Celebrate spring with this light & fresh Spring Minestrone Soup! Featuring seasonal produce, white beans, and fresh dill in a flavorful miso-enhanced broth.
This Spring Minestrone soup is a lovely way to bridge the gap between chilly winter and blossoming springtime.
It's a lightened-up version of the classic Italian-style Minestrone; utilizing tasty seasonal produce like asparagus, leeks, peas, and potato. (Not to mention the fresh addition of dill and a flavorful miso-enhanced broth.)
Ingredients for Spring Minestrone
For this recipe, you will need:
- Leeks
- Carrots
- Red potatoes
- Asparagus
- Peas (fresh green peas, frozen sweet peas, or fresh sugar snap)
- Vegetable broth
- Fresh dill
- White beans (I use cannellini which are nice and creamy, but great northern or even garbanzos could work too)
- White miso
Plus the leftovers are wonderful as the flavors continue to develop. It's a great, simple meal to enjoy throughout the week or for take-along lunches to reheat.
Spring Minestrone
Ingredients
- 2 leeks (white & pale-green parts only)
- 2 carrots
- 2-3 medium red potatoes (2-3 cups diced)
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 bunch asparagus (2-3 cups sliced)
- 1 cup peas* (or sugar snap peas, sliced)
- 15 oz. can cannellini beans (or great northern, garbanzo, etc.)
- 2-3 Tbsp. fresh dill
- 1 Tbsp. white miso
Instructions
- Prepare leeks: trim off the roots and dark green tops. (You'll use the white & pale green parts only.) Cut leeks in half lengthwise. Rinse very well under the faucet, fanning out the layers to remove any stubborn grit/soil trapped inside. Drain well. Then slice them in small half-moons.
- Dice carrots.
- In a large stockpot over med-high heat, sauté leeks and carrots for 5-6 minutes. (I use 3 Tbsp. water/veggie broth for no-oil sauté method.)
- Meanwhile, dice potatoes.
- When leeks are softened, add potatoes and broth to stockpot. Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 8-10 minutes. (Or until potatoes are just tender as they will continue to cook through the next couple steps.)
- Meanwhile, remove woody ends from asparagus and slice into about 1 1/2" pieces. Roughly chop dill.
- When potatoes are just tender, add asparagus, peas, white beans (rinsed and drained), and fresh dill. Stir and return to a light boil. Simmer for 3 minutes or until asparagus is tender.
- In a small bowl, whisk miso with about 1/4 cup warm water to thin and remove clumps. Add to pot and stir. Salt/pepper to taste if desired or garnish with additional fresh dill before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)
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Come join The Garden Grazer on Instagram and share a photo if you make or adapt this! (Also please leave a review and star rating below if you give it a try - your feedback is always very appreciated. Thank you!)
Kelly Kolody
I loved this soup! And so did the rest of family. It was such a nice change, as well as light, fresh and flavorful! I want to make it again. First time purchasing/using miso in a recipe. I’ve recently been into your site big time. I’ve added your lentil black bean tacos to our rotation, per my husband’s request- which says a ton. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Kaitlin McGinn
Hi Kelly! That's so fantastic to hear you've been enjoying the recipes. Thank you for taking the time to leave such sweet feedback - it's very appreciated. Wishing you and your family a beautiful rest of the week! -Kaitlin
Meg
Do you think russet potatoes would work or would they become too soft? I have some I need to use.
Kaitlin McGinn
Hi Meg! Apologies for the delay in my response, but yes! I think russets could work as well. Just be sure not to overcook them. Would love to hear if you gave it a go and how it went!
Dale Cudmore
I was looking for more recipes with white beans - this is great!
Kaitlin McGinn
Wonderful to hear, thank you!
Lorena
What is miso?
Kaitlin McGinn
Hi Lorena! Miso is a fermented paste made from soybeans (though there are non-soy versions available now as well). It's traditionally used in Japanese cooking, and I love the rich, savory flavor it adds to soup broths. Feel free to leave it out if you don't have any but I really enjoy the addition of it! I use "Westbrae Natural Organic White Miso" although there are many brands/varieties on the market.
Marianne Hill
Oh my gosh! This is sooo good! I couldn’t find miso, but I found miso soup. So I used that with 2 cups veggie stock. Just what we needed on this gray, shelter-at-home day. Thank you, Kaitlyn, for all of your creativity.
Kaitlin McGinn
Aww, so lovely to hear you gave this a try and enjoyed Marianne! What a perfect substitute with miso soup! Thanks so much for coming back to let me know (and for leaving a recipe rating). Very appreciated!
Vicky
Going to try this looks delicious.
I will probably replace potatoes with sweet potatoes being diabetic.
Kaitlin McGinn
Sounds like a fantastic substitute Vicky! Let me know how it goes.