Vegan Minestrone Soup
This Level 2: Mildly Thick Vegan Minestrone Soup is a perfect balance of protein and vegetables all in one! Beans, zucchini, tomatoes, kale…really what could be better?
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A heartwarming soup
There’s also something really heart warming about a minestrone soup. I can picture myself eating this on the couch, a big blanket draped over my shoulders, watching some sort of cooking competition on TV (because really, what else do I do?)
While eating a modified diet, it’s still important to eat your daily servings of fruits and vegetables. It can be easy to forget this because I’m sure calories and protein are more of a concern for you. This vegan recipe is great because it gives loads of vegetables, and there’s an excellent source of protein with the beans too.
Another significant thing about this recipe is that you can modify it to meet your likes and dislikes. Hate kale? Use spinach instead. Don’t have whole peeled tomatoes? Use crushed or diced. Prefer chicken stock to vegetable stock? Fine with us as long as vegan isn’t a priority here! Cannellini beans can be expensive and difficult to find in the stores. Feel free to substitute great northern beans or garbanzos!
I used my nutribullet to blend this recipe. I tried it with an immersion blender, but it came out relatively thick. If you do use an immersion blender, be prepared to use additional liquid to ensure it’s the right consistency. You’ll likely need to run it through a fine mesh sieve, or a food mill to remove all the bits leftover from the vegetables. I didn’t need to do that when I used my nutribullet.
Level 2: Mildly Thick
Level 2: Mildly Thick is appropriate for individuals who need drinks to flow more slowly, or may have slightly reduced tongue control. These foods flow quickly off a spoon but require mild effort to drink through a standard straw. Foods are tested using the Flow Test at this level.
The IDDSI Flow Test is a standardized test for determining the level of a liquid sample. You must have a 10ml syringe for this test, and not all syringes are created equal. Hold a ruler up to your syringe and the distance from the very bottom line to the 10ml mark must measure 61.5 mm. We recommend watching IDDSI’s Youtube video of the Flow Test as well as this comparison between Levels 1-3 before you cook as well as during the testing of your final modified portion.
Always test your food before serving to ensure that it meets all the IDDSI testing guidelines.
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Level 2: Mildly Thick Vegan Minestrone Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 medium white onion chopped
- 1 large carrot cut into ¼ inch slices
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 28 ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- ½ bunch kale stems removed and roughly chopped
- 1 large zucchini
- 1 can cannellini beans rinsed and drained
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and wait until oil shimmers. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent, approximately 6-7 minutes.
- Add carrot and saute 1 minute. Then add water, vegetable broth, and canned tomatoes with their juices. Mash the whole tomatoes with a wooden spoon to release their juices. Add dried basil.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 30-35 minutes to allow flavors to come together.
- After simmering, add zucchini and cannellini beans. Simmer for 10 more minutes.
- Add kale and cover pot with lid. Allow kale to wilt. Season with salt and cracked pepper to taste.
- Once soup is done simmering, use a blender to blend until smooth.
- If necessary, use a fine-mesh sieve to strain out any seeds or skin from the vegetables. Use additional broth if needed to thin soup to correct consistency.