Welcome to the weekly Meatless Monday link up! Sarah and I are glad to have you all join us to check out all the tasty vegetarian eats. This weekend was our monthly Soup Club (see link for details) swap and since we are still having pretty cold days, I am all about big bowls of healthy soup. I have a hearty white bean minestrone today that I hope you will love as much as I do.
I’ve been seeing beautiful looking Swiss chard on the shelves lately but had never cooked with it before. I’m in love! I used the stems chopped up and sauteed with the onion, celery and carrots and then chopped the leaves to add into the white bean minestrone later. Swiss chard is a nutritional powerhouse containing beta-carotene, vitamin E & C, zinc, calcium and iron to name a few.
Cooking tips
Use the chopped Swiss chard stems as you would celery and saute with the other veggies. Save the chopped leaves to add into the white bean minestrone soup a few minutes before serving. I’ve also cooked the pasta on the side instead of in with the soup for 2 reasons. First, I find the pasta soaks up too much broth and gets mushy if it is cooked with the soup. It’s easy to add it into each portion as needed. Secondly, this allows you to customize the portion size.
Another fun item I found recently and love are these soup ladles that sit on the edge of your soup pot! They keep the soup from boiling over and also keep your counter top clean from drips. The lazy spoon and lazy ladle come in a set in a few colors you can find them here. (amazon affiliate link). Why didn’t I think of that!?
Not only is my white bean minestrone soup easy to whip up on a weeknight, it is vegetarian, vegan and gluten free ( if you use GF noodles). Everyone’s happy!
White Bean Minestrone
White Bean Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 1 onion -chopped
- 1 C celery chopped
- 1 C carrot chopped
- 2 garlic cloves-minced
- 3 -5 Swiss Chard leaves (stems chopped and separated from leaves)
- 4 C vegetable broth
- 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 C Cannelli beans -rinsed and drained
- 1 box of bow tie pasta- prepared according to box directions al dente
- basil, oregano, salt & pepper to taste
- optional garnish- Parm cheese grated on top
Instructions
- In a large soup pot:
- Saute onion, carrot,celery, garlic and Swiss chard stems for 5 min in a little bit of olive oil
- Add in broth, tomatoes and beans
- Season with above spices
- Bring to a boil then simmer for 30 m
- Add chopped Swiss chard leaves and cook for 10 m
- Serve with a scoop of bow tie pasta if desired
- Garnish with Parm cheese
This White Bean Minestrone soup offers a great healthy combination of protein and carbs hearty enough to satisfy your whole family. Cook up a big pot and eat it for days!
Tell me-Have you cooked with Swiss Chard? Are you loving soup right now?
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Ooooh yes, this does look lovely and comforting, just what we need this time of year. Fun to be back for a week 🙂 You and Sarah are doing a great job!
Thanks! We are having fun hosting together. It’s still chilly here so soups are so comforting and satisfying aren’t they?
Oh, that looks so good. Soup is one of my favorite things. 🙂
I love a good soup and it’s great to have it ready to go for a quick meal.
Oh yum! I never thought to add Swiss Chard but this sounds fab! Pinning!
Thanks! I loved the Swiss chard in there. A great way to bump up the nutritional value.
Great tips about cooking with Swiss Chard. I haven’t experimented with that one yet. I will have to keep an eye out for it at the store. I finally found shredded brussel sprouts at my store, which I had been wishing for since I read one of your posts a few months ago!
Oh good! I am still into the shredded sprouts but you can also just take the whole ones and put them in your food processor. Glad you are enjoying 🙂
I am a huge minestrone fan! So hearty and veggie filled! Love that you added swiss chard. Such an underrated green!
It is under rated and such a powerhouse veggie!
This may just be on the menu for tonight. I love minestrone and I sometimes forget it can be simple to make.
It’s very easy to make and vegan! Full of veggie protein and goodness I hope you enjoy 🙂
I’ve been doing a lot of Swiss chard in my eggs lately. It’s so good!
Oh never thought of adding it into eggs great idea!
It’s been too long since I’ve had Swiss chard. Thanks for reminding me about it! I love your take on minestrone!
thanks! I was surprised by how easy it was to cook with and yummy it tasted. Hope you enjoy
What a great soup! I love how simple it is and that you added the swiss chard- such a super food!
I can’t believe I haven’t cooked with it before!
Looks amazing! Love the swiss chard! Thanks for hosting 🙂
THANKS I don’t know why I never cooked with it before. Have a great week
Oh yes this looks simply delicious! Comfort food is a must on these chilly days and even better when it is healthy comfort food that is good for the mind, body, and soul!
Cheers to Meatless Monday!
Thanks! I am all over soup these days
We love minestrone! And I love cooking with Swiss chard. 🙂 Nice recipe!
Thanks so much! Can’t believe I’ve never cooked with it before
I LOVE soup!!!! I will definitely give this recipe a try!!! Once my hubby leaves I’ll start joining the recipe link up!!!
great we would love to have you!
I’m a huge fan of swiss chard, and this soup looks delicious!
Thanks! I think I am now a fan too!
I bet this White bean Minestrone tastes wonderful in the colder temperatures right now. Love that you added collard greens!
Thanks it is a great soup for right now really filling!
Yum, I’m a big fan of minestrone! And I love swiss chard but I’ve never used the stems before. I always just use the leaves. That’s great that now I know I can use both 🙂
I know it was a great find for me too! Hope you enjoy
Looks great. Love the addition of the Swiss chard.
So did I! thanks
These look really good! I’m going to pass them along to my daughter, who’s a vegetarian.
Thanks so much hope she likes it!
