Easy & flavorful homemade mexican minestrone soup! This healthy dinner is packed with zucchini, peppers, black beans & spices. And makes for the coziest simple meal. Dairy free, vegan & easily made gluten free.

And just like that, it’s the beginning of September. Which means … we’re officially in that time window where it still totally feels like summer yet are oh so ready to welcome all things fall. 

SO! Today I bring you the perfect dinner for this sorta between season stage – mexican minestrone soup!

It’s cozy, flavorful, light. And is jam-packed with plenty of end-of-summer produce – bell pepper, zucchini, fresh corn. <— But don’t you worry, frozen corn works in a pinch if you’re making this when it’s out of season.

There’s some whole wheat pasta, black beans and diced tomatoes … all tied together with a super flavorful broth spiked with the good stuff – i.e. my all-time favorite spice combo of cumin + smoked paprika. BEST EVER.

Not to mention that the whole shebang is super easy to make, healthy and perfect for a variety of diets (it’s vegan, dairy free, vegetarian and with a simple swap can be gluten free as well – more on that in the tips & tricks section below).

It’s like a good ol’ homemade minestrone soup (<— my go-to classic recipe) just kicked up a few notches with some mexican inspired flair.

Tips & Tricks For This Mexican Minestrone Soup

1. To make this soup gluten free, use gluten free pasta. You may need to adjust the cook time slightly – you want the pasta to be jusssst al dente when done.
2. You can also absolutely use regular elbow pasta instead of the whole wheat. Totally up to you. Again, just check the pasta and remove from the heat when it’s right at that al dente point.
3. I mentioned this up above, but frozen corn works great if fresh corn is not in season. No need to thaw – just add it to the pot.
4. The pasta does soak up a bit of the broth as this sits – not a crazy amount but it will thicken up slightly. If desired, you can add extra broth to any leftovers to thin it back out.
5. While this soup is fantastic plain, I personally think the cilantro and avocado for topping really bring it all home. So I’d definitely encourage you to use them!
6. This soup is deeelicious served with some fluffy dinner rolls. Such as these honey yeast rolls or these multigrain rolls. Both are most excellent choices.

How To Store

Let the soup cool completely then transfer to an airtight container. It will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge.

Additional Cozy Soup Recipes You Might Enjoy!

• Dairy Free Tomato Soup
• Vegan Zuppa Toscana
• Turmeric Quinoa Vegetable Soup
• Slow Cooker Thai Sweet Potato Soup
• Sweet Potato and Black Bean Soup
• Roasted Garlic Butternut Squash Soup

Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.

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Mexican Minestrone Soup

Yield: about 4 to 6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Easy & flavorful homemade mexican minestrone soup! This healthy dinner is packed with zucchini, bell pepper, black beans & spices! Vegan and easily made gluten free!

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Ingredients

For the soup:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 (14 ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• ½ cup uncooked whole wheat elbow pasta
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• juice of ½ a small lime, or to taste

For serving:

• chopped fresh cilantro
• chopped avocado

Instructions

1. Add the olive oil to a large stockpot or dutch oven set over medium heat. When hot, add in the red onion and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, until it starts to soften. Add in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
2. Add in the red pepper, zucchini and corn and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, until softened.
3. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, cumin, paprika, salt and cayenne. Bring the mixture just barely to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the veggies are tender.
4. Stir in the elbow pasta and continue to simmer for an additional 5 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is just al dente. Remove from the heat.
5. Stir in the black beans and lime juice. Taste and season with additional salt / pepper if needed, then ladle into bowls and serve as desired!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 314Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 706mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 11gSugar: 11gProtein: 11g

Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.