So, veggie soup is one of my favorite things to make on a cold weekend day when we’re around the house. Truth be told, I used to just sauté veggies in a soup pot in olive oil and garlic with mirepoix (classic soup base of onions, carrots, celery), add broth, stir for awhile, and call it a day. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t amazing either.

My soup days changed forever when I found this recipe from Saving Room for Dessert, and it really does satiate you while probably for once, giving us our daily recommended servings of vegetables. Like all of the recipes featured in this post, you can change it up to your liking. T

his one ended up a bit more tomato-ey than in the past mostly because my hand slipped when adding the diced tomatoes – so we went with it and my husband actually liked it better this way! Okay, he more than liked it. He mentioned how much he liked it over, and over, and over – so I guess we’ll be making it again soon!

We used chickpea pasta shells from Whole Foods, which added texture, protein, and substance, along with the cannellini beans. Something about the parmesan rind, bay leaf, and mixture of vegetables comes together to create an indescribable flavor that nourishes and satiates. When you’re home on a cold weekend or holiday day, put up a pot of this vegetable minestrone soup and it will feed you and your family or friends for days! And, it’s a great cleanser after a heavy holiday meal or two. Make in advance and freeze too, or serve it into smaller containers to portion out for meals throughout the week.

Check out this combination of textures and flavors. It’s a melting pot of nutrients!

We love that this soup is dairy-free (minus the parmesan rind, which really just adds flavor, not actual cheese), gluten free (using chickpea pasta), vegetarian (using veggie broth), and vegan so it’s a bowl brimming with health – maybe it will add on years to our lives! Just kidding, but really, maybe…