Inspired by the super-healthy, legume- and vegetable-filled minestrone soup enjoyed by the long-living residents of Sardinia, this Sardinian Minestrone soup is naturally vegan and perfect for Meatless Mondays. (Now with video!)
Hello, Blue Zones fans from the new Netflix series — I watched it, too! I hope you’ll cook up and enjoy this soup, just in time for winter’s healthy eating goals. It’s still a favorite in my household, especially with all the beautiful veggies.
Also, if you’re interested in learning more about the Okinawan Sweet Potatoes mentioned during the Okinawa segment, visit my gardening blog to learn all about growing them in your own backyard. The new growing season is just around the corner!
I’m an avid fan of the The Blue Zones, especially the book series. I often relisten to the audiobooks on my daily walks, to stay inspired. (New to the Blue Zones? Start with The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who’ve Lived the Longest, the book profiling regions of the world where residents routinely live to 100 and beyond.)
Now, I don’t necessarily want to live to 100. One standout characteristic of these long-living communities is that residents have very strong, life-long support systems of both family and friends, which, quick frankly, we lack in the US. High school and college friendships often dissolve with miles, as we scatter across the country for careers and different climates.
Sibling and extended family bonds soften for the same reasons. Young families form, and we busyify our lives. By the time we reach an age where we need a little assistance, there’s just a small circle of people who can and are willing to help. Aging in American is stressful all around.
No, I’m not interested in the number, but rather in the quality. And that’s what these Blue Zones seem to share — they live long but are sharp and spry right to the end.
I’m particularly drawn to their diets, which appeal to my basically vegetarian nature. The Sardinian (Italy) and Ikarian (Greece) groups and their Mediterranean meal plans are strongly vegetarian, focusing on legumes and seasonal vegetables, usually picked from their own gardens. And wine.
Bitter beverages are not my favorites, but as I’ve aged, my tolerance for them has improved, and I’ve always been intrigued by the claimed health benefits of red wine. When I read about the Sardinian’s love for their native Cannonau wine, I was excited to give it a taste.
To my surprise — I have a love-hate relationship with red wine — a double-shot of Cannonau went down mighty smooth with a bowl of Sardinian minestrone soup one rainy afternoon. I don’t think it’s in the cards to drink wine every afternoon, like the Sardinians do with their long lunches — we ‘burb dwellers have too much driving to do — but I’m happy to have a red wine in my stash that I enjoy (and that might just be very good for me to boot).
Which brings me to today’s soup. I have to say, I *love* this minestrone soup. Inspired by Blue Zone’s teachings, my version of this vegetable-heavy soup contains plenty of flavorful beans, and a few of my favorite spring veggies, including broccoli stems and fennel.
It also contains a fun little Sardinian pasta called fregola (organic fregola is also available) which is pebble-sized and toasted, giving the pasta a deeper flavor and multi-colored, rustic appearance.
As we transition to warm weather here in the States, I’d like to call out one aspect of this recipe that makes this minestrone soup particularly spring-worthy: it uses water rather than stock.
Don’t get me wrong — stock is awesome (especially home vegetable or chicken stock) and is often the key to a make-or-break winter comfort soup. But using water here creates an unexpected lightness that you don’t normally get from minestrone. The flavor is pure fresh vegetables, and the soup is one I can definitely enjoy even as the thermometer continues its creep upward.
Perfect for Meatless Mondays, this minestrone soup doesn’t weigh me down; it fuels me up!
Serving Suggestions for Sardinian Longevity Minestrone Soup
I made a huge batch of this soup, and enjoyed the leftovers for lunch several times last week. The soup is delicious with the pecorino romano cheese, but it’s really something with a fried egg on top. When the yolk breaks into the soup … oh, my guhness. Soup heaven. #putaneggonit
I hope you’ll try and love this healthy, super tasty Sardinian minestrone soup! And if it’s the height of summer and you have an abundance of fresh veggies, try this light and lovely Summer Minestrone!
