The Most Marvelous Minestrone Soup

I prepare this roasted vegetable minestrone soup every autumn and winter. What makes this soup so spectacular and light is the cooking method: Oven baking carefully selected produce ensures that the minestrone cooks in a short time and that the vegetables remain firm and juicy. Also, cooking the vegetables in the oven changes their texture: they become soft and delicate. Simply delicious!

To make this soup, I use vegetables such as onions, leeks, potatoes, zucchini, fresh tomatoes, pumpkin, and roasted peppers.  If you can’t find fresh pumpkin, I would advise you to use frozen pumpkin or replace it with sweet potatoes. As for the choice of legumes, I love to use edamame, white beans and even green peas. Basically, I improvise!

According to Italian tradition, minestrone should be served with grated cheese, but to keep this recipe vegan, you can add some homemade green pesto or pasta and a drizzle of raw extra virgin oil.

I have tested this soup many times so I can assure you that the recipe will be a success. Let me know what you think!

Ingredients for 4 – 6 servings:

• 3 medium-sized tomatoes
• 1 red bell pepper
• 460 g pumpkin or 230 g sweet potatoes
• 220 g carrots
• 1 medium-sized onion
• 1 leek
• 250 g zucchini
• 200 g potatoes
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil + for seasoning
• 3 celery stalks
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp of fresh thyme or 1 tsp of dried thyme
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1750 ml of vegetable broth
• 1/2 tsp of turmeric
• 1/4 tsp of nutmeg
• salt, pepper and chili to taste
• 200 g of edamame beans (I used frozen ones)
• 200 g of cooked cannellini beans
• 10 parsley sprigs
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 120 g kale

To serve:

• fresh basil leaves or pesto
• short pasta suitable for minestrone 

1. Set the oven at 200C/gas mark 6. Prepare two baking trays, covering them with baking paper. 

2. Prepare the vegetables for the first tray: wash the tomatoes; cut the pepper in half, then remove the seeds; cut the pumpkin into 2 cm large cubes; peel the carrots and cut them into 1/2 cm wide cubes. Place all the vegetables in the pan, drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil. Bake for 25 minutes, then set aside.

3. Prepare the vegetables for the second tray: peel the onion and leek and cut off the ends. If the onion is large, cut it in half. Cut the courgette into 2 cm wide cubes. Place the vegetables in the second pan, sprinkle with some pepper and salt and add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Bake for 5 minutes, then mix and add the potatoes you previously peeled and cut into 1 cm wide cubes. Stir and bake for another 5 to 8 minutes, then remove from the oven.

4. Peel the tomatoes, then blend them with the onion; peel the pepper and cut it into cubes; cut the leek into slices.

5. Pour 2 tablespoons of oil into a saucepan, then add the sliced ​​celery and fry for 3 minutes, then add the bay leaf, thyme, and crushed garlic. Stir occasionally and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. 

6. Add the remaining vegetables: the blended tomatoes with the onion, diced pepper, pumpkin, leek, courgette, carrots, and potatoes.

7. Pour in the broth, season with salt, pepper, and chili. Season with nutmeg and turmeric. 

8. Bring the soup to a boil, then turn the heat down and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. 

9. Add the edamame beans and cannellini beans and cook another 7 – 10 minutes. 

10. While the soup is cooking, clean the kale, separate the leaves from the stem, then cut the stem into slices and roughly break the leaves. Fry it in a pan with a drizzle of oil. Set aside. 

11. When the minestrone is cooked, add the kale, chopped parsley, and lemon juice. 

12. Serve with some short pasta and a few leaves of fresh basil or green pesto.