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~
 
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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~

sweet potato and peanut stew ~vegan, gluten free~

After a long road, we are finally on our way to building our house (fingers crossed)!!!  While it’s exciting and all, it also means we will be the owners of a mortgage (gulp)…

With a pending tight budget, my type A personality has kicked in and I have been counting every last penny for months!  One of our biggest expenses is our grocery bill.  I admit I get a little crazy when it comes to buying food.  Nothing makes me happier than spending hours walking up and down the aisles of Whole Foods gawking at all the beautiful and enticing ingredients.  So long are the days of buying high ticket items just for fun!  I’ve been working really hard to get our grocery bill down and with a little effort it is paying off!  (I will share my money-saving shopping strategy soon!)  One of the easiest ways to put inexpensive, healthy and balanced meals on the table is with beans.  Not only are beans super good for you, they are also really, really cheap source of protein!

Here is a savory and satisfying, protein packed vegan stew to add to your recipe book!

Cinnamon, cumin, ginger, crushed red pepper flakes blended with a creamy, peanutty sauce…

Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew ~vegan, gluten free~ A protein packed vegan stew loaded with antioxidant rich ingredients!

This stew is chock full with antioxidant rich sweet potatoes, carrots, peas and spinach!

Chickpeas were added for protein to provide a perfectly balanced meal.  Serve alone or on top of steamed brown basmati rice.

sweet potato and peanut stew ~vegan, gluten free~
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ cup crushed tomatoes
  • ½ cup creamy peanut butter
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 3 carrots, chopped
  • 1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 large handfuls of baby spinach leaves
  • 2 cups frozen peas
  • sea salt to taste
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until translucent, add the garlic and sauté for a few minutes.
  2. Add ginger, red pepper flakes, cumin, cinnamon and sauté for a few minutes, until fragrant.
  3. Add crushed tomatoes and peanut butter, stir until well combined.
  4. Add broth, sweet potatoes and carrots. Bring to a boil, turn down heat, cover pot and simmer until sweet potatoes are tender, around 20 minutes.
  5. When sweet potatoes are cooked, add chickpeas, peas, spinach and cook until spinach is wilted. Season with sea salt to taste.
  6. Serve warm and enjoy!

Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew ~vegan, gluten free~ A protein packed vegan stew loaded with antioxidant rich ingredients!

Try serving up this stew for a meatless monday meal!  

I promise even the meat and potato eaters will have full and happy bellies!