Loaded with vegetables, herbs, beans and rice, this vegan minestrone alla Milanese will entice your senses and fill up your belly. It's a nourishing, satisfying meal with a rustic feel that the entire family is sure to love.
You may also want to try my satisfying Italian potatoes and rice next!
Minestrone alla Milanese is a traditional dish whose roots can be traced back to the early 1800s.
According to tradition and as its name suggests, the minestrone originated in Milan and then spread to the whole of the Italian peninsula.
Just like with other types of minestrone, there is no set recipe for minestrone alla Milanese because it was made with whatever vegetables, herbs and legumes people had on hand.
The base of a minestrone is always a mix of veggies and beans, but some versions contain meat or a meat-based stock.
What goes in this vegan minestrone soup recipe?
This version of minestrone alla Milanese is vegan and it includes a blend of nutritious vegetables, white beans and lots of herbs for extra flavour. Traditional minestrone often has pasta or rice to make the soup heartier.
I add rice to this minestrone, which results in a thicker soup that will definitely fill you up even when you enjoy it without any sides.
Arborio rice works great in this recipe because it's starchy and this will contribute to the creaminess and thickness of the minestrone.
For the veggies, I use onion, celery, carrots, courgettes, potatoes and cabbage, but it makes sense to include fresh seasonal vegetables.
You may also add baby spinach or kale at the end if you want.
Cannellini beans from a tin work great for this minestrone because of convenience.
If you want to use dry beans, you need to soak them overnight and then simmer them until tender before using them in this recipe.
How do you make it?
- Start by prepping all the veggies (which incidentally is the most work here). I like to cut everything in ½ to 1-inch cubes, so the veggies all cook uniformly and the minestrone still has that rustic feel.
- Once you have everything ready, heat the olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven and saute the onion for 1-2 minutes until it softens. Add the celery and carrot and continue to cook on medium heat for 5-6 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for a further 30 seconds. Next, stir in the basil, parsley and rosemary and cook for a minute to release the flavours.
- Add the potatoes, chopped tomatoes, cannellini beans, rice and cabbage to the pot and cover everything with the stock. Give the soup a good stir, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes until the rice is cooked and the potatoes are fork-tender.
How to serve this vegan minestrone alla Milanese?
This minestrone soup with rice is great on its own, but you can also serve it with crusty bread for a truly fulfilling meal.
Add a drizzle of olive oil or some lemon juice to each individual bowl when serving the minestrone.
Minestrone is typically served with a bit of grated Parmesan on top, but for this vegan version, you can stir some nutritional yeast instead (or use a vegan Parmesan version).
Recipe notes and tips
- You can replace the cannellini beans with chickpeas if you want.
- Some veggie ideas for this minestrone Milanese include butternut squash, green beans, plum tomatoes and parsnip.
- The minestrone will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. You may need to add some water or stock when reheating it because the rice will continue to thicken the soup as it sits.
- If you want the minestrone to be thicker, you can use an immersion blender to puree part of it.
If you liked this minestrone alla Milanese, you might enjoy some of my other vegan soup recipes:
Creamy Vegan Chickpea Soup with Garlic and Herbs
Pearl Barley Soup with Leek and Potatoes
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Vegan Minestrone alla Milanese
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 large courgette, diced
- 5-6 basil leaves, shredded
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 medium potatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 can (14 oz / 400 g) chopped tomatoes
- 1 can (14 oz / 400 g) cannellini beans
- 3.5 oz (100 g) Arborio rice
- ¼ white cabbage, finely chopped
- 4 cups (1000 ml) vegetable stock
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven and saute the onion for 1-2 minutes until it softens. Add the celery and carrot and continue to cook on medium heat for 5-6 minutes.2 tbsp olive oil1 large onion3 stalks celery1 large carrot
- Add the garlic and cook for a further 30 seconds. Next, stir in the courgette, basil, parsley and rosemary and cook for a minute to release the flavours.4 garlic cloves1 large courgette5-6 basil leaves1 tbsp fresh parsley1 tbsp fresh rosemary
- Add the potatoes, chopped tomatoes, cannellini beans, rice and cabbage to the pot and cover everything with the stock. Give the soup a good stir, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes until the rice is cooked and the potatoes are fork-tender.2 medium potatoes1 can (14 oz / 400 g) chopped tomatoes1 can (14 oz / 400 g) cannellini beans3.5 oz Arborio rice¼ white cabbage4 cups vegetable stock
- Season to taste and serve on its own or with a hunk of crusty bread.Salt and freshly ground black pepper
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