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This post is sponsored by Chickapea Pasta but all opinions and text are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make Saving Room for Dessert possible.
Winter Minestrone Soup ~ enjoy the rich, flavorful broth loaded with fresh seasonal vegetables, white beans and Chickapea Pasta!
Our Winter Minestrone Soup is quick and easy to make. It’s filling, healthy, hearty and delicious making it great for the whole family!
This is a very exciting soup recipe for me to share today because we’re introducing a new, amazing, smart carb pasta that‘s now available in the US!
Winter Minestrone Soup is made with fresh vegetables and a smart carb pasta.
What is a smart carb pasta?
First, Chickapea Pasta is made with only 2 ingredients – organic chickpeas and lentils. It’s loaded with 27 grams of protein per serving, 8 grams of dietary fiber. It’s also rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals.
These smart-carbs are lower on the glycemic index (GI) than rice or corn based products which is important if you want to avoid spikes in your blood sugar.
Not only is Chickapea Pasta made from organic ingredients, it’s gluten free, non GMO, vegan, and kosher. With no preservatives, nothing artificial and no added sugar, that makes this pasta a stand-out on the super market shelves!
You can feel good about serving this pasta to your family without having to choose between quick or nutritious, it’s both. Now this is something to get excited about!
We were very excited, however a little skeptical, about what this pasta would taste like.
It’s not an easy thing to take a favorite family ingredient like pasta and substitute something new and different. It’s an understand to say we were pleasantly surprised!. We love both the flavor and texture of Chickapea Pasta so we are thrilled it to add our pantry.
These little pasta shells soaked up the rich flavor in the soup, they didn’t fall apart nor do they have a weird aftertaste. They are a bit chewier than “regular” pasta but that’s not a bad thing!
This Winter Minestrone Soup is a one pot wonder.
Once you’ve made this soup, you’ll wonder why you don’t make it more often!
For this recipe I borrowed two little, but effective tricks from chef Giada De Laurentis. These simple steps add a ton of flavor and complexity to our Winter Minestrone Soup. First, while the soup is simmering, add a Parmesan cheese rind to the broth. This simple task adds an amazing amount of flavor this soup.
Next, I pureed half the cannellini beans with a little water before adding to the soup. This step transforms the broth to a thicker, satisfying slurp-able spoonful. Both brilliant, simple ways to set this soup apart from other broth based soups.
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Winter Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (45 mL)
- 1 onion large, chopped
- 3 carrots medium, peeled and chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 zucchini small, thick sliced and quartered
- 1 potato (russet) peeled and cubed
- 1 bunch Swiss chard ribs removed, leaves rough chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (5 mL)
- ½ teaspoon salt (2.5 mL) more or less to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (15 mL)
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning (2.5 mL)
- 14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes (low salt), do not drain (407 mL)
- 32 ounces vegetable broth (low salt) (960 mL)
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 14.5 ounces canned cannellini beans rinsed and drained (407 mL)
- 1 cup water (250 mL)
- 1 Parmesan rind
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (30 mL)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves (30 mL)
- 2 cups Chickapea Shell Pasta (cooked 5 minutes and drained) (280g)
- Fresh grated or sliced Parmesan for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy bottom soup pot on medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring frequently until the onion is soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and sauté, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Add the zucchini, potato and Swiss chard, season with pepper, salt, thyme and Italian Seasoning and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the canned tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the chard is wilted and tomatoes are soft, about 10 minutes.
- Add the vegetable broth, bay leaf, and Parmesan rind to the tomato and vegetable mixture. Combine 1/2 of the drained and rinsed cannellini beans with 1 cup of water and puree with a stick or immersion blender until almost smooth. (A regular blender or food processor are fine too.) Add the pureed beans to the soup and simmer, stirring occasionally until the potato is tender, about 15 minutes.
- While the soup is simmering, cook the Chickapea Pasta in boiling, salted water for 5 minutes. For the shell shaped pasta, be sure to add it slowly to the boiling water, stirring to ensure the pasta does not stick together. Drain before adding to the soup.
- Add the remaining beans, parsley, basil and cooked Chickapea Pasta shells. Simmer until the soup thickens and is heated through. Discard the bay leaf and Parmesan rind, check the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with additional fresh basil or parsley and shredded Parmesan cheese.
Recipe Notes
- Save your Parmesan rinds in the freezer and add to soups and sauces for an extra punch of flavor. Some finer grocery stores sell Parmesan rinds in their cheese shops.
- Substitute kale for the Swiss chard if desired. Fresh spinach leaves would also be great in this soup but don't add those until the end. Spinach wilts quickly and doesn't need much time to cook.
- Any shape or variety of Chickapea Pasta will be great in this soup recipe.
- This soup also freezes beautifully!
