Slow Cooker Vegan Minestrone Soup with Pesto

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!

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

1. 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.
2. Stir in dry uncooked pasta and vegetable broth
3. Press Pressure Cook and set for 2 minutes.
4. Quick-release by turning the valve to venting to release the pressure.
5. 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

1. 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.
2. Add the zucchini, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Cook for about 2 minutes.
3. 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.
4. Cook for 15-20 minutes, then remove the lid and add the pasta
5. Continue simmering, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through

Check out this other delicious soup recipe!

FAQ's

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 

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

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.