Vegetable Stelline Soup

This vegetable stelline soup is a simple yet delicious dish that's perfect for a cold day or on those days when you feel under the weather. It's a naturally vegan soup that's also super cute thanks to the addition of the most adorable pasta of them all — stelline!

If you have a pack of stelline pasta and you’re wondering what to do with it, this vegetable stelline soup is an excellent idea. I personally love soups with pasta in them, and stelline are just great for this purpose because they’re small and absolutely adorable.

Because they’re so small and have a hole in the middle, stelline cook very quickly, which makes them the perfect addition to any soup.

This vegetable stelline soup is simple, nutritious and oh-so-comforting — the perfect meal to have when you’re battling a cold or simply need something to warm you up to the bones.

What do you need to make vegetable stelline soup?

Olive oil — Use a quality extra virgin olive oil if possible because it really makes a difference in the flavour of this stars soup.

Onion, carrots and celery — Try to dice the veggies on the small side so they cook evenly and quickly.

Garlic — Fresh garlic is best for this star pasta soup and you can either chop it finely or crush it.

Thyme and rosemary — If you don't have fresh herbs. You can use a teaspoon dried thyme and dried rosemary each.

Alternatively, use an Italian seasoning mix (about 2 teaspoons should be enough).

Stelline pasta — Sometimes called stellini, this is an absolutely adorable pasta shape that's just perfect for soups.

They are very popular with kids in Italy, and their name is Italian for "stars."

If you can't get your hands on them, you can substitute stellini with orzo or even ditalini.

Vegetable stock — It's always best to use homemade veggie stock for soups like this, but shop-bought is also fine if you're low on time.

Baby spinach — You can substitute the spinach with kale or other greens. If you go for kale, you may need to simmer it for a couple more minutes.

Lemon juice — I love how the lemon juice brings a touch of brightness to this vegetable and pasta soup, but you can skip it if you don't like lemon in soups.

How to make it?

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot and saute the onion, carrot and celery for 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

When the veggies have softened slightly, stir in the garlic, thyme and rosemary and continue to cook for another minute until fragrant.

Stir in the stelline and vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes until the stelline are al dente, stirring occasionally, so the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.

Add the baby spinach and lemon juice, then continue to simmer with a lid on for 2-3 minutes.

Season to taste and serve on its own or with your favourite crusty bread.

Recipe notes and tips

• If you're not a vegan, you can transform this recipe into a chicken and stars soup by adding some chopped cooked chicken with the chicken stock.
• The pasta will continue to soak up the liquid as it sits, so you may need to add some extra chicken stock if it becomes too thick.
• You can store leftovers for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat it on the stove or in the microwave, adding some stock or a bit of water if the pasta has soaked up too much liquid.
• To give this veggie pasta soup a bit of a kick, add some red chilli flakes with the garlic and herbs.

If you liked this vegetable stelline soup, you might also like some of my other easy vegan soups:

• Tuscan White Bean and Kale Soup (Ribollita)
• Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
• Coconut Curry Soup with Crispy Tofu
• Easy Barley Soup with Vegetables
• Creamy Spiced Chickpea Soup with Coconut and Lime

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