Fresh pesto sauces (homemade or store-bought) work best in this recipe, to keep a fresh flavour that doesn’t taste overcooked. Fresh basil and fresh pesto, when available, should be added near the end of cooking to preserve its delicate flavour.
Minestrone soup is a great way to use up leftover veggies or to clear out the fridge or freezer. Minestrone soup is typically flavored with herbs like basil, oregano and thyme. Pesto is made from fresh basil, which blends well with a variety of flavors – use whatever’s in season locally.
Minestrone Variations:
- Add more veggies like spinach, peas, cabbage, lima beans, green beans, or peppers.
- Add leafy green vegetables like cooked swiss chard for a nutrient boost.
- Add chickpeas for extra protein.
- Add small whole grain pasta shapes or cooked rice to balance the meal.
- Go traditional and serve with slightly stale bread to balance atop the fragrant juices.
- Use sun-dried tomato pesto.
- Simmer with a rind of parmesan cheese in the bottom of the bottom.
Some Pesto Sauces are Vegan
Vegan pesto sauces are available, though most commercially available brands use parmesan cheese as a main ingredient. Some brands use sunflower seeds rather than parmesan cheese. Or, try a homemade version using lots of fresh basil, pine nuts or sunflower seeds, garlic, salt and oil.
Some vegetarian bouillons or soup stocks are actually made with meat products or animal fat. When making any type of vegetarian soup, check the bouillon ingredients, or use a homemade stock instead.
Pesto Minestrone Soup Recipe
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 carrot, sliced into half-moon shapes
- 1 large stalk celery (including the fronds), sliced
- 1 zucchini or yellow summer squash, sliced into half-moon shapes
- 1 (28 ounce can) “no salt added” Roma (Italian) tomatoes
- 4 cups vegetarian vegetable bouillon (low-salt if desired)
- ¼ cup pesto
- 1 tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
Directions:
- In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the chopped onion. Stir gently to prevent sticking.
- Add the garlic cloves, stirring again.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes; until onions are translucent. Add additional oil or water to the pot if the garlic sticks.
- Add the carrot, celery and zucchini or squash slices.
- Add the tomatoes and vegetable bouillon.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
- Cook for about 20 minutes.
- Stir in pesto, heating through.
- Add salt and pepper to taste. (Note: most pestos and bouillon are quite salty).
Looking for more vegetarian soup recipes? Try:
- Rich and creamy vegan zucchini tahini soup
- Comforting vegan split pea soup
- Vegetarian or vegan French onion soup
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