Springtime Vegetarian Minestrone Soup

Name: Springtime Vegetarian Minestrone Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup sliced carrots; 1 cup diced celery; 1 large onion (diced); 2 cups zucchini (diced); 3 cloves garlic (minced); 3 tablespoons olive oil; 3 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 can (28 oz diced tomatoes, undrained); 1 can (15 oz kidney beans, drained); 6 cups vegetable broth (OR chicken broth for a non-vegetarian option); 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning; 2 cups uncooked penne pasta; 2 cups baby spinach (coarsely chopped); Salt and pepper to taste

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April 14, 2015

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Loaded with tons of spring veggies and packed with an unbelievable amount of flavor, you won’t miss the meat at all in this comforting vegetarian minestrone soup!

This soup. It’s bringing us outta thick-and-hearty soup season in style and throwing us into spring veggie paradise all at the same time.

Also, um. No meat in sight. WHAT? Who the heck am I and what have I done with Sarah the Carnivore?

You sure wouldn’t know it if you took one look at my dinner archives, but believe it or not, guys, I’m actually okay without meat every now and then. I certainly ENJOY meat, but really the only meats I actually like are leaner ones like chicken and turkey. And I don’t need to have them every day either…

My carnivorous brothers think I’m insane that I would choose chicken over beef any day. Just like I think they’re insane that they would choose pasta over quinoa. I mean, SERIOUSLY guys! Get with the trends for today!

Disclaimer: I love pasta with a huge and slightly-disturbing passion, but I also love quinoa equally.

Lastly, don’t cry, Mr. Quinoa because we’re giving Ms. Penne the spotlight today. Your turn is coming, I promise.

So this minestrone business. Love it or hate it? If you know me at all I’m guessing you probably know what my answer is:

Love. Love, love, LOVE.

And FYI: That’s a lotta’ love right there. And it’s all poured into this minestrone which makes it all the much more amazing.

Also, I’m pretty much the corniest person I’ve ever met. Eeeek….

Everyone I know has their own special way to make minestrone. This just so happens to be MY way. It’s the way my mom always made her minestrone when I was a kid and it’s the way I’ll probably always make mine. Granted, my mom did usually add meat to hers and I didn’t for mine. I found that it was already so loaded with veggies, pasta, and comfort, I didn’t even need it.

And I kinda wouldn’t love it any other way. ♥

Vegetarians, rejoice!

The veggie-list itself in this minestrone adds up to probably about 57 kinds of veggies in total. I happened to be cleaning out my fridge at the same time I was making the ingredient list for this minestrone, so somehow um, all the veggies in the fridge ended up getting thrown into the pot.

Good life decision on my part. More veggies = Longer and and just plain happy life. And a pretty dang-good minestrone. TRUTH! There’s so much flavor loaded into this pot, I swear your tastebuds will faint from happiness.

The great thing about minestrone soup is that it’s SO adaptable in the veggie department. Out of carrots? Throw in some extra celery. Don’t like spinach? Toss in a few handfuls of kale!

Of course, for the meat-lover there’s always the option of throwing in some cooked chicken too. I won’t juuuuuuuuudge ‘ya.

But still: Never underestimate the power of veggies and pasta. They are a total dark horse in the minestrone department.

This potful of springtime comfort food is calling your name. You’re gonna looooooove it.

All hail the springtime soups! Bring iiiiiiiiit.

5 from 3 votes