Comfort Food = Vegan Minestrone Soup

Make this soup. Most ingredients you probably already have in your cabinet or refrigerator. Your family will thank you. This recipe was adapted from The Minimalist Baker food blogger. You can find the original recipe by clicking here.

1 Pot Vegan Minestrone

2 T olive oil

1 Beyond Meat Italian sausage, sliced

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 -4 carrots (sliced)

2 baby bok choy, chopped (may substitute green beans, per original recipe)

1/4 t sea salt & black pepper plus more to taste

1 small zucchini, chopped into chunks

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 15-ounce can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes

2 t. dried oregano

1 pinch of red pepper flakes

1 15-ounce can of white beans

2 cups of noodles ( I used farfalle/bow ties)

6 cups of vegetable broth

1 cup of kale, roughly chopped (sub spinach or chard if you have it on hand)

Instructions:

Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil into your dutch oven or large pan. Add the Beyond Meat sausage slices and cook until browned, breaking it apart as it cooks.

Add additional tablespoon of olive oil. Throw in the onions and carrots. Cook until just getting tender. Add the garlic, baby bok choy and zucchini. Season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir for about 3-4 minutes, until veggies have softened and have some color.

Next, add the fire-roasted tomatoes, vegetable broth, oregano, red pepper flakes and beans. Stir it all together.

Bring the soup to a high simmer, then slightly reduce heat and add pasta. Stir. Cook for about 10 minutes. Keep it simmering but not boiling. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.

Add kale (or greens of your choice) and cook for another 3-4 minutes letting the flavors meld.

Turn off the heat. Let it cool a bit before ladling into soup bowls. Sprinkle with vegan parmesan if desired.

So easy. So delicious. ENJOY!

Notes: For vegetable broth, I like this one. It gives the broth a rich and complex flavor.

*I always add minced garlic toward the end of sautéing as it tends to burn if added too early.

*You can probably leave out the Beyond Meat sausage all together, but our family likes a little “meaty” flavoring.

*This soup is amazing for leftovers. You will need to add a little liquid, as the broth tends to be absorbed by the pasta and vegetables.