hearty minestrone soup ~vegan, gluten free~

Slow down and have a bowl of hearty minestrone soup!

Slow down and have a bowl of Hearty Minestrone Soup ~vegan, gluten free~

Wow, life is just flying by these days!  It’s been hard to keep up with everything, especially cooking!  We are so excited the house is almost done, but as all home owner know…it’s a lot of work!  Most spare time has been spent working on projects!  Never. Ending. Projects. One way I like to get our healthy eating habits back on track during busy times is to make soup!  Soup heals all!

This is a hearty soup, hearty enough to fill up even the hungriest members of the family!  Chock full with veggies, beans and flavor!  I added gluten free elbow macaroni, but if you’re grain free simply omit it and add more beans!  If you’re a meat eater, you can add crumbled organic chicken sausage when sautéing the onions, carrots and celery!  It’s a soup that can meet everyone’s needs!  This recipe makes a large portion, perfect for packing the next day for lunch!

Slow down and have a bowl of Hearty Minestrone Soup ~vegan, gluten free~

hearty minestrone soup ~vegan, gluten free~
 
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Vegan
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • a few gluggs of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 3 carrots, chopped
  • 3 celery stalks, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 26 ounce can of organic diced tomatoes
  • 6 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • sea salt and pepper to taste
  • ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup pasta, GF elbow macaroni
  • 1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 large handfuls of baby spinach
  • dash crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
  1. In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and celery. Saute for 6-8 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add canned tomatoes, broth, bay leaf, sea salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Bring to a light boil, lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add beans, pasta, green beans and spinach. Simmer until pasta is cooked. Remove bay leaf, adjust salt and pepper as needed and enjoy warm! For extra warmth, add a dash of crushed red pepper flakes!

Slow down and have a bowl of Hearty Minestrone Soup ~vegan, gluten free~

chopped roasted veggie salad

Umm…quite possibly one of the best salads I’ve ever made!

The combination of warm roasted veggies, avocados and cannellini beans make this a meal-worthy salad!  Served on a bed of crisp romaine lettuce and savory dressing this salad will be a new summertime favorite!

choppedroastedveggiesalad

Chopped Roasted Veggie Salad

adapted from www.pamelasalzman.com

1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed and chopped into thirds

3 large or 6 small portabello mushrooms

1 zucchini, cut into bite sized pieces

3 scallions, chopped

2 ripe avocados, peeled and cubed

2 head romaine lettuce, chopped

1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

extra virgin olive oil

chopped roasted veggie salad

Dressing:

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1/2 shallot, finely chopped

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

2 teaspoons raw honey

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

fresh ground pepper to taste

roastedveggie chopped salad

Directions

-Place asparagus, portabello mushrooms and zucchini on a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil.

-Roast in a 375 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until lightly browned.

-Meanwhile, add lime juice, vinegar, dijon mustard, honey and sea salt into a bowl.  Slowly add olive oil and whisk together until emulsified.  Stir in chopped shallots and fresh ground pepper.

-Arrange chopped romaine onto a large serving dish.

-When vegetables are perfectly roasted, remove them from the oven and add to a large bowl with avocado, corn, beans and scallions.

-Pour dressing on top and mix until all vegetables are well coated, place on top of chopped romaine lettuce.

-Enjoy!

roasted veggie chopped salad

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