This Gluten Free Minestrone recipe was handed down at least three generations, it’s hearty, filling, and delicious. I included two ways to make it, on the stove top or in the crockpot. It’s also totally customizable, add in or take out whatever you like to fit your preferences/dietary needs!
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The first time I had this soup it was a cold December day in Van Couver, Washington. My aunt and I had gone to visit my Grandfather. I was a sophomore or junior in college, so I’d basically been living off of Papa Johns and bagels for the past several years.
I didn’t even know what a leek was when she came to that on the ingredient list. (I now think of them as giant green onions, which is pretty much what they are.) I vividly remember the experience of washing and prepping the vegetables, as I think it might have been the first time I ever cooked anything other than Top Ramen in my life.
What I remember most though, was the smell. The smell of simmering garlicy oniony vegetables took over the house and had me drooling.
The recipe came from my uncle’s (her husband) Italian relative. The way my aunt tells the story, she begged and begged for the recipe until they started spewing ingredients at her as she frantically wrote them down. T
he thing about it is, I hate soup. This is the second soup recipe ever on Hungry Hobby, and that’s mostly because I hate soup. It hurts my stomach and I don’t like it. In fact, in college, I had a surgery and Mr. Hungry’s mom (my now MIL) drove two hours from Phoenix to Tucson and brought me homemade chicken noodle soup. I didn’t know her that well, so I smiled and thanked her for it.
Left it all in the freezer until the end of the year when I trashed it all. Not sure why I didn’t give it away, I’m sure one of my homesick college friends would have loved free soup. Anyways, so one day we are talking about how much I hate soup and she brought up the chicken noodle soup. I almost spit up what I was drinking trying to contain my laughter. No soup for me, thanks.
But this soup, this soup doesn’t even qualify as soup as far as I am concerned. It’s full of hearty ingredients like carrots, potatoes, and beans so you don’t even feel like you are eating soup, it’s super filling, and the smell alone will drive you mad until you get some for yourself.
The original recipe is made on the stovetop, but this time around I made it in the crockpot which was also freaking amazing. Because I’m nice, I included both sets of instructions. So you have NO excuse not to make this freaking amazing soup, that shall never be called soup again.
PS Take the blog survey so you can see more of what you want this year! Don’t worry I am still bribing you with a chance to win a $25 gift card!
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Gluten Free Minestrone
Ingredients
- 2-3 T olive oil
- 2 leeks
- 1 whole yellow onion
- 2 carrots chopped
- 3-4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 large potatoes chopped
- 15 ounce red kidney beans or 1.5 cooked red kidney beans
- 3 cubes chicken or vegetable bullion here is a gluten free option
- 2-3 8- ounce tomato sauce cans
- 6 cups water
- ½ cup parmesan cheese optional
- 1 lb Italian sausage turkey, chicken etc.
Instructions
Directions:
- Add 2-3 tablespoons olive oil into a large pot place on medium heat.
- Cut off the tough dark green tops of leeks and then cut off the bottom with the roots. Since leeks grow in sand, you need to clean them really well. To do that, cut an "X" all the way through the leek so you can run water on it and get into all the layers. Once clean, slice it horizontally so that you have slices and add to the pan.
- Chop onion and garlic, then add to the pan. Cook onion, leeks, and garlic until translucent and tender.
- Add sauteed onion garlic mixture, carrots, and potatoes to pan.
- Rinse and drain kidney beans and add to the large pot
- Add in 2 cans of tomato sauce and 6 cups of water, stir until well combined.
- Optional add in ½ cup grated parmesan cheese.
- Optional, cook sausage all the way through on the pan you used to saute onion and garlic. Slice into 1/2 inch pieces and add to large pot.
- Bring to boil, then cook on simmer for 2-3 hours.
Nutrition
Slow Cooker Version: Gluten Free Minestrone
Ingredients
- 2 leeks
- 1 yellow onion
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 large potatoes
- 1 can red kidney beans rinsed (15 ounce can) - optional omit for paleo
- 3 cubes chicken or vegetable bullion
- 24 ounces tomato sauce (2-3 8 ounce cans)
- 6 cups water
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (optional - omit for paleo/vegan)
- 5 Italian Sausages (optional- omit for vegan/vegetarian)
Instructions
- Cut off the tough dark green tops of leeks and then cut off the bottom with the roots. Since leeks grow in sand, you need to clean them really well. To do that, cut an "X" all the way through the leek so you can run water on it and get into all the layers. Once clean, slice it horizontally so that you have slices and add it to slow cooker.
- Chop onion, carrots, garlic, and potatoes and add to slow cooker.
- Rinse and drain kidney beans and add to slow cooker.
- Add in 2-3 cans of tomato sauce and 6 cups of water, stir until well combined.
- Optional add in ½ cup grated parmesan cheese.
- Optional, add in 5 whole sausages. Once they are cooked you will remove them with tongs, cut into bite sizes pieces and return them to the soup.
- Set on low for 6-8 hours, done when potatoes are tender.
Notes
- For a more broth-based soup add 2 cups additional water, for a thicker soup sub 1 additional can of tomato sauce for 1 cup water.
- Freeze leftover soup for a quick meal next week or whenever you need it!
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