Butternut Squash Pasta Minestrone Soup (Vegan)
A hearty, nourishing and healthful bowl of Butternut Squash Pasta Minestrone Soup filled with different vegetables, Mediterranean herbs and small pasta shapes. This is the best vegan, high protein and high fibre soup for the season.
I am back with another soup for cosy season and after my much-loved Minestrone Soup with sun-dried tomatoes from last year, I knew I wanted to make a new version. This time, the star of the show is butternut squash. It’s got delicious pieces of roasted butternut squash onto of the soup as well as tender chunks inside, which makes for the best texture. It’s also great for you, full of skin and gut loving ingredients and it’s filling yet wholesome and nourishing. It really feels like a hug in a bowl.
Why will I love this soup?
This soup is so good:
- Cosy, hearty and wholesome
- Filling, nourishing and delicious
- Filled with mediterranean flavours and herbs
- Packed with different veggies
- With 15 different plant points
- Flavoured with vegan tomato pesto for added depth
- Tomatoey and rich
- High in fibre with lots of different beans and veggies
- High in protein from the beans
- Naturally plant-based, egg-free and dairy-free
- Easily gluten-free (use GF pasta)
- Nut-free
- Everyone will love it
- Easy to make in a few steps
- Can be made ahead of time
- Topped with chunks of roasted butternut squash for more texture and interested
- Serve with your favourite bread or toast
- Great for cosy season
- Enjoy all year long
If you already love the sound of this soup, then skip ahead to the recipe card below. Or, first let’s discuss the recipe in more detail.
What ingredients do I need?
You can see the ingredients with weights in the recipe card below and see my favourites and recommended products in the “shop the recipe” section.
For the soup:
- Olive oil: or your preferred oil.
- Onion: white or red will work.
- Garlic: for flavour.
- Courgette: for veggie goodness.
- Butternut squash: chop this into small chunks to add so much texture and flavour. You can use any seasonal squash or pumpkin.
- Herbs and spices: this recipe uses dried basil, dried oregano and sweet smoked paprika for the best flavour.
- Mixed beans: to add lots of gut-loving variety. You can find these pre-mixed in tins/pouches.
- Small pasta shapes: use whatever shapes you like. I used small elbow-shaped pasta, but little stars or even orzo, would work.
- Vegan tomato pesto: this adds so much richness. You can make your own or buy one from the shops (make sure it’s vegan).
- Chopped tomatoes: from a tin.
- Vegetable stock: use your favourite one.
- Fresh spinach: to add at the end and allow to wilt.
- Fresh basil: this adds so much flavour.
- Lemon juice: for some tang.
- Nutritional yeast: this adds a richness to the soup. You can also use (vegan) parmesan or leave it out and it’s still great.
- Salt and pepper: to season.
As for the toppings and serving suggestion:
- Butternut squash: as above.
- Sweet smoked paprika: adds a lovely flavour with some salt and pepper.
- Bread or toast: your favourite sourdough, or other bread.
- Mixed seeds: for some added crunch on top.
Is this gluten-free and nut-free?
This is easily gluten-free as long as your use GF pasta. To keep it nut-free, use a nut-free pesto (my homemade recipe uses sunflower seeds).
How do I make this?
This soup is ready in a few steps:
- Fry off the onion and garlic in a non-stick pot: until translucent.
- Add in the veggies and herbs: and fry off.
- Pour in the remaining ingredients: and allow to simmer until the squash and pasta are cooked.
- Now stir in the spinach and lemon: and allow the spinach to wilt.
- Meanwhile, toss the squash with the spices: and roast until tender.
- Spoon the soup into bowls: and top with the squash.
- Serve with your favourite bread: and enjoy.
How long will this last?
Enjoy this straight away or keep leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for 2-3 days. You can also freeze this for 1 month. Warm back up with a splash of water or stock as it will thicken as it cools and rests.
What other recipes can I try?
For more hearty bowls:
- Creamy High Protein Pumpkin Pasta
- Golden Chickpea Dahl with Roasted Aubergine
- Smoky Chipotle Butterbeans with Herby Tahini
- Marry Me Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo and Beans
- Squash Chickpea and Peanut Butter Curry
Butternut Squash Pasta Minestrone Soup (Vegan)
A hearty, nourishing and healthful bowl of Butternut Squash Pasta Minestrone Soup filled with different vegetables, Mediterranean herbs and small pasta shapes. This is the best vegan, high protein and high fibre soup for the season.
Ingredients
For the Soup:
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 white onion, small dice
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 courgette, chopped small
- 250g butternut squash* (peeled weight) chopped small
- Herbs and spices: 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
- 1 tin mixed beans (240g drained weight)
- 150g small pasta shapes
- 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 3 tbsp vegan tomato pesto
- 1.5 litre vegetable stock
- Salt and pepper
To Stir In:
- 2 handfuls fresh spinach, torn
- 1 large sprig fresh basil, torn
- ½ lemon, juiced (1 tbsp)
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, optional
For the Roasted Squash:
- 250-350g butternut squash*, cubed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp sweet smoked paprika
To serve:
- To serve:
Instructions
- For the soup, heat a large non-stick saucepan with the olive oil and once hot, ad the onion, garlic, courgette and butternut squash. Fry off for 5-8 minutes, until the onion is turning translucent. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add in the herbs and spices and fry off for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Now pour in the beans, pasta, chopped tomatoes, pesto and vegetable stock and stir well. Warm up, stopping before it starts to bubble and then simmer with a lid on for 25 minutes, until the pasta and squash and soft.
- Meanwhile preheat the oven to 180Fan/200ºC. Add the cubed squash to a large baking tray with the olive oil, paprika and some salt and pepper. Toss and roast for 25 minutes, tossing around halfway through.
- When the pasta is cooked, add in the spinach, basil, lemon juice and nutritional yeast and stir well, cooking for 1-2 minutes to wilt the leaves.
- Ladle into bowls and top with the roasted squash, some extra basil and seeds.
- Enjoy with your favourite bread/toast.
- You can save this soup for later. Once cool, store in the fridge in a sealed container for 2-3 days or in the freezer for 1 month. Allow to defrost and then warm up. You will need to add more water or vegetable stock when re-heating the soup, as the pasta will continue to absorb liquid as the soup rests.
Notes
*this recipe uses about 1 small butternut squash in weight. You don’t have to worry if the weight is a bit more or less than this.
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Stay in touch
I look forward to hearing what you think of this Butternut Squash Pasta Minestrone Soup so please let me know in the comments below and leave a star review above. If you do make this cake, I’d love to see so please tag me, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest – please say hello!
With minestrone love x
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