This easy Longevity Soup recipe is inspired by the diets of the world's longest living communities. It's a Blue Zones minestrone, packed with nutrient-dense, plant-based ingredients that promote a long and healthy life. Not only does this soup taste great, it's really simple to make too.
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Anyone who follows the Family Food Kitchen knows how much I love soups. So I had to give this one a try when I saw the TikTok version. Yes, it does take a little bit longer than my average soup because there is a bit of chopping involved, but the end result is really worth it.
This longevity soup recipe is not dissimilar to a classic Italian minestrone soup. This is an easy recipe, and you can adapt to suit your own tastes. I like to use seasonal vegetables, and adding sweet potato gives these Mediterranean flavors a nice sweetness.
Jump to:
- What are the Blue Zones?
- What is Longevity Soup?
- Why You'll Love This Longevity Soup Recipe
- Longevity Soup Recipe Ingredients
- How to Make Longevity Soup - Step-By-Step
- Variations & Substitutions for Longevity Minestrone
- Tips & Tricks For Making Sardinian Longevity Soup
- How To Serve Italian Minestrone Soup
- How To Reheat
- How to Freeze
- Pin This Easy Longevity Soup Recipe For Later
- What Do You Think?!
- More Easy Soup Recipe Ideas
- Printable Recipe
- Easy Longevity Soup Recipe (Inspired by the Blue Zones)
- Reader Comments & Ratings
What are the Blue Zones?
In the world's Blue Zones, where people live the longest and healthiest lives, one common thread is a diet rich in plant-based, whole foods. The regions of the world included in the blue zones include Okinawa (Japan), Sardinia (Italy), Nicoya Peninsula (Costa Rica), Ikaria (Greece), and Loma Linda (California).
Dan Buettner's recent award winning Netfix series "Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zone" highlighted the theory that those living in the blue zone have a healthy lifestyle and diet, allowing them to live longer.
What is Longevity Soup?
This Longevity Soup is inspired by the traditions of the blue zones diet, where hearty beans, vibrant vegetables, and anti-inflammatory spices fuel well-being. Packed with fiber, antioxidants, and essential nutrients, this comforting soup is not only easy to make but also a delicious way to support long-term health. Serve it warm and feel the nourishment in every spoonful.
Why You'll Love This Longevity Soup Recipe
- This is a nutritious bowl of soup, rich in protein which keeps us fuller for longer, high in fiber, and contains lots of healthy veggies that support a healthy immune system.
- Blue zones minestrone is suitable for vegan (finish with a plant based cheese) and gluten free (use gluten free vegetable broth) diets.
- Sardinian longevity soup is great for meal prep as the soup freezes really well. Freeze in portions for a day when time is short.
- Leftover soup can be heated up and packed into a thermos the next day for an easy lunch on the go.
- Try some of my favorite hearty vegetable based soup recipes:
Longevity Soup Recipe Ingredients
Find the full list and quantities in the recipe below.
Vegetables - I use a combination of onion, carrot, celery, zucchini, sweet potato and garlic to form the base of this vegetable soup. I also like to add leafy greens, like kale and spinach towards the end of the cook.
Beans, Lentils & Pasta - I use canned cannellini beans, cooked lentils and small shape pasta making this a hearty soup.
Herbs & Seasonings - I use dried oregano, bay leaves and fresh thyme to flavor the soup along with sea salt and black pepper to season it. I also like to garnish the soup with parsley to add a burst of herbal freshness before serving.
Broth - I use good quality vegetable broth in this soup. You could also use chicken broth provided you are not serving to meat free diners. Use gluten free vegetable broth if celiac or following a gluten free diet.
How to Make Longevity Soup - Step-By-Step
Find the full printable recipe below.
Although this soup has a fairly long list of ingredients, the cooking method is simple. Use a large Dutch oven or saucepan. It is a good idea to make sure you have all of your ingredients ready to hand.
Sauté the diced onion, sliced carrots, chopped celery, diced zucchini and a little sea salt in olive oil over medium-high heat, for around 5 minutes until starting to soften. Stir in the diced sweet potato then add the garlic and stir for one more minute before adding the thyme, oregano and tomato paste. Stir and season again.
Add the vegetable broth, canned diced tomatoes, beans and lentils. Season again and stir everything together thoroughly. Add the bay leaves to the pot and bring the soup to a boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook 20 minutes uncovered.
Add the pasta and if the soup is beginning to look too thick add another cup of water or vegetable broth as needed. Cook for 10 minutes more until the pasta is al dente.
