Warm up this winter with a big bowl of this Protein Packed Minestrone Soup. A complete meal in a bowl you'll love!
Aren't one pot meals the best? One dish gives your pretty much all the nutrients you need. They're filling, they're easy and best of all, you don't need to turn the kitchen upside down to prepare them (hello, easy clean up!).
During the warmer months, we love making entree salads, packed with fresh veggies, nuts, seeds and some kind of protein. But during the winter, all we want is something warm and comforting... And soups are definitely one of our main go-to meals.
Like this protein packed minestrone.
Our version of this popular Italian soup is definitely a meal in bowl. Beans and chickpea pasta give it a great protein boost; it's also packed with vegetables and the garlicky pesto give it a great punch of flavor.
We love using bean and pulse pastas, because they're a great, easy way to add plant based protein and fiber to any dish (and also, let's face it, who doesn't love pasta?!). The chickpea fusilli by Explore Cuisine we used for this recipe is made with only four organic, whole food ingredients and contains 11g of protein and nearly 20% of your daily dietary fiber per serving.
The perfect meal to cozy up with on a cold winter night 🙂
Protein Packed Minestrone Soup
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 mins
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- For the pesto:
- 4 large garlic cloves
- 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- For the soup:
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 medium carrots, diced
- 3 celery stalks, sliced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cups frozen cut green beans
- 2-15oz cans cannellini beans
- 2 tsp salt (or to taste)
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
- 1-14.5oz can diced tomatoes
- 5 cups of water, preferably filtered
- 4oz (½ box) Explore Cuisine Chickpea Fusilli
Instructions
- To prepare the pesto, combine all the ingredients in the food processor and pulse until they come together. Set aside
- To prepare the soup, heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the tomato paste and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Add carrots, celery and onion and continue cooking for about 5 minutes
- Add 5 cups water, green beans and cannellini beans, salt and pepper. Stir well and continue cooking for 30 minutes
- Add the prepared pesto and canned tomatoes, still well and cook for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add the fusilli, stir again, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and cover until ready to serve
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Steven Brunn
Are you supposed to cook the pasta before adding it?
Vicky & Ruth
Hi Steven, you add the pasta uncooked to the minestrone soup.
Denis
This minestrone soup is simply the best!
Charlie
Awesome Recipe!
D
This is soooooo good! Make this soup!
Tamarque
while looking good I do not see any high proteing but very high carbs so doubt I would make it.
Ginny H
The protein is coming from the Chickpea Fusilli and the white cannelloni beans. It would be nice to have a nutrition chart with the facts.
The 4oz quantity of the chickpea Fusilli puts 26g of protein in the pot. directly from the pasta website
Shasta
Hi, love this soup! Just wanted to ask if you’ve frozen it before? Is it freezer friendly?
Vicky and Ruth
We've never frozen this specific soup, but we freeze soups all the time and they freeze beautifully!
Ginny H
I noticed you did not include the water in the ingredients list, there fore when you increase the ingredients, the water is not increased. Some may ot realize to double or trible the liquid for the correct ratio.
Vicky and Ruth
Thank you for letting us know. It's a very good point. We will correct It.