Hearty Old-Fashioned Minestrone Soup With Potatoes And Leeks

Cozy vegetable soup is a great way to warm you from the inside and out.

Today's recipe of vegan Minestrone is a perfect soup to keep you warm and satisfied.

There are hundreds of hearty vegetarian Minestrone soup recipes out there. But one of them sticks out more that any other recipe.

If you've ever heard about Longevity Diet or Blue Zones Diet, then you probably know that plant-based recipes are one of the major keys to a long and healthy life.

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One of the recipes that longest-living people in Sardinia swear by is zesty Minestrone Bean Soup. It's a hearty Sardinian soup made with leeks, potatoes, beans and round semolina pasta.

Although, many skip the pasta for a gluten-free version.

This old-fashioned leeks and potatoes Minestrone Soup is so simple to make and each time it can be different depending on the ingredients you have on hands.

That's why in Sardinia, Minestrone soup with beans is eaten all year round - for lunch or dinner.

The hearty leeks Minestrone soup has a wonderful vegetable flavor and is healthy and clean. Perfect for detoxing and also for those of you who follow vegan diet.

If you want to make this old-fashioned beans soup even more low fat, skip the olive oil and sauté the veggies in a bit of vegetable broth.

Generally, my kids are picky eaters, especially my youngest daughter.

But they loved this hearty leeks and potatoes Minestrone soup which made me super happy because now I know one more recipe to add to my "picky eater's menu".

My favorite thing about vegan Old-Fashioned Sardinian Minestrone soup is that it's delicious the way it is.

Unlike the case with many other soups, this hearty soup with leeks and potatoes doesn't need a dollop of sour cream or a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

1. Cut off the root end of the leek. Then thinly slice the remaining pale green part of leek into rings and discard the root end.
2. Trim off the fennel stalks and the root end. Cut fennel bulb in half and discard tough outer layers. Slice the remaining fennel crosswise.

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot and over medium heat. Add leeks, celery, carrots and ½ teaspoon of salt and and sauté for 5-7 minutes until vegetables are soft.

1. Stir in garlic and sauté for 30 more seconds. Add in fennel, potatoes, both types of beans, rosemary.

1. Dilute tomato paste in 1 cup of broth and add it into a pot.
2. Add 6 cups of broth, 1 teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of pepper, bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Stir in couscous and cook soup for 10 more minutes or until couscous is soft. If the soup gets too thick, you can add an additional 1 cup of broth.
4. Adjust the seasoning, turn off the heat and serve with the sprinkling of fresh parsley.

There are no hard and fast rules on the ingredients, but generally vegan Sardinian Minestrone soup has onions, garlic, carrots, celery, potatoes, tomatoes and beans.

In this hearty Minestrone, I used 2 types of beans: Chickpeas (also called Garbanzo Beans) and Pinto beans. But honestly, any other types of beans will work here as well, think Kidney beans or white beans.

Pasta or couscous tend to absorb lots of liquid. So I recommend always keeping an extra cup or 2 of vegetable broth on hands to dilute the soup.

Absolutely! With some many nutritious vegetables like leeks, fennel, potatoes and hearty beans, vegan Minestrone is always a great choice if want to eat cleaner and healthier.

Generally speaking, Minestrone is hearty vegetable soup. So, depending on a season, you can throw in any vegetable that is fresh and available in your grocery markets.

Rosemary, thyme, oregano or parsley are all great choices. And you can use them in fresh or dried form. Another option is to use Italian seasoning. It has a combination of all these flavorful herbs and will make your Minestrone taste exquisite.

You can store vegan Bean Minestrone for about 3 days in the airtight container in the fridge.

Reheat Minestrone in the microwave or in the medium pot until it simmers. Please keep in mind, that since couscous (or pasta) tends to expand in soup, I recommend adding a ½ -1 cup of broth to dilute the soup.

Vegan soups with potatoes or pasta don't freeze well. The potatoes will sponge up moisture, and will likely to become grainy when defrosted.

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If you make this recipe, please leave me a comment below and rate it. I always appreciate the feedback. Also, you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

If you're looking for a quick overview of the recipe, please check out my vegan potatoes and leeks Minestrone web-story.