This is my sweet Momma’s minestrone soup recipe, and it is a family favorite! If you are not vegan, you could simply add real sausage instead of vegan and real cheese. But, I think you’ll find you can fool lots of meat-eaters with this fantastic recipe.
Ingredients
2 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 large carrot, diced
1/3 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
1-2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 28-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
8 cups vegetable broth
2 pieces of vegan sausage, casing removed and broken into pieces
1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed*
1 cup gluten-free elbow pasta
1/3 cup finely grated vegan parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Method:
Saute onions in olive oil until soft; season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Add the celery and carrots and continue to cook for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. After about 30 seconds, remove the pan from the heat so that the garlic does not burn.
Add the green beans, diced tomatoes, meat crumbles, and vegetable broth. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the pasta and cook according to the timing on the package. Add the beans and adjust the seasoning.
To serve: Place steaming hot soup in a bowl and sprinkle vegan cheese on top. Garnish with chopped basil.
