beans
