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Calling all pizza lovers! This veggie pizza soup has made it to the top spot on my list of favorite soups and once you give it a try, you’ll understand why. I got the idea for this soup after a long phase of obsessing over lasagna soup. I mean, if you can turn lasagna into a soup, why couldn’t you turn pizza into a soup? So, I took all my favorite veggie pizza toppings (plus carrots to help balance the flavor), threw in some chickpeas for some extra protein and texture, made a savory tomato broth with all the delicious flavors of marinara, added bow tie pasta to replicate the starchy goodness of pizza dough, and voila! After a few tweaks, I can confidently say I am thrilled with the result. And of course, it needs a sprinkle of fresh-grated parmesan and mozzarella to finish the job. You can even add in some sausage to elevate it to a supreme pizza if that’s your style. Either way, I hope you give this recipe a try and absolutely love it!
Below is a step-by-step guide to making this veggie pizza soup, with a full recipe summary and measurements at the bottom of the page.
Let’s talk about the ingredients and their benefits:
- Onion: White or yellow onions will work best for this recipe. I typically use sweet yellow because I enjoy their milder flavor. Onions are rich in antioxidants and other compounds that help to fight against disease and cancer.
- Red and green bell pepper: Some major health benefits of bell peppers are their high concentration of vitamins and nutrients such as Vitamins A, C, B6, K, and E, and potassium and fiber.
- Carrots: This common vegetable is a great source of vitamins and nutrients such as Vitamin A, Vitamin K, calcium and beta-carotene, which is found in many orange fruits and vegetables and supports immune health and eye health.
- Mushroom: I typically use Baby Bellas when cooking with mushrooms, but any kind should be fine. Mushrooms are another fantastic source of vitamins, protein and antioxidants and help boost your immune system.
- Garlic: Rich in organosulfur compounds and flavonoids, like quercetin that have strong anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and also antimicrobial effects. Garlic enhances the immune system and has been shown to reduce risk of prostate and gastric cancers.
- Spinach: This leafy green is high in antioxidants and helps manage blood pressure. Fun fact: spinach is actually one of the vegetables that is more nutritious after being cooked.
- Basil: This aromatic herb is a fantastic source of vitamins and nutrients, including Vitamin K, manganese, calcium, and magnesium. It has strong anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects to support health and decrease risk of disease.
- Crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste: Tomatoes are a fantastic source of nutrients and contribute to a reduced risk of cancer and heart disease by lowering cholesterol and boosting the immune system.
- Vegetable broth: Broth or bouillon, whatever you have will do!
- Nutritional yeast: A vegan favorite due to it’s cheesy, nutty flavor and another great source of vitamins and minerals. Nutritional yeast actually contains all 9 essential amino acids that our bodies do not produce on their own, and that we need to survive, making it a complete protein. It can also help lower cholesterol and decrease the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
- Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, salt & pepper: In addition to the amazing flavor they bring, there are added benefits when it comes to including spices in your meals. According to NutritonFacts.org, spices offer a wide range of benefits and are known to improve health issues such as cancer, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, and they can even be mood boosters! Therefore, it’s important to include at least a small amount of herbs and spices in your daily diet.
- Bow tie pasta: A key ingredient to bulk up this soup and compliment the flavor Whole wheat pasta is best if you want to maximize the nutrient density, but whatever kind you can get your hands on is just fine. There are plenty of healthy ingredients in this pizza soup that will make up for it.
Pro tip: I always try to buy any produce and herbs I need from the local farmer’s market because the quality of flavor makes a huge difference! Plus I love to support my community and the environment, and you can’t beat the piece of mind of knowing exactly where your food comes from. I encourage you to check out your local farms (if you haven’t already) and see what they have to offer!
(Not pictured: 15 oz. can chickpeas, 8 cups vegetable broth, 8 oz. bow tie pasta)
Step 1:
Chop and prep everything so it’s ready to throw in the soup. You’ll want to dice the onion, bell peppers, carrots and mushrooms, mince the garlic, and chop the basil.
Step 2:
Add a drizzle of olive oil to a large pot over medium heat OR an Instant Pot set to SAUTE for 8 minutes and start by sautéing the onion, carrots, peppers, and garlic, along with the Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes for 5-6 minutes. Then, add the tomato paste and sauté for another 3-4 minutes.
Pro tip: Adding the seasonings and tomato paste with the veggies while sauteing helps to reawaken the spices and adds a greater depth of flavor to the soup.
Step 3:
Once the tomato paste starts browning to the bottom, add a splash of vegetable broth to deglaze the pot and make sure to scrape all those bits of flavor stuck to the bottom. Then, add the remaining vegetable broth, as well as the mushrooms, chickpeas, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper.
Step 4:
If you’re cooking this on the stove, bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, or until veggies are tender. If you’re using an Instant Pot, cook on HIGH for 10 minutes.
Step 5:
Finally, add the spinach, basil, and dry pasta. For stovetop, turn the heat up and cook for another 15 minutes, or until pasta is tender. For Instant Pot, set SAUTE to 8 minutes.
Once the pasta is tender, the soup is ready to serve! I recommend topping it with some fresh grated parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Leftovers will stay good in the fridge for up to a week or you can freeze them for several months. If you try this veggie pizza soup recipe and enjoy it, share it with a friend and comment down below. I always love to hear your feedback!
Don’t own an Instant Pot?
I highly recommend investing in a pressure cooker if you don’t already have one. It’s by far my favorite kitchen appliance and cuts down the cooking time by quite a bit. Plus, it’s useful for so many things in addition to soup, like rice, beans, potatoes, etc. Here’s a link to the one I have been using for years: 8 qt. Instant Pot
Veggie Pizza Soup
Ingredients
- 1 onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 2 medium carrots diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 6 oz. tomato paste
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- 4 oz. cremini mushrooms (about 4 mushrooms) diced
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 15 oz. can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 1 28 oz. can tomato sauce
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 3 cups baby spinach chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh basil chopped
- 8 oz. dry bow tie pasta
Toppings
- grated parmesan cheese
- shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Add a drizzle of olive oil to a large pot over medium heat OR an Instant Pot set to SAUTE for 8 minutes and start by sautéing the onion, carrots, peppers, and garlic, along with the Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes for 5-6 minutes. Then, add the tomato paste and sauté for another 3-4 minutes.
- Once the tomato paste starts browning to the bottom, add a splash of vegetable broth to deglaze the pot and make sure to scrape all those bits of flavor stuck to the bottom. Then, add the remaining vegetable broth, as well as the mushrooms, chickpeas, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper.
- If you're cooking this on the stove, bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, or until veggies are tender. If you're using an Instant Pot, cook on HIGH for 10 minutes.
- Finally, add the spinach, basil, and dry pasta. For stovetop, turn the heat up and cook for another 15 minutes, or until pasta is tender. For Instant Pot, set SAUTE to 8 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Top with parmesan and mozzarella.
