This thick, hearty soup is so easy and delicious – it’s almost like a stew! I don’t know about you, but to me, there’s nothing as satisfying as a big warm bowl of soup on a cool, crisp night. YUM!
Update: Now that I’m grain-free, I replace the gluten-free pasta with zoodles instead. Learn how easy and delicious it is to make zoodles in my step-by-step “How to Spiralize“ post.
Hearty Minestrone Soup (Grain-Free option)
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups of soaked & cooked white beans (or two 15oz cans, drained and rinsed)
- 1 1/2 cups fresh organic baby spinach leaves
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp organic tomato paste
- 15-18 ounce jar organic diced tomatoes with Italian herbs (we like Jovial Foods brand)
- 4 cups filtered water
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 cup of thinly sliced organic zucchini
- Optional: 1/2 cup your favorite gluten-free elbow pasta (if grain-free, omit and use zoodles instead)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add 1/4 cup of beans and mash well with a fork, set aside. (This will help to thicken the soup.) Remove stems from spinach and rough chop; set aside.
- Heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, onion and garlic. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until onion softens and becomes translucent. Add salt, pepper, tomato paste, whole beans and mashed beans. Cook, stirring until beans are well coated with tomato paste.
- Add diced tomatoes with juice, water, thyme, red pepper flakes, sliced zucchini and pasta (if using). Bring soup to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Allow soup to simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until pasta is cooked.
- Turn off heat. Add chopped spinach leaves, also add zoodles, if using. Then stir and cover. Allow soup to sit about 5 minutes before serving.
