This Slow Cooker Vegan Minestrone Soup with Pesto is the perfect easy recipe for a chilly day. This soup is warming and hearty, filled with delicious plant-based ingredients.
One of my favorite soup recipes is minestrone soup. I love how hearty and delicious it is as well as how full of vegetables it is. I always make a huge bowl of minestrone and eat it for leftovers for as long as it will last. It is so delicious! We currently have freezing temps here in California. Well, freezing for California. It has been in the low 40's-50's for the last few weeks. When it is cold like this, all I want is something warming and hearty.
The thing that makes this soup stand out from other Vegan Minestrone Soups is the red pepper pesto. The pesto gives a depth of flavor that really brings the soup to a whole different level.
For some more delicious soup recipes, check out this Vegan Split Pea Soup or this Low Carb Butternut Squash Soup!
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Ingredient Notes
- Red Pepper Pesto- The thing that makes this minestrone soup stand out apart from others is the Red Pepper Pesto. The infusion of the basil and the roasted red peppers help to kick the flavor up a notch and gives so much depth. There are a few ways to make this red pepper pesto. Either you can make your own, I have a great recipe here! Or, you can get store-bought vegan pesto, some roasted red bell peppers and blend them.
- Macaroni Noodles- I like to use macaroni noodles in this recipe, however you can use whatever noodles you prefer. Some other common types of noodles are ditalini or mini farfalle.
- Beans- My favorite types of beans to use in this recipe are kidney beans and cannellini beans. I find canned beans the easiest to use, however you can use dried beans if you want. Just make sure to cook them ahead of time.
- Diced Tomatoes- Classic minestrone is a tomato-based soup so it is important to include that in your recipe. I make it easy by using canned, diced tomatoes in tomato juice. If you don't have diced tomatoes on hand, feel free to swap it with sliced fresh tomatoes or 8 ounces of tomato sauce.
- Fresh Vegetables- Fresh vegetables are super important in this plant-based minestrone soup. I like to use celery, onion, carrots, and zucchini. Feel free to add any other fresh vegetables that you like. Sometimes I add green beans and spinach which are both great additions.
See the recipe card for the full ingredient list and quantities.
Instructions
How to Make the Red Pepper Pesto
- Drain your jar of roasted peppers and add it along with the fresh basil, garlic, nutritional yeast, cashews, and olive oil to a high-speed blender or food processor.
- Blend until smooth.
How to Assemble the Soup
- Dice the onion, carrots, celery, and zucchini.
- Drain and rinse the beans
- Add the vegetables, beans, tomatoes, garlic, pesto, and spices to the slow cooker and cover with vegetable broth. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-10 hours
- 30 minutes before serving, add the noodles to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 30 minutes.
- Ladle into bowls and serve warm with crusty bread.
Hint: One of my favorite ways to make this soup stretch for leftovers is to make the noodles in a separate pot and store them separately.
Substitutions
- Additional Vegetable Options- Feel free to change up this Italian Minestrone Soup by season. Add some green beans, spinach, potatoes, corn, or peas! Whatever is in season where you are at, feel free to add to the soup!
- Vegan Sausage- Make this Tuscan Minestrone Soup a little heartier by adding your favorite plant-based sausage.
- Vegan Parmesan- Finish the soup off with some vegan Parmesan to give it a cheesy finish! I have a great recipe here!
Variations
Instant Pot Instructions
- Press the Saute button on your instant pot and add olive oil. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook for about 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the garlic, vegan pesto, diced tomatoes, and spices.
- Stir in dry uncooked pasta and vegetable broth
- Press Pressure Cook and set for 2 minutes.
- Quick-release by turning the valve to venting to release the pressure.
- Once the pressure is released, press cancel and push Saute. Stir in the beans and zucchini and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until pasta and beans are tender and cooked through.
Stovetop Instructions
- Pour some olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook until the onion is translucent and fragrant about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the zucchini, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Cook for about 2 minutes.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes and their juices, beans, pesto, and broth, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer.
- Cook for 15-20 minutes, then remove the lid and add the pasta
- Continue simmering, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through
Check out this other delicious soup recipe!
FAQ's
No, this Tuscan Minestrone Soup is not Whole30 or Paleo. Legumes are not allowed on the Whole30 diet and grains are not allowed on the paleo diet. While this plant-based minestrone soup is not Whole30 or Paleo, it is full of whole and nourishing ingredients and is fully plant-based.
While I didn't use gluten-free noodles when I made this, this Italian Minestrone Soup can easily be made gluten-free by using gluten-free noodles.
Yes! This plant-based minestrone soup can easily be made without beans. If you choose to make it without beans, feel free to bulk up the vegetables to keep this hearty.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. See below for the equipment you will need to make this soup.
- Slow Cooker
- Ladle
- Soup Bowls
- Chef Knife
Storage
- Refrigerator: Leftovers will keep for 5 – 6 days in the refrigerator, see the top tips to find out how to keep the noodles from breaking down!
- Freezer: This minestrone is a great freezer-friendly meal and freezes well for up to 3 months. To freeze, let cool completely and store in freezer-safe containers. Always make sure to leave some space in the containers for expansion when it freezes. Let thaw before reheating. You can also freeze larger portions in large ziplock bags or containers.
- Reheat: Simply re-warm on the stovetop over low heat until warmed through.
