Vegan Minestrone Soup with Couscous

Vegan Minestrone Soup Recipe with couscous is easy and is made in one big pot. Couscous and ditalini pasta are both added for a recipe that will satisfy your cravings.

This year has been so strange with the weather. Well, very strange in the political world too but I promise not to talk politics.

After winter, it started off with beautiful spring days and then they get followed by a day or more of snow. Back and forth, back and forth. And then fall came and we hit record high temps on into October.

It is finally cooling off so we still need some warming comfort food, right?

Soups, chilies, and stews are the go-to and this Vegan Minestrone Soup will not only warm you from the inside out but it will fill you up too.

Fill you up with rich beautiful flavors. Nothing is better than homemade soup and company seems to love it too.

Soup party

I was invited to a soup party a couple of years ago where there were stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer and four different kinds of soups as the main course. All buffet style.

It was so much fun. Everyone enjoyed everything and all the soup disappeared.

Hey, I just thought of another soup on the blog that is very Italian and it is Olive Garden’s Pasta e Fagioli Soup. It is really simple and has lots of flavor.

There are so many variations of minestrone and this is one of them. I thought it would be fun to add couscous along with the beans and change up the macaroni for ditalini.

It turned out to be a good idea as it is like a brand new soup. Deep flavors evolving from the tomato and broth base with the toasted nutty flavor of pearl couscous backing it all up.

See all the couscous and ditalini trying to peek out of the soup? Each bite is delicious with a rich tomato broth that is good all by itself.

You could make it your meal bu adding csome nice crusty bread on the side and maybe a good Chardonnay or Cabernet.

Ingredients

• Coconut oil a nice base for sauteeing.
• Onion is the best base for so many recipes. They cook up sweet and taste great.
• Garlic has a pungent flavor so use sparingly and it is delicious.
• Dried oregano is aromatic and has an earthy flavor.
• Dried basil has a peppery taste and wonderful aroma.
• Diced tomatoes add to the texture and meld the ingredients all together.
• Crushed tomatoes also add texture along with lots of tasty juices.
• Vegetable broth adds flavorful liquid for the soup.
• Kidney beans are earthy in flavor and hold up to the strong tomato base.
• Ditalini pasta are small round short tubes that add texture and taste.
• Fresh basil has a wonderful aroma.
• Pearl couscous is also a pasta but is on the larger side for couscous.
• Salt is the perfect understated seasoning.
• Ground black pepper is very spicy so don’t use a lot.

Instructions

• Heat the coconut oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
• Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Next, add the garlic, oregano, and basil and cook 1 minute.
• Add both of the tomato ingredients and vegetable broth.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes.
• Stir in the beans, pasta, couscous and bring back to a boil
• Add the fresh basil.
• Turn down to medium-high heat and cook for 10 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper.

When serving sprinkle the top with nut-free parmesan cheese and chopped fresh basil or fresh marjoram.