I love a good soup! Chard is one of my favorite greens and looks great in this. Thanks!
thanks so much! I think chard is now one of my favorites as well.
I want a cup of this for lunch with a little salad – yum!
That’s what I am about to eat right now-come over! 🙂
Soup looks DELICIOUS. Seriously perfect for the season.
Thanks so much I agree!
This white bean soup looks amazing dear, I love the colour of it. I am vegetarian so I really love these types of dishes, to bookmark and to try soon.
Thanks for hosting this lovely party.
Thanks I hope you enjoy it!
not a white bean fan, but definitely love a good soup! especially on a chilly day. Looks yummy – all your recipes are!
Thanks so much you could use a diff type of bean and it would still be delish
Hi Deborah! Thanks so much for your sweet comments on my blog. Stopping by from the blog hop and to say hello! I LOVE minestrone soup, so man oh man am I going to have to try this. It’s probably one of my all-time favorites. It’s been quite warm here in upstate NY over the past few days (surprisingly), but I think it’s supposed to get back down to regular winter temps, so this is perfect to have on hand. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you and yes nice to meet you in the blog hop as well. Hope you enjoy!
Mmm, I love a good minestrone! I don’t often add swiss chard to soups but we like it sauteed with a little garlic and olive oil, sometimes with a splash of vinegar and feta cheese or pine nuts too. So good!
That sounds like a nice way to eat it as well. I will have to try that too
That looks totally satisfying. I have gotten into making more soups from home lately. Thanks for sharing.
I have been really into soup lately! I am ready for spring 🙂
This looks delish! Our last daughter (still at home) is really wanted to eat more vegetarian meals…and I’m usually at a loss. I make a lot of stuff but withhold adding the meat until after she’s taken her portion. This soup looks like a crowd pleaser for all of us!
Thanks! It can be challenging. I am the only vegetarian in our family so I’ve gotten pretty good at figuring out how to manage it all. Hope she likes it.
I make a similar soup but I have not thought to use Swiss Chard. I typically just use the leaves in salad or as a wrap. I will have to try it your way..
That spoon is a great idea!
Thanks so much! I hope you enjoy and have a great week
This looks so perfect for our wintry weather! I love minestrone and love how many veggies are in here. Thank you!
Well thank you I hope you enjoy it!
Ok yum! I’m obsessed with each and every one of your recipes – but this one is especially timely as we are all getting over the flu in this house, and soup just sounds amazing! Pinning it to try soon!
oh thanks I hope you all feel better this week and enjoy this easy recipe
Oh yum, this sounds delicious. Not that I don’t enjoy soups, but I’m hoping that we’re starting to put the very cold days behind us until next Winter.
You and me both!
I know I have told you this before, but I am such a huge soup lover!
Today is one of those freezing days, at least it has been so far I am hoping when the sun peaks out of the clouds it will warm a little, but it’s definitely a soup day!
Wish I had time today to make something like this, but unfortunately tonights gonna have to be one of those quick grab something meals since I won’t get home from work until around 10pm…
I am really into my soups right now too! This is a pretty quick one so hopefully you will have time this week. Thanks for stopping in!
That soups sounds yummy. Now that I’ve discovered bags of washed kale I am using kale in place of spinach in a lot of my recipes. I’ll have to remember Swiss chard too.
OH bags of kale are amazing and now I can find bags of my shredded brussels too
With the snow that’s predicted for later this week, soup sounds like the perfect thing! I do love minestrone…
OH no more snow for you? I am so ready for spring
Can you believe I’ve never cooked with Swiss chard?! Looks like an awesome weeknight meal, even if it is unseasonably warm outside 😉
I never had either until this weekend and I love it!
That soups looks delicious. I love making soup in the winter. It’s a one-pot meal and I love the versatility!
It is so easy to make and great to eat for lunch for a few days too. Thanks for stopping by!
I’m craving soup right now, and that looks lovely 🙂
I’ve been so into soups this winter yum!
I love swiss chard and can’t wait to get some growing in my garden . . . summer will be here soon, right? I am going to add this to my list of recipes! I love minestrone!
I sure hope so!!
I love soup at this time of year! Best comfort food ever! :] This looks so warm and comforting!
Thanks hope you enjoy it!
This sounds great! I think my hubby would like this (not sure about my fussy toddlers) and I love how simple this is. Pinned because I will def have to try to make this. Maybe even for me and my mom! She would love this! Have a great week!!!
Thanks so much! It really is super easy hope you all enjoy
new to me… i am gonna try this for sure…
Oh good hope you enjoy! Thanks for stopping by
I always like getting the minestrone soup when I go to Olive Garden. I’m sure your version is much healthier. I always enjoy so u more in the colder mths.
Oh I hope so! It’s really easy to make too 🙂
That looks amazing and great tip on cooking the stems and the leaves differently! I will be linking up next week. Can’t wait. Have a yummy chickpea cauliflower creation! Thanks for the soup link up!
Thanks and I was happy to learn how to cook the swiss chard too. Can’t wait to see your recipe next week I love cauliflower
i do love soup and minestrone is a favorite! Great looking recipe, I have not used that swiss chard much before so I need to try it!
I was kind of afraid of Swiss Chard so I am so glad I tried it-delicious
This sounds fabulous. Love soups on cold nights.
Thanks! I’ve been loving soup the past few months too. This is an easy one hope you enjoy
I love soup! This one looks delish. I need to try to cook with chard, adding it to my list! Thanks for hosting and sharing!
Thanks so much hope you do try Swiss chard and the soup. Thanks for linking up
Yum! I love minestrone soup! Also, a soup swap is a genius idea!
Our soup swap club is so much fun! Minestrone is always great isn’t it?