Add in the kale and spinach leaves and stir until wilted - just a minute or so. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.
Spoon into bowl and serve, topping with olive oil, chopped parsley and parmesan cheese - make sure to use a vegetarian or vegan alternative as required.
Variations & Substitutions for Longevity Minestrone
- You can add lots of vegetables to this soup, try red bell pepper, green beans, broccoli or green peas.
- I've added both kale and spinach to the soup, but you could also use other leafy greens like Swiss chard, collard greens or turnip greens.
- Substitute the white beans with other hearty beans, try fava beans, pinto beans, borlotti beans, or kidney beans.
- I finish the soup with parmesan cheese, but you can use pecorino romano cheese. For an entirely plant-based meal garnish the soup with a plant based cheese.
- Add extra fresh herbs as a garnish, try fresh parsley or fresh basil.
Tips & Tricks For Making Sardinian Longevity Soup
There is a lot of chopping for this soup so it's fine to take some short cuts with ready cut veggies (I love Trader Joe Mirapoix, which is chopped onion, celery and carrots mixed together.)
If you don't have all the ingredients it's fine to leave one or two out. There are a lot of veggies, beans and lentils, so it will still work!
Be sure to keep stirring this soup, especially once the pasta goes in. If not it can stick to the bottom of the pot.
As this soup sits it will thicken up so add a splash of broth or water to loosen it when warming the soup up again.
As with most soups, it will taste better the next day as the flavors will have intensified.
How To Serve Italian Minestrone Soup
This is a great one pot meal, and a hearty bowl of soup. If I would add anything it would be some garlic bread, focaccia or crusty bread to help mop up the soup.
How To Reheat
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use within 3-4 days. To re-heat place the soup in a saucepan and place over a medium heat to warm to piping hot.
How to Freeze
If you plan to meal prep and freeze some of this soup, I would recommend freezing the soup without adding the pasta and the leafy greens, as they will become soggy and break down during the defrosting and thawing process.
So instead, I suggest cooking the soup up to the end of step 6 in the recipe card below. Then once cooked and cooled, store this soup in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When ready to enjoy, remove the soup from the freezer and defrost in the refrigerator. Then add the pasta and finish the soup as per recipe card instructions.
Pin This Easy Longevity Soup Recipe For Later
What Do You Think?!
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More Easy Soup Recipe Ideas
Printable Recipe
Easy Longevity Soup Recipe (Inspired by the Blue Zones)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 small Onion - diced
- 2 medium Carrots - sliced
- 2 stalks Celery - chopped
- 1 medium Zucchini - diced
- 1 small Sweet Potato - peeled and diced - around 1 cup
- 2 cloves Garlic - minced
- ½ tsp Dried Oregano
- ½ tsp Thyme
- 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 14 oz Canned Diced Tomatoes
- 1 cup Canned Cannellini Beans - or black beans or chickpeas
- 1 cup Cooked Lentils - or ½ cup dried lentils
- 4 cups Vegetable Broth
- 2 Bay Leaves
- ½ cup Pasta - any small shape works
- 1 cup Kale - shredded
- 1 cup Baby Spinach
- Sea Salt and Black Pepper - to taste
Optional garnishes
- 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil - for drizzling
- ¼ cup Fresh Parsley - chopped
- ¼ cup Grated Parmesan or Vegetarian Alternative - or vegan, finely grated
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or pan. Add the diced onion, sliced carrots, chopped celery and diced zucchini.
- Season with sea salt and sauté for 5 minutes until starting to soften.
- Stir in the diced sweet potato then add the garlic and stir for one more minute.
- Next add the thyme, oregano and tomato paste. Stir and season again.
- Add the vegetable broth, canned diced tomatoes, beans and lentils. Season again and stir everything together thoroughly.
- Add the bay leaves to the pot and bring the soup to a boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook 20 minutes uncovered.
- Add the pasta. If the soup is beginning to look too thick add another cup of water or vegetable broth as needed. Cook for 10 minutes more until the pasta is al dente.
- Add in the kale and spinach leave and stir until wilted - just a minute or so. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.
- Spoon into bowl and serve, topping with olive oil, parsley and parmesan cheese - make sure to use a vegetarian or vegan alternative as required.
Carol says
Tried this recipe this evening & really liked it. Full of flavour, the family loved it. This is one I’ll make again. Thank you
Jo Keohane says
Thank you so much, glad you enjoyed it!!
Jamie Moritmore says
Love this soup. Easy to make and obviously packed full of healthy ingredients.
Jo Keohane says
So happy you liked it!