More Blue Zones inspired recipes:
Sardinian Longevity Minestrone
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow or white onion chopped
- 1 medium carrot peeled and chopped
- 1 celery rib chopped
- 1 broccoli stalk peeled and chopped
- 1 small sweet potato peeled and diced (about 1 cups)
- 1 small fennel bulb chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 can fava beans
- 1 can Great Northern beans
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves chopped
- 1 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup fregola pasta
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano or Daiya Smoked Gouda finely grated (optional)
- extra virgin olive oil for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a 5 qt Dutch oven or soup pot set over medium. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the onions, carrots, celery, broccoli, sweet potatoes, and fennel. Saute, stirring frequently, until all of the vegetables are softened.
- Scootch the vegetables to the side, creating a clear spot and add the tomato paste and garlic to the spot. Stir together until the garlic is fragrant (less than a minute), then mix in with the remaining vegetables.
- Increase heat to medium-high, and ddd the beans, crushed tomatoes, and 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat low or medium-low to maintain a very gentle simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, uncovered.
- Add the pasta and a pinch of salt. If the soup is too thick, add another cup of water. Cook for 10 minutes more.
- Stir in the herbs. Taste, and add salt and pepper as needed.
- To serve, spoon into bowls, drizzle with olive oil and top with the cheese.
Notes
– Fregola is a small, peppercorn-sized Italian pasta that’s dried and toasted (and has a lovely multi-colored hue). If you can’t find fregola, substitute the similarly shaped Israeli couscous or another small pasta such as orzo or ditalini.
– Leave off the cheese, and the soup is naturally vegan.
– This soup is awesome the next day, and the day after. Make a lot – you won’t regret it! If you prefer organic, this brand is delicious.
Recipe Video
Nutrition
Inspired by a Blue Zones soup.
Lucy
Wednesday 15th of May 2024
This is one of my top 3 favorite soups that we make, so declicious, found organic fregola on Amazon. We Weill be making this soup a lot
Judy
Saturday 20th of April 2024
This soup is fantastic. I’ve made it 6 times already! My family and friends love it! I omit Fennel, not a fan of the flavor. I just add more of the vegetables. I use either Quinoa or Orecchiette shells (cook separate from the soup and add as I heat a bowl of soup. You can freeze Quinoa in a qtr size bag flat in the freezer and only use what you need in the soup. I use San Marzano tomatoes. Incredible flavor. I also season with Red Pepper Flakes in the entire batch of soup. Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese melts perfectly. I also use “Better Than Bouillon” Organic Reduced Sodium Vegetable Base in the water. Thank you for sharing this incredible recipe. It’s a keeper!?
April
Monday 1st of April 2024
Does this Sardinia soup freeze well? I'm looking to do some batch cooking and plan for nights when I'm toi busy to cook with my grandbabies at my home. Recipe sounds fantastic. I'm growing Okinawan potatoes this season. Wish me luck!
Lucy
Wednesday 15th of May 2024
@April, I made a big batch of this with the fregola in in preparation for a major surgery I would be having, so that I wouldn’t have to worry about cooking while on recovery and it was just perfect once defrosted
Karen - SoupAddict
Tuesday 2nd of April 2024
I would freeze the soup without the fregola - cook it fresh when you reheat the soup. Pasta doesn’t thaw very well. But other than that, the soup freezes great. Excited to hear you’re growing the potatoes - so fun!
Jason
Tuesday 27th of February 2024
Hi, how hard is it to give a recipe without writing a 12 page book on whatever ?
linda
Wednesday 8th of May 2024
@Karen - SoupAddict, Karen, I love your sense of humor!! Give it to him good!!
Karen - SoupAddict
Sunday 3rd of March 2024
How hard? Far more difficult, I think, than clicking the Jump to Recipe link that’s right at the top of the page. Thanks for spreading joy and sunshine!
Jane
Sunday 25th of February 2024
How long does this last in the fridge ?
Karen - SoupAddict
Sunday 25th of February 2024
I usually don't keep soup for more than 4 or 5 days, just for food safety's sake.
Do note that the fregola pasta could become a little mushy after a couple of days. It's a pretty sturdy little pasta, and the softening doesn't bother me, but just don't be surprised if you notice a difference in texture.
If you're intentionally making the soup ahead of time, you could cook up the fregola separately and store it separately in the fridge from the soup. Then combine the two when reheating.