Vegan. Vegetarian. Gluten Free. | Minestrone

I love my recipe blogs. I spend hours on them. And I love food. (I spend hours on that too hehe) So when I get feedback on what kind of recipes y’all want to read about, I take that and run with it. A few common inquiries I get are all about meals for people with food restrictions or alternative dietary choices. While pretty much all of my meals are ‘Clean’ and any of them could be organic (just purchase organic ingredients), most of them are not vegan. So, I am going to start posting meals that offer vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free options. Every once in a while, I may even offer up a paleo or Keto option. So here goes.

You have asked- I delivered. To all my Vegan, vegetarian, and/ or Gluten Free Loves out there- here you go! You can customize this dish all by just selecting the pasta that works best for you.

Though I am by no means gluten free or a vegan, I still can appreciate a hearty and guilt free vegetarian/ Vegan meal. This is my favorite. You can make this dish 3 different ways- vegetarian, vegan, or gluten free- the only difference is your noodle selection. This Minestrone, unlike some, is packed full of all the squash, beans, and super greens. This is a vegetarian SUPER soup and it’s a winner all around the table. I hope you adore this one as much as we do!

Easy: Total prep time: 10 min Crock pot time: 8 hr Cook Time: 10-25 min

Healthy: Calories vary between 210-350 calories and offers almost 5 servings of vegetables per serving.

Cheap: $14 (your gluten free and/ or vegan pasta is going to make that price vary also)

Note: Most pasta is vegan- just make sure to check the ingredients on the back and check for egg.

Ingredients:

· 1 can 14.5 oz diced tomatoes

· 2 cups carrots, diced

· 1 cup kale, chopped

· 1½ cups zucchini, diced

· 1 can 15 oz green beans, drained

· 1 cup spinach, chopped

· 1 cup asparagus, cut

· 2 cups butternut squash, chopped

· 1 white onion diced

· 6 cloves garlic minced

· 1 teaspoon dried basil

· 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

· 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning

· 1 teaspoon salt

· 1 teaspoon pepper

· 2 bay leaves

· 4 cups low sodium vegetable stock

· 2 cups water

· 3 cups low sodium V8 or tomato juice

· 1 can 15 oz red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

· 1 can 15 oz black beans, drained and rinsed

· 1 can 15 oz cannellii beans, drained and rinsed

· 1 box vegan and/ or gluten free pasta

· ½ cup Fresh parsley, chopped

· Vegan parmesan cheese, to top (Thrive or Go Veggie brands are my favorite!)

Instructions:

** italics ^ just means you are adding it when you get home- not to the crock pot right away**

1. NIGHT BEFORE: Dice all your vegetables. Place your diced carrots, kale, asparagus, butternut squash, white onion, garlic, basil, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in large ziplock bag.

2. MORNING OF: Dump your diced tomatoes, vegetable stock, water, tomato juice, diced vegetables and seasonings from ziplock, and bay leaves into your crockpot. Cover and cook on low heat 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.

3. WHEN YOU GET HOME: Put a pot of water on to boil. After cooking time is up, add in red kidney beans, black beans, cannellii beans, zucchini, green beans, spinach, parsley, and pasta, and cook on high heat for an additional 10-25 or until zucchini is tender. Cook pasta according to box instructions. (due to the nature of variables, this seems to work best) Drain pasta and combine with soup.

4. Serve topped with grated vegan parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

I hope you guys enjoy these and let me know if there are any other dietary variations/ cuisine types you want to try!