The Easiest Creamy Vegan Italian Pasta Soup

You will want to make this super easy vegan Italian Pasta soup anytime you are pressed for time and still want to put a delicious, nutritious, homemade soup on the table. Made with small shaped pasta, canned tomatoes, vegetables, and beans, along with vegetable broth, and prepared pasta sauce for a simple nourishing tasty soup the whole family will love!

I almost dare not call this easy delicious soup “Italian” soup. Nor anything as sophisticated sounding as “Pasta Fagioli”…or minestrone….or “Pasta fazool” (white bean and pasta soup). I’m not Italian and this is not a soup for a “chef”. And actually, Italian cooks would shudder at the simplicity and use of easy canned ingredients.

If you have just come home from a long day’s work….or soccer practice…or ballet lessons, and you need to get something nutritious and delicious on the table pronto before your eight-year-old has a melt-down because his animal habitat diorama is due tomorrow and you haven’t even signed the paper acknowledging that you’ve read the directions and aware of the project – then Mamma, this soup is for you!

For all of my delicious vegan soups, stews, and chowders – click here! You’ll find comforting, warm, and heartwarming vegan soup served with bread, sandwiches, or salads for a complete hearty meal.

Reasons to love this easy Italian pasta soup

• easy – have I mentioned easy? I promise you, no chopping, only shopping
• creamy without canned coconut milk (see below for a “secret” ingredient)
• the perfect soup at the end of the day
• great to pack in a thermos for lunch
• tastes like a five-star recipe but is as easy as opening a few cans
• so much flavor!
• make it with no fuss for dinner tonight
• it’s good soup…plain and simple

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My inspiration for this soup

This soup is heavily inspired by one of my favorite vegan bloggers, Meggan from Cooking On Caffeine and her Mexican Shell Soup. You see, Meggan has this crazy secret vegan ingredient she uses in many of her recipes that works to add a little creaminess and zing. Any guesses? What if I told you she used it as an ingredient in her Butterscotch Caramel Sauce too? And it’s not canned coconut milk? Still no?

Would you just be flabbergasted to learn that her secret ingredient is vegan mayo? That’s right! This soup is adapted from her wonderful recipe for Mexican shell soup and also uses vegan mayonnaise as an important ingredient to lend a little tang and creamy texture!

Since adapting her Mexican Shell soup into my Italian Pasta Soup, it has become an absolute family favorite! We make it once a week. When we are busy…when we are sick….when someone has been traveling and needs the comforts of home…when we just need some good soup.

Ingredients needed to make this delicious pasta soup today!

You might notice a theme with some of the ingredients. Nothing is complicated, needs chopping, or any preparation other than opening a can or jar and perhaps straining.

• olive oil
• small shaped dried pasta – I used ditalini pasta
• minced garlic – the kind that comes in a jar
• vegetable broth – the kind that comes in a carton
• dehydrated onion flakes
• jarred pasta sauce
• fire-roasted tomatoes
• canned mixed vegetables 
• canned cannellini beans
• baby spinach – prewashed and packaged
• vegan mayo
• fresh parsley for garnish
• I also like French’s Fried Onions for topping, my husband prefers Ritz Crackers

How to make the best and easiest Italian pasta soup

Step 1: precook the pasta in oil

This is another inspiration I got from Cooking on Caffeine’s Mexican Shell Soup. Never had I ever before sauteed uncooked pasta in oil before cooking the pasta in a soup dish!

So with the oil and vegan mayo, you might get the idea that this is not an oil-free soup. You would be correct. If you are oil-free and want to cook this vegan soup without oil then you can just leave out this first step and then perhaps use plain vegan yogurt at the end. I have not tried it though and cannot guarantee the outcome.

Saute the dried pasta in the olive oil on high for about 4-5 minutes until the pasta is lightly browned. Watch carefully so that it only browns, and does not burn. After two minutes of sauteing, add in the minced garlic and continue sauteing.

The olive oil I like to use is extra virgin robust olive oil. This gives a bolder more meaningful flavor to your soup.

Remember that this is a “no-chopping only shopping” recipe! I use bottled minced garlic in this recipe. If you decide you want to mince your own garlic then you need to add a little time to the prep time listed below in the recipe.

Step 2: Add the other ingredients

Strain the mixed vegetables and canned cannellini beans. You can use the same strainer for both. This is the part where I tell you to rinse the beans. I don’t actually…

There are different varieties of canned mixed vegetables. I look for the cans with little diced potatoes, carrots, and beans. If you are going for lower sodium then you can find low sodium versions of all of your canned goods.

Before I even start cooking I open and strain the mixed vegetables and beans. I measure out the onion flakes and minced garlic. I open jars and cans of pasta sauce, and diced tomatoes so that I have everything ready to go.

Remember that this is a no chopping recipe so no chopped onion! I have a nice big jar of dehydrated onion flakes and use them all the time to toss in soups, vegetable sautees, and salad dressings.

You aren’t being lazy to use prepared pasta sauce; you are simply using your resources. Sure, you could make your own Italian-flavored tomato sauce based for this soup with crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, herbs, and seasonings. but that’s not what this soup is about! I encourage you to use the tastiest most loved pasta sauce you can find for this soup. The flavor and quality you use will show in the quality of the finished product.

Add the vegetable broth, dehydrated onion flakes, pasta sauce, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained cannellini beans, and drained mixed vegetables.

I prefer to use cannellini beans in this vegan soup recipe but have also used red kidney beans, great northern beans, and navy beans. They’ve all worked well.

Step 3: cook the soup

Bring the soup ingredients to a boil. This will take 12-15 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cover. Continue cooking for about 10 minutes or until the pasta is fully cooked. Remove from heat.

Step 4: Finishing the soup

I buy baby spinach that is prewashed and packaged. This makes it super easy to add to this no-fuss soup. Stir in the baby spinach and vegan mayonnaise. The spinach will wilt as you are stirring it in.

Serving suggestions

Serve with an extra dollop of mayo if desired, sliced green onions, and fresh parsley. Crumble some Ritz crackers on top – or my personal favorite, French’s Fried Onions.

For some other tasty easy vegan soups by Veggie Fun Kitchen, try

• Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup in the Instant Pot
• Veggie Lentil Soup
• Vegan Butternut Squash Soup with Rosemary and Thyme
• Black Bean Pumpkin Soup
• Easy Vegan Corn Chowder

The printable recipe card for Creamy Easy Vegan Italian Soup