There are days when you want food that feels like a warm hug. And this right here? A big bowl of gluten free minestrone soup. Simple, honest, deeply satisfying. It’s the kind of thing I make when I want something filling but not heavy, and I don’t feel like fussing over dinner for hours.

What I love about this recipe is how flexible it is. No rigid rules. Just throw in what’s fresh, make it your own, and you’ve got a full meal in under an hour that everyone can eat – vegan, gluten free, dairy free, and still full of flavor. It’s not trying to be fancy. It just works.

Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

Don’t overthink it. These are all pantry staples with a few fresh veggies thrown in:

• Olive oil – about a tablespoon
• One yellow onion – chopped small
• Two garlic cloves – crushed or minced
• Two carrots – peeled and diced
• Two celery stalks – sliced thin
• One zucchini – chopped, skin on
• Green beans – a cup, trimmed and chopped
• One can of diced tomatoes (15 oz)
• One can of cannellini beans – rinsed
• One can of kidney beans – also rinsed
• Four cups of gluten free veggie broth
• Dried oregano – teaspoon
• Dried basil – another teaspoon
• Thyme – half a teaspoon
• Salt and pepper – up to taste
• Gluten free pasta – one cup (small shapes work best)
• Two handfuls of chopped kale or spinach
• Fresh basil or parsley – optional but nice for topping

Instructions

Preparation

Start by getting all your chopping done. Trust me – do it all at once or you’ll be scrambling when things start cooking.

Cut the onions, celery, carrots, zucchini, and green beans. Rinse your beans. Have everything ready in little piles like you’re hosting your own cooking show. It makes life easier once the heat’s on.

In a big pot, warm up the olive oil. Throw in the onion and garlic. Let that soften for a few minutes – just until everything smells like something’s starting to happen.

Cooking

Next, carrots and celery. Let those cook down for five minutes or so, just to soften them up. Then add the zucchini, green beans, tomatoes (juice and all), both types of beans, and all your dried herbs.

Pour in the broth. Stir, bring it to a low boil, then drop the heat and let it simmer. Fifteen minutes is enough to make it taste like you tried harder than you actually did.

Once things are bubbling gently, toss in the gluten free pasta. You’ve got about 8 to 10 minutes before it gets too soft, so keep an eye on it. Gluten free pasta is dramatic like that – perfect one minute, much the next.

Just before you’re ready to serve, add the greens. They wilt fast, which is exactly what you want.

Serving

Ladle it out while it’s hot. Add a sprinkle of fresh herbs if you’ve got any. If not, don’t stress. It’s still solid without them.

If you’ve got some crusty gluten free bread lying around, toast it and dunk away. You won’t regret it.

Nutritional Value Per One Serving

Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 230
• Total Fat: 4g
• Saturated Fat: 0.5g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Sodium: 620mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 38g
• Dietary Fiber: 9g
• Sugars: 5g
• Protein: 10g

Tips and Variations

If you’ve made minestrone before, you already know it’s the kind of dish that bends around what you’ve got. But here are a few ways I like to switch things up when the mood hits:

• Change the beans: If I’m out of kidney beans, black beans do the job. Chickpeas too. But don’t mix five types – it starts tasting like a bean salad.
• Add heat: A pinch of red pepper flakes makes a surprising difference. Smoky paprika is nice if you want a deeper flavor.
• Swap the veg: In colder months, I’ll throw in diced sweet potato or even shredded cabbage. They soak up the broth beautifully.

If you like it thicker, mash up some of the beans before you add them. Or if you want it more like a broth-based soup, just ease up on the pasta.

Conclusion

I’ve made this vegan gluten free minestrone soup more times than I can count, and it’s never failed me. It doesn’t need butter, cream, cheese – or even meat – to feel complete. Just vegetables, broth, herbs, and time to come together.

Whether you’re cooking for people with food sensitivities or just craving something that tastes like it was made by someone who cares, this soup does the trick.

Eat it once and tell me it’s not better the next day. I dare you.

For more delightful recipes, check out our collection of soups.