Top tips
- If you are making this soup for meal prep, I would encourage you to skip the step of adding the noodles and instead boil the noodles in a separate pot. Drizzle a little olive oil over the noodles and store in an airtight container. When reheating the soup, add the noodles to a bowl and then add the soup over the noodles. Doing this will help keep the noodles from breaking down and make the soup stretch much farther!
- Save time by prepping all the ingredients ahead of time! You can add all of the ingredients, minus the broth and noodles to a gallon size ziplock bag and store it in the refrigerator. Then in the morning, dump everything into the crockpot and cook. It makes prepping a breeze!
- I like to garnish this minestrone soup with fresh parsley and some fresh cracked pepper. Some of my favorite sides to go with this soup are:
- Crusty bread and butter
- Hearty salad such as this Big Mac Salad Bowl or this Cranberry Orange Fall Harvest Salad.
- Vegan Parmesan
Slow Cooker Vegan Minestrone Soup with Pesto
Ingredients
- ½ cup Red Pepper Pesto
- 2 cups macaroni pasta
- 3 stalks celery
- 2 carrots
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 15.5 ounce can kidney beans
- 1 15.5 ounce can cannellini beans
- 1 large zucchini
- 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 6 cups vegetable broth
Instructions
- Dice the onion, carrots, celery, and zucchini.
- Drain and rinse the beans
- Add the vegetables, beans, tomatoes, garlic, pesto, and spices to the slow cooker and cover with vegetable broth. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-10 hours
- 30 minutes before serving, add the noodles to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 30 minutes.
- Ladle into bowls and serve warm with crusty bread.
Notes
- If you are making this soup for meal prep, I would encourage you to skip the step of adding the noodles and instead boil the noodles in a separate pot. Drizzle a little olive oil over the noodles and store in an airtight container. When reheating the soup, add the noodles to a bowl and then add the soup over the noodles. Doing this will help keep the noodles from breaking down and make the soup stretch much farther!
- Save time by prepping all the ingredients ahead of time! You can add all of the ingredients, minus the broth and noodles to a gallon size ziplock bag and store it in the refrigerator. Then in the morning, dump everything into the crockpot and cook. It makes prepping a breeze!
- I like to garnish this minestrone soup with fresh parsley and some fresh cracked pepper. Some of my favorite sides to go with this soup are:
- Crusty bread and butter
- Hearty salad such as this Big Mac Salad Bowl or this Cranberry Orange Fall Harvest Salad.
- Vegan Parmesan
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Zhen says
Minestrone soup is 1 of my Mom's faves- this is such a clever way to use red pepper pesto! Will have to make this for her
Gloria says
I love my slow cooker. This soup sounds hearty and delicious. Easy to make, and looks like it would freeze well too.
Rosanna says
I love a minestrone in cold weather it’s so comforting! Thanks so much for this, really handy to have a vegan version
Marysa says
I love pesto, and this soup sounds delicious. A perfect wintertime recipe. I haven't made minestrone in ages and I love what you chose for ingredients.
Michelle | Taste As You Go says
Minestrone soup is one of my family's favorite soups, especially now that we're in the cold winter months. I never thought to use red pepper pesto in it, though! I love the added depth of flavor that it adds to the soup. So good!
Sunrita says
Love such easy put together and cook dishes. This one is perfect with all the goodness and flavours.
Emily says
Great recipe. I just bought an Instant Pot, so I'm going to try that variation next time if I don't have time to slow cook it.
Christina's Bread Bakes says
Soup is my go-to dinner in the winter and this one is fantastic. Do not skip the pesto in this recipe, it creates a delicious flavor!
Cindy Mom the Lunch Lady says
I absolutely LOVE soup season. I am excited to have found this one! It was so flavourful and filling, even for my 2 ravenous teens 🙂
Gina Abernathy says
I love a good soup recipe. This looks like a nice hearty soup with great veggies. Not only comforting but good for you.
Gregory Halpen says
I love this! So clean and healthy. I think I have all the ingredients too. Definitely making it this weekend!
Bobbie says
So flavorful and easy to make!!
Jeannie says
The right meal to have after all the celebrations full with veggies
nancy says
one of my fav soups of all time
Kristina says
I've been making minestrone for years and never thought to add in some pesto. This is a great idea! Can you use regular pesto?
Gregory Halpen says
This soup looks so homey and warming! Perfect soup for the weather we’re about to get here in NYC. Delish!!
dave says
my wife made this the other night and I'm asking her to make it again tonight!
Megan Ellam says
One of my all-time favourite soups ever! Thanks so much for another delicious recipe Kayla!
Alexandra says
So comforting and delicious, this soup is simple to prepare and has such wonderful flavour!
Jerika says
I'm sure I will add this as one of my comfort foods. Our weather here now is a bit chilly in the mornings, so this Slow Cooker Vegan Minestrone Soup with Pesto is just perfect for this season. Thanks!:)
Brittany Fiero says
Hearty and perfect for these cold winter days! This soup is delicious.
Jacqui says
Minestrone is one of my absolute favorites! Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe.
Michelle says
Seriously one of my fave soups. This recipe turned out perfectly and so flavorful!
Agnieszka says
This recipe is genius! So easy and delicious and love that it's made in a slow cooker. Definitely making this soup again.
Addie says
Such a hearty and flavorful soup!