Nutrition
Finally, follow the link for more information about stocking your pantry with all the delicious varieties of Chickapea Pasta for you and your family.
ChickaPea Pasta is also available on Amazon! (Click on each photo for more information)
The small print: If you decide to purchase something at Amazon after following my affiliate link, I receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you, which I use to pay for web hosting and services for this blog.
This post is sponsored by Chickapea Pasta but all opinions and text are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make Saving Room for Dessert possible.
Salli B. says
I am vegan for lent every year. I was looking for a good perfectly balanced soup. I’m not a fan of super tomatoey minestrone soup but saw the picture of your recipe and I decided to try it. It was so delicious and had two bowls. It was so colorful and yummy. It made me forget my meat cravings. Thank you for sharing!
Tricia Buice says
Thanks Salli! So glad you enjoyed the soup. It is hard to come up with a nice variety of vegan dishes. I hope and pray that you and your family are safe, healthy and happy.
Ann says
Have you ever tried to make this in a crockpot?
Tricia Buice says
Hi Ann – No I have not only because it cooks quickly and doesn’t need a long time to simmer, etc. If you try it, I would just leave out the greens, beans and pasta until the end. It’s all good! Thanks for the great question.
2 Sisters Recipes says
Great post Tricia! Your soup looks wonderful. Love the chard in it – happens to be our favorite vegetable. We have been using Parmesan rind in our soups for years, a trick we learned from our Italian friends while vacationing in Italy – great tip! Love this soup!
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
While we don’t really have winter weather here in Florida, I do enjoy soups. I used to make minestrone soup whenever my husband was away on business trips. I’d make the base soup and then one day add a little pasta, the next day add chicken, etc. each meal a little different from the next. Your bowl of soup looks good.
Kathy Walker says
Minestrone is a favorite at our house so I understand the trepidation when considering doing something different from the usual! I have not seen a chickpea pasta but I will take a look. It can never hurt to be adventurous and healthy!
Wendy says
Gorgeous! The soup, the photos, the video, the recipe. Minestrone is a favorite and your tips truly take this soup up numerous notches! How exciting that a gluten free pasta is also carb friendly. I will be looking for it!
Susan says
This is the kind of soup I could enjoy any time of year, Tricia! What a beautiful bowl of deliciousness. I hadn’t heard of chickpea pasta before and can’t wait to find some!
sippitysup says
Winter may be waning here in So Cal, but that’s no reason to quit making soup! GREG
Tricia Buice says
I agree Greg! Enjoy your lemon trees and amazing California citrus 🙂
tanna says
It is really exciting as we begin to get more and more healthier choices! Thank you for sharing this. (of course, I think YOU could make anything taste wonderful!) 😉 blessings and hugs ~ tanna
Tricia Buice says
Thanks Tanna – little changes here and there really add up. You are so sweet!!! Thank you very much! Hugs to you too 🙂
Michelle @ Vitamin Sunshine says
Tricia, this soup looks incredible. My favorite winter meal for sure. I love that you use chard in it, and thanks for the tip about the parmesan rind. I’ve seen those at Whole Foods for sale and wondered what people do with them! Totally trying this with some Chickapea.
Tricia Buice says
Wonderful Michelle! I saw Parmesan rinds in the store for years before I knew what people did with them. You can also use them in a tomato sauce. Yummy stuff and so is Chickapea Pasta!
lindsay Cotter says
i haven’t had a good minestrone since I’ve had to go gluten free 8 years ago! OMG .. MUST MAKE! So perfect and nourishing my friend!
Tricia Buice says
Yeah! I’m so glad you’re going to try this recipe – it’s so good. Chickapea pasta is amazing!
kristy @ she eats says
Seriously? A reasonably mild WInter? I’m jealous. I’m in Vancouver and it’s snowing and raining and awful. I think you sent us your weather 😉 This soup is EXACTLY what I need right now. Nutritious. Warm. Inviting. And all kinds of YUM with that Chickapea Pasta in there. I too, was skeptical at first. But I’m converted (and I’m not even gluten-free)!! I’ll be making your minestrone soup this weekend, fo sho. It looks so good, dude. So good.
Tricia Buice says
I think all the snow is stuck in Canada 🙁 We sure would like a foot to two – so please share! I could make another pot of this yummy soup and be a happy claim in my sweat pants and fleece jackets. Thanks for stopping by Kristy!
Monica says
I’m excited to see this, Tricia, because I had just heard about chickpea pasta on The Kitchen and the hosts liked it so I’ve been on lookout for it. So far, I can’t find it in my local markets. I’m so glad to hear your testimonial…definitely worth trying. And soup always for the win! Can’t go wrong.
Tricia Buice says
How cool Monica! Chickapea just recently hit the market in the US. So happy to have a great choice that’s healthy and delicious!
