Vegan Minestrone Soup with Orzo
Vegan Minestrone Soup with orzo, chickpeas, kidney beans, kale and potatoes, an Italian veggie packed budget-friendly comfort food that can be enjoyed all year round, not just in the cold season. It's a hearty and nutritious one-pot dish that everyone in the family will love as a quick and easy midweek dinner.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 473kcal
Ingredients
- 750 ml vegetable stock / broth (3 cups)
- 200 g canned chickpeas (½ tin, 7 oz)
- 200 g canned kidney beans (½ tin, 7 oz)
- 3 medium-sized potatoes
- 4 tomatoes on the vine (grape tomatoes)
- 1 carrot
- 2 celery stalks
- 65 ml extra virgin olive oil (¼ cup)
- 1 red onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 60 g kale (2 oz)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
- 50 g orzo (¼ cup or 2 oz)
Instructions
- Heat up the oil in a large pan.
- Peel and chop the onion, carrot, garlic and celery stalks, and add them to the pan.
- Season them with a good pinch of salt, and leave it to cook on a medium heat for 3-4 minutes until the veggies are soft.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, and give it a good stir.
- Place the lid on, and leave the tomatoes to cook until they turn mushy.
- Add the peeled and cubed potatoes, chickpeas, kidney beans, kale and stock, and place the lid back on.
- Cook the soup until the veggies are tender.
- Add the orzo and cook the soup for a further 10 minutes or until the orzo is al dente.
- Season with salt, pepper and herbs.
Video
Notes
- Always build flavour from the base, cooking the onion, garlic, carrot and celery in olive oil first adds a lovely layer of flavour.
- Adjust the level of thickness easily by adding more stock if you like a lighter soup, or leave it to simmer for longer for a thicker, stew-like consistency.
- Don't overcook the orzo, as it can turn mushy, especially if you want to freeze the soup, keeping it al dente is the best way to ensure the best consistency.
Nutrition
Calories: 473kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Sodium: 1650mg | Potassium: 1178mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 4695IU | Vitamin C: 52mg | Calcium: 127mg | Iron: 4mg