Description
A delicious recipe for Minestrone Soup with Chickpeas and vibrant spring green vegetables. Keep it vegetarian or make it vegan- a simple adaptable recipe that makes for a healthy weeknight dinner. Allow 8-10 hours bean soaking time.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 cup dry garbanzo beans (or sub 2 x 14-ounce cans – about 3 cups cooked)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion – diced (or sub 2 leeks)
- 2 cups chopped fennel bulb or celery
- 4–6 garlic cloves – minced
- 4 cups flavorful stock – veggie stock or chicken stock
- 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 4 ounces pasta (like little elbows, orzo, mini shells, penne)
- 4 cups finely chopped green veggies (any combination of broccoli, green beans, spring peas, kale, asparagus, peas, cauliflower)
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1/4 cup fresh dill (or sub tarragon) or a mix is nice.
- 1–2 tablespoons lemon juice, more to taste
- 1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley or scallions
- garnish options: finely grated Romano cheese, gremolata, a dollop of sour cream or drizzle of good olive oil, tarragon, crunchy homemade croutons fresh herbs
Instructions
- Soak dry garbanzo beans in a bowl of water for 8-10 hours. Drain.
- In a large pot or dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and fennel and saute 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Turn heat to medium and cook for 5 more minutes or until tender.
- Add garlic, cook 2-3 more minutes.
- Add stock, water, thyme, spices and salt and the soaked chickpeas and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on medium-low for 20 minutes or until chickpeas are tender. (If using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse and simmer 3 minutes.)
- Add pasta, bring to a boil, and when the pasta is about 1/2 way cooked, add the vegetables. (You don’t want to cook the veggies too long, or they will lose their beautiful green color)
- When pasta is cooked and veggies are just tender and bright green, stir in parsley and dill or tarragon.
- Add the lemon juice a tablespoon at a time, tasting.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve in bowls and garnish with more tarragon, gremolata, grated Romano, chili flakes, or a dollop of sour cream. Croutons add a nice texture too.
Notes
Soup will keep up to 5 days in the fridge- or freeze for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 217
- Sugar: 5.9 g
- Sodium: 618.1 mg
- Fat: 5.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 34.5 g
- Fiber: 5.7 g
- Protein: 9.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: minestrone soup recipe, vegetable minestrone, green minestrone, spring minestrone, chickpea minestrone, vegan minestrone,