Soup season has arrived. I love making my easy, healthy, spicy minestrone soup recipe. One question I am asked whenever I make this is whether my vegan minestrone soup recipe is gluten-free. Well, this easy minestrone soup recipe is gluten-free and just as delicious too. I pack in many classic flavor good-for-you ingredients into this amazing soup recipe.
Simple & Easy Healthy Vegan Minestrone Soup Recipe
I chose avocado oil for this vegan minestrone soup because I love cooking with avocado oil. You can read all about the amazing health benefits of avocado oil here. I created this healthy minestrone soup recipe using gluten-free pasta, but if you typically eat regular pasta, substitute it with regular pasta. The brand of gluten-free pasta I prefer in this recipe is Jovial gluten-free elbow pasta.
So, there are two-star ingredients in this quick and healthy minestrone soup recipe. Kidney beans and tomatoes. These two ingredients make this easy gluten-free soup not only flavorful but also packed with nutrients that your body needs.
Ingredients You Need for Vegan Minestrone Soup Recipe
Gluten-free Pasta: I prefer elbow macaroni pasta, but feel free to use gluten-free penne in this healthy minestrone soup.
Green Beans: Homemade vegetable soup is not complete without a handful of fresh green beans.
Kidney Beans: This classic soup recipe needs kidney beans for extra protein, fiber, and a delicious creamy texture that you bite into with each tasty spoonful.
Tomatoes: Canned fire-roasted and crushed tomatoes are perfect in this vegan minestrone soup recipe.
Carrots: Please don't leave out the carrots because they add a natural sweetness to the soup that perfectly balances out the spice in the spicy minestrone soup recipe.
Celery: A classic base ingredient necessary to any good soup recipe.
Garlic: I like 3 cloves of garlic but feel free to adjust if you like more or less
Spices: I chose a combination of dried thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to make this a spicy minestrone soup recipe. If you don't like spicy, omit the cayenne pepper.
Kidney Beans Health Benefits
I often recommend beans to be included in a healthy diet due to their high nutritional profile. Beans are a wonderful source of complex carbohydrates. In addition, they provide protein, as well as vitamins and minerals to support a healthy body.
Above all, they are remarkable for repairing your skin, keeping your bowels regular with prebiotic fiber, and superb at regulating cellular growth within the colon. Prebiotic fiber ferments within the colon, forming short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). These short-chain fatty acids, including butyrate, acetate, and propionate, have been linked to a reduction in the risk of colon cancer by improving your colon health (1, 2).
Studies have shown that people who eat diets higher in fiber control their weight management easier, because it keeps people fuller longer, thus less overeating (3). Beans are also excellent for controlling spikes in blood sugar. So, that are a few reasons why I chose to add kidney beans to this minestrone soup recipe.
KIDNEY BEANS KEY NUTRIENTS
Protein | Fiber | Iron | Manganese | Folate | Potassium | Copper | Vitamin K1 | Molybdenum | B Vitamins
TOMATO KEY NUTRIENTS
Antioxidants | Vitamin C | Flavanones | Flavanols | Carotenoids | Lycopene | Lutei | Zeaxanthin | Beta-carotene
Health Benefits of Tomatoes
Eating tomatoes helps protect the skin through its photo-protective benefits. For example, tomatoes are high in lycopene, and beta-carotene helps protect the skin from UV damage, including wrinkles, age spots, and fine lines. Cooking tomatoes actually increases lycopene absorption. In addition, tomatoes are also high in potassium, which helps keep your electrolytes in balance. You can read more about the full nutritional report on tomatoes here.
Vegan Minestrone Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons avocado or olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 3 carrots diced
- 1 28- ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 15- ounce can of crushed tomatoes
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 6 cups of vegetable broth
- 1 ½ cup gluten-free pasta of choice penne or elbow macaroni.
- 1 cup red kidney beans rinsed and drained
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup green beans trimmed and cut into ½ inch pieces
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- 1. In a large soup pot heat 2 tablespoons of avocado oil. Add the diced onions, carrots, green beans, and celery. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. The onions will soften and become translucent.
- 2. Add in the remaining 1 tablespoon of avocado oil, and garlic. Cook for an additional 1 minute.
- 3. Add the vegetable broth, tomatoes, oregano, thyme, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and salt. Cook for 5 more minutes.
- 4. Raise the heat to bring the soup to a boil. Then add in the pasta. Lower the heat to simmer and cook the pasta for 7-9 minutes, until al dente. Add in the canned beans. Cover the pot, remove from the heat, and let sit for 2 minutes. Serve or store to reheat for a meal the next day.
Notes
Nutrition
Enjoy This Easy, Healthy Vegan Minestrone Soup Recipe!
Did you try out my easy and healthy gluten-free vegan minestrone soup recipe for a delicious spring lunch idea? If you share a picture of your spicy minestrone soup, be sure to tag me.
Let me know in the comments below. Meanwhile, connect with me @Eat_Your_Nutrition on Instagram. I love seeing your photos. #EatYourNutrition #LauraVillanueva
REFERENCES:
- Roy CC, Kien CL, Bouthillier L, Levy E. Short-chain fatty acids: ready for prime time? Nutr Clin Pract. 2006 Aug;21(4):351-66. doi: 10.1177/0115426506021004351. PMID: 16870803.
- Havenaar R. Intestinal health functions of colonic microbial metabolites: a review. Benef Microbes. 2011 Jun;2(2):103-14. doi: 10.3920/BM2011.0003. PMID: 21840809.
- Jovanovski E, Mazhar N, Komishon A, Khayyat R, Li D, Blanco Mejia S, Khan T, L Jenkins A, Smircic-Duvnjak L, L Sievenpiper J, Vuksan V. Can dietary viscous fiber affect body weight independently of an energy-restrictive diet? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2020 Feb 1;111(2):471-485. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqz292. PMID: 31897475.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you purchase through those links (I’ll earn some coffee money ☕ which I promise to drink while creating content that you will enjoy). I only recommend products that I trust and absolutely love!
Leave a Reply