Paleo Minestrone Soup

Paleo Minestrone Soup

Growing up, one of the best “Comfort Food” dishes my mom made was a big batch of Minestrone Soup. It was meaty, salty, full of pasta and potatoes and there was no better way to serve it than smothered with a ton of Parmesan cheese.

These days I still love comfort food, but my palate has changed and my desire to stuff my face with my mom’s cheesy pasta soup has (on most days) been replaced with a desire to enjoy a nostalgic home-cooked meal while also stuffing my face with some vegetables. This soup is how I combine the two.

Paleo Minestrone 1

I should also note that I can’t actually make this soup without Garrett doing his Eric Ripert “Minestrone!” impersonation at least twice during the preparation. Despite the fact that this soup is very Italian, there was a Top Chef episode many moons ago where Ripert kept saying it OVER AND OVER in his very French accent and so now every time we eat it Garrett acts like he is about to launch into a performance of Les Poissoins. The second thing you should note is that on that same Top Chef episode I think the person who made the Minestrone was eliminated because her carrots were not all the same size. This really offended Tom Colicchio, so you know, KEEP THE CARROTS UNIFORM.

Um, or don’t. This is a rustic soup. That’s the best part, actually. It’s a chop, drop, season, stir and eat kind of soup. And the best part? It tastes EVEN BETTER a day or two after you make it. So make up some on the weekend and eat it for lunch all week. Bonus? It’s Whole 30 compliant! So what are you waiting for?

Paleo Minestrone Soup

Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
  • 1 Large Yellow Onion, medium dice
  • 6 Small Stalks Celery (preferably from the heart, leaves attached), sliced
  • 4 Large Carrots, peeled and diced (try to keep them about the same size)
  • 2 Medium Zucchini, medium dice
  • 1.5 lbs Ground Beef
  • 2 teaspoons Salt
  • 1 teaspoons Pepper
  • 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 3 Garlic Cloves, finely minced
  • 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
  • 2 (14.5 oz) Cans Diced Italian Tomatoes
  • 8 Cups Beef Broth
  • 4 Cups Red Cabbage (about half a large head) diced bite sized
  • 1 Bunch of Kale, stems removed, chopped up
Instructions
  1. Heat 2 Tablespoons of Coconut Oil in a large heavy bottomed pot (I used a 7.5 Qt Dutch Oven) over medium heat
  2. Add onions, celery, carrots and saute until translucent and vegetables start to soften (about 10 minutes)
  3. Add zucchini and saute for 3-5 more minutes and then push veggies to one side of your pot
  4. Turn heat up to medium high and ground beef in and proceed to crumble and brown
  5. As beef begins to brown, stir in with all the vegetables
  6. Add salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and minced garlic and saute for 2 minutes
  7. Stir in tomato paste and let it melt into other ingredients
  8. Add diced Italian Tomatoes and beef broth and bring to a boil
  9. Once boiling, lower heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered
  10. Add cabbage and kale and simmer for 10 minutes, covered
  11. Serve and Enjoy!

 
Paleo Minestrone 2

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16 Comments
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16 Responses to Paleo Minestrone Soup

  1. Tara says:

    This looks delicious! Definitely putting this on my ‘to-make’ last!

  2. sizzle says:

    This sounds much better than the usual minestrone. My mom once made it when we were staying at a mountain cabin. We ended up getting snowed in and we had to eat that damn soup for days on end. I haven’t had it since. But I think I’m recovered enough from the trauma to try making this. 🙂

  3. Yum! I made a great Indian cauliflower dish & sweet potato+cauliflower+tempeh stew yesterday to prep for the week but I think I’ll need to make this too! 🙂

  4. Pingback: Whole 30 Meal Plan – Week One (Plus Homework!)

  5. Laura says:

    This looks awesome! One question, where do you get your beef broth when you are doing Whole30? The TJs one doesn’t seem to be W30 compliant. Thank you for your help!

  6. I was thinking I couldn’t make this (even though it looks delicious) because my silly hubs is pretty much a vegetarian and then I remembered I can eat it. I’ll just freeze the extra. Thanks for the recipe! xo

  7. I love minestrone soup! This was always one of my favorites as a kid and I haven’t tried to make a Paleo version yet. There are bound to be some chilly nights here in Chicago when this will hit the spot, and I can’t wait to try it.

  8. Emily says:

    Making this tonight! 🙂

  9. -Jen says:

    Thanks for this recipe! It was exactly what my family needed last night.

  10. Katie says:

    Hi Holly! thanks for the recipe – we loved it! it made SO MUCH! we are on our fifth day of eating it for lunch and still happily going strong. it made this week a breeze. looking forward to more recipes – we are not necessarily doing whole 30, but trying to be as “good” as possible!

    also i bought the striped old navy dress you recommended and LOVE IT!

  11. Lani says:

    I’m on my 3rd day of Paleo, I made this soup tonight and it was AMAZING!! Thanks so much for sharing!!

  12. Becky says:

    I made this today, and it was a hit. Thanks.

    I’ve never been a fan of Minestrone, because it usually has no meat, and I don’t like beans.

    Thank you.

    • Holly says:

      Oh I’m so glad you liked it! I’m not a big fan of beans either. Growing up my mom’s version always had kidney beans in it and that was my least favorite part. Didn’t have to twist my arm to Paleo-ify this one. 🙂