Uncle Bill's Vegetarian Minestrone Soup

"A hearty and healthy soup. Excellent on chilly days. Very easy to prepare."
 
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photo by The Food Gays photo by The Food Gays
photo by The Food Gays
photo by The Food Gays photo by The Food Gays
photo by Jeanette M. photo by Jeanette M.
photo by lucymcelroy184 photo by lucymcelroy184
photo by angiemparry photo by angiemparry
Ready In:
55mins
Ingredients:
14
Serves:
4-6
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ingredients

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directions

  • Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
  • Add chopped onion and sauté for 4 minutes or until just lightly browned.
  • Add water, zucchini, carrots, canellini beans, celery, basil, oregano salt, pepper, tomatoes and garlic.
  • Bring to boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add macaroni, cover and cook an additional 10 minutes.
  • Adjust spices to suit your taste.
  • Serve hot.

Questions & Replies

  1. In another minestrone recipe they use a borlotti bean. Is there another name for it ? Also your recipe is the best I've found so far. It's the oregano definitely. I add more pepper as well. Plus I'll only add the pasta needed and then freeze the soup. I can boil some pasta as needed in vegetable broth for more flavor. Thanks in advance for your expertise. ?????????? !!! I
     
  2. Should you drain the beans or add the entire can, undrained. Has anyone used chicken or vegetable broth instead of water?
     
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Reviews

  1. I made this for Christmas Eve dinner, and it was FABULOUS!!!! My husband loved it, and he's not a big fan of my cooking! ? That proves this recipe is the real deal. I did use vegetable broth instead of 3 cups of water, and put about 14 fresh spinach leaves in at the last minute. Will definitely make this many times in the future.
     
  2. Uncle Bill, this is fantastic. I followed your recipe exactly but I used vegetable stock instead of water because I had some I needed to use up. My husband takes soup for lunch in the winter and he raved about this when he came home. Thanks for another great recipe.
     
  3. Yum yum! A very warming and tasty minestrone with lots of zucchini (a plus!) It is also very tomato-ey, so if you love tomatoes you will enjoy this very much. My only suggestion is to cook the celery a little longer (with the onions maybe?) so they become more tender. I had to cook my soup awhile more until they softened. Also added some fresh spinach and basil from the garden. Thanks, Uncle Bill. [Made for All You Can Cook Tag]
     
  4. I used organic lentils instead of cannellini beans and used fresh tomatoes instead of canned. All the ingredients were fresh and organic and it turned out great! Your recipe was the inspiration for my own version. Thank you for making it easy to follow.
     
    • Review photo by Jeanette M.
  5. Awesome, easy recipe. It's super flavorful. I used macaroni instead because that's what I had. I added a splash of spicy pickle juice because it seemed like a good idea and it turned out nicely. Upped the beans because I love beans. Recommended for cold and rainy days! Thanks Uncle Bill!
     
    • Review photo by lucymcelroy184
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Tweaks

  1. I don't understand the excitement and rave reviews about this recipe. It's just a plain vegetable soup with too much zucchini and celery, and rather bland even with the addition of broth instead of water and extra spices.
     
  2. I made this for Christmas Eve dinner, and it was FABULOUS!!!! My husband loved it, and he's not a big fan of my cooking! ? That proves this recipe is the real deal. I did use vegetable broth instead of 3 cups of water, and put about 14 fresh spinach leaves in at the last minute. Will definitely make this many times in the future.
     
  3. Thank you Uncle Bill for this recipe. So simple and delicious! I was looking for a vegetarian version for minestrone soup. I used chicken stock instead of vegetable, because well I'm not a vegetarian and wanted the flavor of chicken stock. My husband and two small children ate this up with crusty french bread for dipping.
     
  4. Mmmmm! Delish! I used chicken broth instead of water and added the whole can of beans. I love this recipe. I will make again and again. Thanks!
     
  5. I cook this every three or four weeks, it's delicious. I use 1/2 a teaspoon of oregano instead of 1/4, a dash of Worcestershire and Tabasco sauces and a teaspoon of Vegeta. My boyfriend loves it for dinner with hot toast and butter. Yum!
     

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

I live in Burnaby, British Columbia. I am retired and have written a cookbook entitled, From Uncle Bill's Kitchen. I am a recipe developer, author, publisher, distributor and a chef. My cookbook is very unique as I have a Nutrient Analysis for each ingredient used in each recipe that shows you the values for Calories, Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. A high-lighted bar shows the values on a per serving basis plus the Fat/Cal%. From Uncle Bill's Kitchen contains tried-and-true, tested, easy to follow reipes for both novice and experienced cooks. You'll find old Russian, Ukrainian, and other ethnic favorites, along with modern West Coast dishes. The Nutrient Analysis will please the health conscious. Uncle Bill's favorite recipes will reward efforts of the most creative cook and provide the family with many tantalizing, healthful meals. I have appeared on 48 various Television Shows in Vancouver, Burnaby, Kelowna and Kamploops, B.C. Canada, as well as in Palm Springs, CA. In Palm Springs, CA, I have been a Guest on the JACKIE OLDEN RADIO SHOW and THE JOEY ENGLISH RADIO SHOW, twice a year since 1998. I also do demo cooking shows at CHAPTERS BOOK STORES, SAVE-ON-FOOD STORES, GALLOWAY'S FOODS, WESTMINSTER PUBLIC QUAY MARKET, and in the U.S. at BARNES & NOBLE BOOKSTORES in Palm Springs, CA, Phoenix and Yuma, AZ. I was in Palm Springs, CA from June 10th to July 14th. 2002 and again appeared twice on the Jackie Olden Show, twice on the Joey English Show and pre-taped a TV COOKING SHOW with Jackie Olden that is aired on TV from Palm Springs, CA to Los Angeles, CA.
 
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