Vegan Italian Penicillin Soup (Printable)
A hearty plant-based Italian soup with chickpeas, vegetables, and herbs to nourish and comfort.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
03 - 2 celery stalks, diced
04 - 3 medium carrots, sliced
05 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 medium fennel bulb, diced (optional)
07 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
08 - 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes (or one 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained)
09 - 1 cup baby spinach or chopped kale
→ Broth & Legumes
10 - 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
11 - 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
12 - 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
13 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
14 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
15 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
16 - 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
17 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
18 - 1 bay leaf
→ Finishing Touches
19 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
20 - Zest of 1 lemon
21 - Juice of 1/2 lemon
22 - 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional, for umami depth)
# Directions:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrots, and fennel if using. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until softened and fragrant.
02 - Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the diced zucchini and sauté for 2 more minutes.
03 - Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until they begin to soften and release their juices.
04 - Pour in the vegetable broth. Add the chickpeas, salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, rosemary, red pepper flakes if using, and the bay leaf. Bring to a rolling boil.
05 - Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to meld the flavors.
06 - Stir in the spinach or kale during the last 3 to 4 minutes of simmering, cooking just until wilted and bright green.
07 - Remove the pot from heat. Discard the bay leaf. Stir in the chopped parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, and nutritional yeast if desired. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
08 - Ladle into bowls and serve hot. Pair with crusty bread if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It heals like the chicken soup your grandmother swore by, but keeps everything plant based and deeply Italian in spirit.
- The lemon zest stirred in at the end wakes up every single vegetable and makes the broth taste like sunshine in a bowl.
02 -
- Do not skip the lemon zest stirred in at the end because that single step transforms the entire pot from good vegetable soup into something people will actually remember.
- Low sodium broth matters here since the soup reduces while simmering and regular broth can become unpleasantly salty by the time you serve it.
03 -
- Dice all your vegetables before you turn on the stove because once things start moving fast you will not have time to chop and stir simultaneously.
- A Parmesan rind tossed into the simmering broth and removed before serving adds incredible savory depth even though the soup stays completely vegan if you skip it.