White Minestrone Soup (Nightshade-free, Gluten-free, Paleo, AIP)

long photo of white minestrone soup with lemon slice on top and fresh rosemary

White Minestrone Soup (Nightshade-free, Gluten-free, Paleo, AIP)

White Minestrone Soup is nightshade-free, so no tomatoes! ... Other than that, this is your favorite Minestrone Soup, dressed in white. Gluten-free, Grain-free, Paleo, Anti-Inflammatory, AIP and VAD, get great protein, fiber and gentle nutrition with this easy one-pot, stove top meal.

Course DInner, Main Dish, Soup

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword aip, gluten-free, grain-free, minestrone, nightshade-free, paleo, soup

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 248kcal

Author Megan

Cost $20

Equipment

large soup pot (preferably shallow for easy sauteing)

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 medium to large carrots white for VAD, peeled and sliced
1 small head celery sliced
2 cups seasonal veggies sliced, chopped or cubed, options include: frozen artichoke hearts (recommended from Trader Joe's), peeled zucchini, green beans, and diced-small peeled Russet potatoes (the last 2 not for AIP) -- Or use 2 extra carrots if you don't use seasonal veggies.
2 lbs turkey thigh , ground; or it's okay to sub another ground meat if you prefer
6 cups water
4 cups broth or meat stock (See this Easy Meat Stock recipe.)
4 cloves garlic minced or crushed, omit for VAD
2 Tablespoons dried herbs : 1 Tablespoon each: thyme and oregano; for VAD use: 1 Tablespoon dried rosemary, 1 teaspoon dried dill weed and 1 teaspoon dried mint
5 teaspoons sea salt + more to taste as needed
1 8 oz package pasta any small shape such as shells, rotelle or macaroni noodles, for AIP: use Jovial's cassava pasta (like this,) or their Brown Rice Gluten-free pasta for GF and VAD; for Ancestral/VAD: use organic pasta made in Italy with 1 ingredient: semolina
Tapioca slurry: 1/2 cup water or broth + 3 Tablespoons tapioca flour
1 can cannellini beans omit for AIP/Paleo, or other loved white-ish beans, such as garbanzo or navy

Instructions

Heat large pot over medium high heat. Add olive oil, carrots, celery and 1 teaspoon sea salt. (If using frozen artichoke hearts, add them frozen at this time.) Lower heat to medium. Cook until slightly browned and softened, about 12 minutes. Remove veggies with a slotted spoon to bowl, and set aside, reserving any oil in the pan.
Add ground turkey, herbs and 2 teaspoons sea salt to pan. (No need to add extra fat to the pan, if using ground turkey, as it produces moisture as it cooks.) Cook over medium to medium-high heat, breaking up in the pan, until most of the pink is gone, about 8 minutes.
Return veggies from bowl to pot. Also add: water, broth, optional seasonal veggies, pasta and final 2 teaspoons sea salt (optionally, use slightly less salt here if your broth is salty). Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally as it heats.
Once simmering, reduce heat as needed to simmer slowly, and stir every few minutes. Cook until pasta is almost al dente -- see pasta packaging because cooking times vary depending on which pasta you use. (Test to see potatoes are fully cooked, if using.)
While maintaining slow simmer, stir tapioca slurry well, then add, and whisk it into soup. Soup will thicken almost immediately (that's why it's important to stir the slurry in well as you pour.) Continue to slow simmer about 1 to 2 minutes, while you also stir in the beans.
Serve, optionally garnished with fresh herbs like thyme and chopped rosemary.
Note: Pasta softens the longer it sits, so this recipe has you stop cooking when the pasta is al dente or even pre-al dente. If you make this soup ahead of time and keep it warm (or not), the pasta will absorb the broth, so you may wish to add more broth to leftovers or reheated meal-prepped soup.

Nutrition