Gerlinde @Sunnycovechef says
I love the Chickpea pasta in your delicious looking minestrone. Soup is always good.
Tricia Buice says
Thanks Gerlinde – Chickapea Pasta is wonderful in this soup – and I can’t wait to try it in other recipes. Soup is one of my favorite meals!
cheri says
Hi Tricia, what a lovely soup, I love the idea of this pasta; will have to give it a try, I just picked up a red lentil pasta from Trader Joes that I am anxious to try. Your video was fantastic from start to finish and the music was perfect. Take care!
Tricia Buice says
Thank you so much Cheri – I love your sweet comment! The soup is terrific – hope you give it a try and the Chickapea Pasta is delicious! I haven’t seen it on the shelves yet – but hopefully soon!
marcie says
This is one of the prettiest bowls of soup I’ve ever seen, and I love how hearty and wholesome it looks! This is perfect for the rain that’s coming our way tomorrow — I need to whip up a batch of this today!
Tricia Buice says
This soup is great even after several days. I can’t wait to make another pot. Enjoy and thanks!
Pam says
Great soup for winter, even if it’s way above normal in temps for here now. Interesting with Giada and the Parmesan rind. I read somewhere yesterday, a recipe of saving the rinds and making a soup stock of them in water and seasonings and freezing it until ready to make soup. And I mash some beans with a wooden spoon on the inside of the pot, instead of pureeing, same difference. Your mix of veggies in this is great, it sounds like a delicious minestrone, Tricia!
Tricia Buice says
Thank you Pam – I love those little tricks that make recipes that much better. Enjoy the warm weather!
Jenny says
Absolutely beautiful! I want a bowl full right now!
Tricia Buice says
Thanks Jenny – me too!
John/Kitchen Riffs says
Cold weather certainly makes me crave soup, but I think it’s the winter light — or lack of it — that makes me want it even more. We’ve been having a reasonably mild winter, too, but we’re still having soup several times a week! Anyway, this looks terrific — such nice flavor. Thanks!
Tricia Buice says
I agree John – soup is an amazing way to eat your veggies too 🙂 Have a great week!
Kristen @ The Endless Meal says
This soup looks so good! I love that you’ve used Chickapea Pasta. It’s my favorite pasta!
Tricia Buice says
Thanks Kristen! We love it too 🙂
nocrumbsleft says
I adore Minestrone and it’s so perfect for transitioning from season to season. I always love to use whats local and in season and this is perfect for that. What a genius idea to add the Chickapea Pasta with the nuttiness of the Chickapea pasta melding with the broth. Great idea and going to make it this weekend for dinner!
Tricia Buice says
I know you’re going to love this richly flavored soup. So hearty and delicious and the Chickapea Pasta soaked up all the amazing flavor. Thank you!
Robyn Gleason says
Yummm! Can I come to your house and sit down to a big bowl of that soup, Tricia? It’s so full of the best kinds of whole foods and fabulous flavours! I always love a pasta in my soup for some added ‘oommphh’ and love knowing that this pasta is going to make the soup even healthier. Thanks for a terrific recipe! Sharing 🙂
Tricia Buice says
Thank you Robyn – we can’t wait to try more recipes from the Chickapea blog – they all look fantastic including yours!
Taylor @ The Girl on Bloor says
I love one pot soups like this – minestrone is definitely one of my favourites and I love Chickapea pasta so this is definitely a match made in heaven!
Tricia Buice says
Thank you Taylor. We are in love with this pasta too – can’t wait to make this again.
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
I love that you used chickpea pasta here…the soup looks wonderfully delicious and warming!
Tricia Buice says
Thanks Angie – it is so delicious!
Larry says
I’ve never made Minestrone but this post makes me want to – looks and sounds delicious. Were I to see a box of chickpea pasta on the shelf, I would never have picked it up but now I might just have to give it a try.
Tricia Buice says
Thanks Larry! I hope you will try it – we were so pleasantly surprised at the great texture and taste. And healthy too!
sue | theviewfromgreatisland says
I love everything about this post, the recipe, the video, and the cool pasta! My daughter is gluten intolerant, and I’m so excited to see a new option for her, we’re a pasta lovin’ family! Lovely soup!
Tricia Buice says
I bet she is going to love this Chickapea Pasta Sue – I know we do! Thank you very much 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
So exciting Tricia, that this is now available in the States. I will definitely be looking for it. Your soup looks amazing. I’m with you, I can’t get enough soup and I love recipes that make enough to provide lots of leftovers!
Tricia Buice says
Thanks Chris – there is nothing like a hot bowl of soup on a dreary winter day. Leftovers are just as good – and maybe even better! Have a terrific week and thanks!