Sunshine in a Bowl Vegetarian Minestrone Soup (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

I enjoy soup all year long – be it a hot bowl of Vegetable soup, a delicious bowl of homemade Pho or a summery bowl of gazpacho – I love them all. My personal favorite will always be my Veggie Detox Soup (click the pink links for the recipes.) Lately I have been craving something different, a pure vegetable broth base as opposed to a tomato base, something with pasta, maybe some cannellini beans and of course tons of fresh vegetables. I know there are a lot of you who do not like beans, and this soup tastes great with or without them so feel free to leave them out. This is truly one of my favorites and has a special ingredient that I use quite often in my Vegetarian recipes.  It is a big bowl of Sunshine and best of all – it’s Vegan and Gluten-Free.

Sunshine in a Bowl Vegetarian Minestrone Soup (also Vegan and Gluten-Free)

Ingredients:

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, diced

3 carrots, diced

2 stalks of celery, use the stalks with the leaves, diced

2 zucchini or 2 yellow squash (or one of each), diced

1 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup of small-shaped pasta (I prefer small shells) – can also use gluten free pasta or just omit for gluten free

1/2 can Cannellini beans, rinsed

1 cup fresh spinach leaves

One cup of small grape tomatoes, chopped in half, or 2 roma tomatoes, diced

4 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast (don’t leave this out!)

Juice from two lemons

6 cups Vegetable broth (I highly recommend Zoup brand)

Directions:

Saute onions, celery and carrots in about a 1/4 cup of veggie broth until softened. Add garlic and cook 3 minutes more until fragrant.

Add veggie broth. Increase the heat to bring to a simmer, then add zucchini, tomatoes, peas, white beans and pasta.  Heat to a simmer again and cook for about 10-15 minutes until the pasta and vegetables are cooked through (gluten free pasta might take a bit more time).

Stir in spinach and cooked until wilted.

Stir in Nutritional Yeast, one tablespoon at a time, until broth has the desired thickness and taste you are looking for. (This is the best addition to Vegetarian cooking!)

Stir in the juice from the two lemons.

Add salt and pepper to taste, and optional fresh basil. Top with more Nutritional Yeast.

Drop me a message if you want to know more about Nutritional Yeast and why you should add it to your diet.

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Sunshine in a Bowl Vegetarian Minestrone Soup (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

Author: Gay Van Beek for Canterbury Cottage Designs

Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 1 onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic diced
• 3 carrots diced
• 2 stalks of celery use the stalks with the leaves, chopped
• 2 zucchini or 2 yellow squash or one of each, diced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup of small-shaped pasta I prefer small shells – can also use gluten free pasta or just omit for gluten free
• 1/2 can Cannellini beans rinsed
• 1 cup fresh spinach
• One cup of small grape tomatoes chopped in half, or 2 roma tomatoes, diced
• 4 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
• Juice from two lemons
• 6 cups Veggie broth

Instructions

Directions:

1. Saute onions, celery and carrots in about a 1/4 cup of veggie broth until softened. Add garlic and cook 3 minutes more until fragrant.
2. Add veggie broth. Increase the heat to bring to a simmer, then add zucchini, tomatoes, peas, white beans and pasta. Heat to a simmer again and cook for about 10-15 minutes until the pasta and vegetables are cooked through (gluten free pasta might take a bit more time).

3. Stir in spinach and cooked until wilted, about 6 minutes

4. Stir in Nutritional Yeast, one tablespoon at a time, until broth has the desired thickness and taste you are looking for. (This is the best addition to Vegetarian cooking!)
5. Stir in the juice from the two lemons.

6. Add salt and pepper to taste, and optional fresh basil. Top with more Nutritional Yeast.

Enjoy!