Enjoy a big bowl of gluten free minestrone soup today. It’s simple to make and ready in a snap.
I shared a recipe for minestrone soup on the blog a while back, but it’s been a few years since I made it. Traditionally, it’s made with pasta and beans.
However, since John and I have been following a low carb diet, that doesn’t work for us.
So what do you do when you’re craving a hearty, Italian minestrone soup loaded with vegetables, herbs, and spices?
I decided to update the recipe without the carbs. I don’t miss the pasta and beans because the best thing about minestrone is the warm tomato base and all the herbs and spices.
In my original recipe, I added water, but today I went with chicken stock. Either way is good.
For some protein, I added pancetta. Yum.
I hadn’t realized how much I missed this wonderful soup. There’s something so cozy and satisfying about a bowl of hot soup, especially when it’s homemade and ready in minutes.
Here’s how to make it.
Instructions
*Free printable recipe card is available at the end of the post.
Then add chicken stock, diced tomatoes with the juice, and your seasonings (fresh or dried): rosemary, marjoram, thyme, oregano, a bay leaf, and salt. The fresh herbs I have on hand today are Italian parsley and sage.
A secret ingredient
Now Italian cooks have a secret ingredient. Oooh… doesn’t that sound intriguing? But it’s true.
They add a parmesan cheese rind to the pot. It infuses your soup with flavor plus it adds a bit of thickness.
Stir that all up and simmer for about fifteen minutes while all those wonderful flavors combine.
Pro tips and recipe notes
- This soup is a great way to use up leftover vegetables. Go ahead and add green beans or peas or whatever you have on hand.
- It’s best to cut all the veggies into similar sizes so they cook evenly.
- Minestrone is heartier than vegetable soup. This recipe has all the rich flavor minus the beans and pasta.
- My son, who is not low carb, added cooked gluten free noodles to his soup. He never cared much for garbanzo beans so he went without them. These small gluten free ditalini pasta are perfect for this soup (if you’re not low carb)
- Leftover soup will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to five days.
- To freeze, let the soup cool and freeze in airtight containers for up to four months.
Hearty, healthy, easy minestrone soup is sure to please everyone at your table. Buon appetito!
And if you have any questions, please reach out to me in the comments or shoot me an email, and I’ll respond ASAP.
More easy soup recipes you’ll love
Soup And Chili Collection – This is my complete collection of healthy, slow cooker and stovetop, gluten free and often low carb soups and chili recipes.
Easy Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup – This is a quick soup favorite loaded with sharp cheddar cheese and tender bite-size broccoli floating in a velvety cream broth.
Wild Cod Chowder – This dairy-free soup is super healthy and super fast to make.
Wild Salmon Chowder – Enjoy a bowl of warm chowder: bits of crispy bacon and chunks of tender fish floating in an oh-so creamy vegetable broth.
Zoodle Soup With Meatballs – Zoodles paired with mini meatballs and baby bok choy is a winning combination.
Easy Minestrone Soup (Low Carb And Gluten Free)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 stalks of celery diced
- 2 carrots diced
- 1 small onion diced
- 3/4 cup of zucchini diced
- 3 ounces of pancetta or cooked bacon diced
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 28 ounce can gluten free diced tomatoes
- 4 cups gluten free chicken stock, broth, or water
Herbs and spices
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of marjoram
- 1/4 teaspoon of thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon of oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon of rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon of sage
- 1 large handful of Italian parsley chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 inch parmesan cheese rind optional
- grated parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
- Heat oil in a dutch oven pot. Sauté celery, carrots, onions, zucchini, and pancetta over a medium heat. Toss them around with a wooden spoon so they cook evenly. The onions will be translucent. This takes about 5 minutes.Then add your minced garlic and stir for one more minute.
- Add tomatoes with the juice, chicken stock (or water), herbs, and spices.Finally, add the parmesan rind and the bay leaf.
- Give it all a good stir and simmer, partially covered for 15 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf and the cheese rind. Serve with grated parmesan cheese on the side.
Notes
- This soup is a great way to use up leftover vegetables. Go ahead and add green beans or peas or whatever you have on hand.
- It’s best to cut all the veggies into similar sizes so they cook evenly.
- If you'd like to add bacon instead of pancetta, cook the bacon separately and cut it up before adding to the soup.
- Minestrone is heartier than vegetable soup. This recipe has all the rich flavor minus the beans and pasta.
- If you're not low carb, you can add garbanzo beans along with the tomatoes while the soup simmers. You can add cooked gluten free pasta to each individual bowl rather than to the pot. Using uncooked pasta in the pot, would soak up too much of the liquid. These small gluten free ditalini pasta are perfect for this soup.
- Leftover soup will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to five days.
- To freeze, let the soup cool and freeze in airtight containers for up to four months.
Nutrition
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Jeanne Doyon says
My daughters eat gluten free–and I feel much better when I do even though I am not diagnosed with celiac. Thanks for the wonderful recipes. I will be sure to share this with my girls
Barbara says
Hi Jeanne,
I know what you mean. I don’t have Celiac either (just my husband and 2 of my sons), but I have found that a low carbohydrate diet (including fewer complex starches) is simply more ideal.
I hope you girls enjoy the recipes.
Thanks for your encouragement.
Bonnie Gean says
I agree about the soup. Love eating soup on a cold winter day. Warms the belly! 🙂
Have you made this with any other type of bean, such as pinto? I wonder how different it would taste?
Barbara says
Thanks, Bonnie.
I haven’t tried pinto beans. Pinto beans are creamier ; it should be good.
Susan Tolles says
Sounds so yummy! It’s 102 degrees here in Austin today, so I’ll have to put this away for the winter!
Barbara says
Whew. Thanks for commenting, Susan. Have a fun summertime there in Austin.