Stirring vegan pesto into this spring green minestrone for its herbaceous flavor and brilliant color is a power move. You add so much flavor in one go, almost like creating a pesto broth of sorts. The soup is loaded with some of my favorite veg, like fennel, leeks, and asparagus. This version of minestrone is similar in structure to the tomato-based one you may be used to, but with a fresh and light feel for spring.
I’ve had this recipe on my “add to blog” list for about 10 years now. When the first warmer days arrive in the spring, my thoughts immediately go to grilling and colorful salads. The start to spring has been slow and cold this year, so the timing felt right to share this soup. It’s gorgeously green and filled with veggie goodness, but it’s also warming on those damp spring days.
Earlier versions of this soup that I worked on did not feature pesto at all–just ingredients that lent themselves to that flavor profile. Things like fresh basil, garlic lemon, and miso for a savory edge. They were good, but it just felt like something was missing. Once I tried a version with actual basil pesto stirred in, it all clicked.
Of course this is similar to French soupe au pistou, but I use traditional pesto with nuts in the mix (also: the pistou in the provencal soup often contains tomatoes). I also just chuck the pesto into the soup; rather than stir spoonfuls into individual servings.
Of course I recommend serving this with lots of crusty bread to dip. My no-knead whole wheat bread is a great option! Perfect for sopping up the ultra savory pesto-flecked broth.
This spring minestrone is quite green and pretty on its own–although the color does fade a bit with time. If I have greens in my fridge that need to be used (spinach, kale), it’s nice to wilt them into the soup in the last 2 minutes of cooking.
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Spring Green Minestrone with Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, small dice
- 1 stick celery, small dice
- 1 medium fennel bulb, cored and diced
- 1 large large leek, cleaned and chopped (white and light green parts only)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- pinch red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 ½ cups diced potatoes
- 1 ½ cups cooked white beans, drained and rinsed
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 5 cups vegetable stock, plus extra
- ¾ cup small dry pasta
- 1 cup chopped green beans
- 1 cup chopped asparagus
- ½ cup vegan pesto, plus extra
- ½ cup parsley leaves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus more to taste
Notes
- Premade pesto from the store certainly makes this soup a lot easier to throw together. I like the vegan basil pesto from Sunflower Kitchen and use it often. My pesto recipe is linked in the ingredients list if you want to go the homemade route.
- I used whole grain elbow macaroni for my pasta in these photos.
- I used flat, green romano beans as my green beans in the photos. Once they’re sliced up, the cooking time is the same as regular green beans.
Instructions
- Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Once the pot is hot, add the oil and swirl it around.
- Add the onions, celery and fennel, and stir. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are soft and slightly translucent, about 6-7 minutes. If the vegetables are browning too fast, lower the heat.
- Add the leeks and continue to cook until they turn bright green and soft, about 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, if using. Stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the potatoes and white beans. Season liberally with salt and pepper, and stir.
- Add the vegetable stock to the pot and stir to combine. Place a lid on top of the pot and bring everything to a boil. Once boiling, set the lid aside slightly so that steam can escape. Lower the heat to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are just starting to get tender, about 12 minutes.
- Add the pasta, green beans, and asparagus. Bring to a boil again and then simmer until pasta is tender, about 12 minutes. If the soup is getting a little too thick for your liking at this point, add more stock.
- Once pasta is tender, stir in the vegan pesto, parsley, and lemon juice until everything is thoroughly mixed. Taste the soup to check for seasoning and adjust if necessary (more salt, pepper, lemon etc). I like to dollop a little bit of extra pesto on top of individual bowls. Enjoy straight away.
This was a huge success in my house! I used the Vegan pesto recipe and did my own. Cooked this twice in a week – very flavoursome, hearty, full of umami! I used long pasta (Rummo) the first time and it kept better than the smaller pasta I did the second time.
A lovely, bright, tasty spring soup! I also used Trader Joe’s vegan kale pesto. The flat green beans look so good, but I was clearing out my freezer and used frozen green beans and peas. Thanks Laura – the week is set now!
The absolute best vegan minestrone soup! I used Trader Joe’s vegan kale pesto to save some time. Flavorful and quick to prep since it doesn’t require an extended time on the stovetop. Wished I had made a double batch since this delicious soup was going to my daughter’s home. Thanks, Laura. Your recipes are always winners.
This was fantastic! Loved all the brightness and the plant points! I’m limiting oil in my diet, so I did a basil sunflower seed & cashew cream situation instead of the pesto and it worked really well. Thanks for another stunner recipe, Laura!
How long can this be stored in the fridge? Can it be frozen? Sounds yummy.
Hi Peg,
You can store this soup for up to 5 days in the fridge. I have not frozen this soup myself (it never makes it that long for us!), but my hunch is that it would not be great. I think the pesto flavor would be quite muted after cooking, freezing and then thawing and reheating. The color would definitely go a bit brown/grey too.
-L