Blue Zone Minestrone Soup
This Blue Zone Minestrone Soup is a hearty, plant-forward bowl inspired by the simple, everyday meals of Sardinia and other longevity regions. Packed with beans, seasonal vegetables, and pearl barley, it’s a nourishing, comforting soup you’ll want to make again and again.
Servings 6 -8
Calories 295kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed, cored and diced (about 2 cups diced)
- 1 small zucchini, diced (about 1 cups diced)
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp chili flakes
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp Better than Bouillon vegetable stock base
- 2 bay leaves
- 398 ml can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
- 398 ml can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, roughly crushed
- 6 cups boiling water
- 1/3 cup pearl barley
- 2 cups loosely-packed chopped green kale
- Juice of ½ lemon
- ¼ cup chopped parsley plus more for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot, add the olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil is warm, add the diced onion, minced garlic, diced carrot, diced celery and diced fennel. Stir occasionally and cook for 5-6 minutes until starting to soften.
- Then, stir in the diced zucchini, kosher salt, ground pepper, garlic powder, onion, powder, ground turmeric, chili flakes and bay leaves. Cook for another 8-10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and starting to caramelize.
- Stir in the tomato paste and vegetable stock paste, stir and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the drained and rinsed black eyed peas, drained and rinsed cannellini beans, roughly crushed canned whole tomatoes and boiling water. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer over high heat. Once simmering, turn to medium-low heat and keep at a simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, remove the lid and add the pearl barley, making sure to keep at a simmer and cook for 20-22 more minutes with the lid on or until the pearl barley is cooked through.
- Once the barley is cooked through (it will be just tender), stir in the lemon juice and fresh parsley. Cook for 1 minute. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if desired. If you prefer the soup more brothy, add 1 cup more boiling water and cook 2 more minutes.
- Finally, remove the soup pot from the heat and add the chopped kale. Place the lid on the pot and let the kale wilt for a couple of minutes.
- Serve in bowls topped with more fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
If you're not following a vegetarian diet, you can do bone broth or chicken broth.
If you prefer a brothier soup, add 1 cup more boiling water and add a pinch more salt.
Store soup in the fridge in a tightly sealed container for 3 – 4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Nutrition
Calories: 295kcal | Carbohydrates: 51.3g | Protein: 13.3g | Fat: 5.8g | Saturated Fat: 0.9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3.5g | Sodium: 713.3mg | Fiber: 10.5g | Sugar: 7.7g
