Green Vegetable Minestrone
This is my nourishing vegetable soup of the moment. I absolutely love eating it, not only because it tastes so good, but because I can instantly feel the goodness and the benefit to my body.
I love it straight from the pot and often top it with chopped avocado and a generous drizzle of salsa verde. If I want to pump up the protein, I’ll add some chicken or creamy white cannellini beans.
What’s good about it:
Basically everything ! Studies show that the health benefits from following a diet that focuses on a daily intake of vegetables include weight loss; diabetes control; lowered insulin secretion; improved sports performance; and reduced risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and cancer. These veggies act like pre-biotic in the digestive system that help to stimulate the favorable growth and activity of the good probiotic bacteria. This minestrone is low carb and low GI that will fill you up as well as help to keep insulin levels steady. Make a big pot and eat as much as you want any time of the day !
Serves 4
1 large leek, sliced
2 celery stalks, cut into small chunks
1 large green capsicum, cut into chunks
2 zucchini, cut into small chunks
100 g / 3 1/2 oz kale, calvo nero or silver beet chopped
250 g / 8 3/4 oz green peas
1 litre vegetable stock
Sauté the leek and celery in a large saucepan over a low heat for 2 minutes until soft.
Add the stock, zucchini, capsicum and kale or calvo nero.
Simmer over a gentle heat for 10 minutes.
Add the peas.
Simmer for another 3 minutes.
Season with freshly ground white pepper if required.
Combine salsa verde ingredients into a good high-speed blender like a vitamix until a gorgeous green paste forms.
Adjust consistency and taste if necessary, adding a little more cold pressed olive oil or lemon.
Ladle the green minestrone into serving bowls.
Enjoy as is or top with a generous drizzle of salsa verde.
Serve immediately and enjoy.
Nutrition per serve without salsa verde.
Protein: 6.7 g
Total Fat: 2 g
Saturated: 0.1 g
Carbs: 10.7 g
Iron: 3.2 mg
Fibre: 7.8 g
Calories: 80
Kilojoules: 329
Great Serving suggestions:
Top the minestrone with chopped avocado and salsa verde just before serving.
Pump up the protein by adding white beans or chopped chicken breast when adding the stock.
Basil, lemon + Parsley Salsa Verde (optional but delicious)
1 bunch green basil
1 bunch parsley
1 cloves fresh garlic, smashed
½ tsp sea salt
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoons cold pressed olive oil
Contact Teresa Cutter
Thank you for another great easy recipe. Has all the goodness of a green smoothie without the ick factor. Love you Teresa!
Hi Teresa,
I’m looking forward to trying this :) Can you advise whether it’s better to use salt reduced stock instead of the normal?
Awesome sounding recipe! Love green veg & love a good soup. (Can’t abide capsicum tho, so will leave it out). Looking forward to trying it!
I am making this tonight :) looking forward to it. Adding chicken to mine for added protein
I do so love a big bowl of soup in winter. Yum!
How long would it take if you add chicken?
8 – 10 minutes michelle. – when it’s cooked….so chop it up and add it to the soup then simmer :)
Thank you! I was after a new soup – will make this tomorrow and add chicken! Chock full of goodness!
Absolutely delicious! Once again your recipes never fail to
disappoint!! Thank you ;) x
Hi Teresa! This looks great! Just wondering how long the salsa verde would keep in the fridge?
Salsa Verde keeps for 1 week in the fridge:
Wow… Had all ingredients, whipped up for lunch, another delicious recipe. Thanks Teresa
Hi Teresa! I was wanting to know if you could add broccoli to this recipe? If so how would it be added in?
Yes you can. As you are not cooking the soup for very long, add it chopped small 5 minutes before removing from the heat. :)
Hi Teresa,
I made this yummy soup on Tuesday. It was very delicious and my kids happily enjoyed it too. I got to use some homemade vegetable stock which made it extra nourishing and tasty. Definitely planning on making it again soon.
Nicole
Hi Teresa,
just made this soup for dinner. was delish!
thanks for the recipe and looking forward to having the leftovers tomorrow! Hope you’re well and all the best,
Kate
WOW! This soup is yummmmmmmm. I was a bit worried that it would be bland, but no way! Absolutely delish…. And im eating the salsa verde with avocado on toast as i write… That stuff is the bomb! Thanks for all your recipes- i use them almost everyday :-)
ahhh this soup is sooooooooo yummmmmmmm!!! made it without the salsa verde and it was delicious! i did it with 3 cups of water and 1 cup of pacific natural foods Organic Vegetable Broth! so tasty
thank you so much for this quick and yummy recipe, i use them all the time too!
Thankyou, we made this last night and it was delish!
we also added:
- Basil,
- tsp fresh lemon zest
- and about a tbsp of lemon juice to make it fresh and zesty!
Teresa, as you suggested, I added some avocado and chicken. One word..YUM!!
Hi! Just wanted to share how I’ve changed up the recipe.
I added one large onion, a few garlic pieces, one head of broccoli, 500g mushrooms and 2 carrots all roughly chopped (plus an extra leek and a celery stalk), 500g green peas but no capsicum.
Using a pressure cooker, I browned off onion, garlic, leek, celery, carrot and mushrooms, and zucchini, added a few whole green chillis, some whole spices (black cardamom, green cardamom, cinnamon, cumin seeds, black pepper corns, star anise), threw in broccoli, calvo nero, green peas, 1L veg stock, and topped up with around 1L of water and a teaspoon of salt. Put the lid on the cooker and pressured it for 10 mins. Blended up ¾ of the soup mix, left ¼ still chunky, then added two tins of brown lentils and 500g of firm tofu for protein.
Made around 9-10 serves and have frozen them in containers for lunch. in each container there is around a teaspoon of the avocado salsa verde and a little goat’s cheese C:
Cheaper, healthier and tastier than the food around my work!
Made this soup last night with both chicken breast pieces and cannelinni beans and it was so tasty and nourishing after training on a cold night! YUMMMMMYYYY! Thanks again Teresa!
WOW!! This soup is absolutely delicious.. I add cooked chicken at the end for extra protein and a little cooked brown rice if I have been working extra hard at the gym. You can feel this soup doing you some serious good!! LOve LoVE LOVE it!! Thanks