Loaded with all kinds of healthy vegetables and hearty beans, simmered in a rich, herby tomato broth, this Vegan Minestrone Soup is the perfect hearty meal to warm you up, inside and out!
Place a large pot over medium-high heat and to it, add a few tablespoons of olive oil (or other cooking oil of your choice) followed by the onion and garlic. Cook until slightly softened and fragrant and then add the carrots and celery. Cook for a few minutes more, to allow the vegetables to soften, then add the Italian seasoning, oregano, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder and stir well.
Add the potato, rutabaga and butternut squash, followed by diced tomatoes, tomato paste and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot; simmer gently until the vegetables are cooked through, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a separate pot cook the pasta according to the package directions, drain and set aside.
Once the veggies have cooked all the way through, kill the heat and stir in the fresh spinach, frozen edamame and cooked beans. Put the lid back on and allow your soup to sit for about 5 minutes, or until the spinach is completely wilted and the beans and edamame are heated all the way through.
Reserve the quantity of soup you are planning on eating right away and add the desired amount of pasta to it. Or, divide the pasta directly between the desired number of bowls and ladle the minestrone over top.
Store leftover soup and pasta separately and combine them at the moment of serving.
Notes
It's a good idea to cook the pasta separate from the soup, otherwise it will suck up all the broth and get soggy in no time. Of course, if you're planning on eating the whole batch right away, you could cook the pasta directly in the soup by adding it once the vegetables are almost cooked through. You may have to add a little bit more water to the broth to make up for the liquid the pasta will soak up as it cooks.