Cabbage-Kale Minestrone with Crispy Chickpeas

Name: Cabbage and kale minestrone with crispy chickpeas
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 3 servings. 650 ml
Cuisine: italian
Ingredients: 50.0 g Whole-Wheat Macaroni; 480.0 ml Vegetable broth; 1.0 tbsp Tomato Paste; 100.0 g White Cabbage; 25.0 g Red Onion; 0.5 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil; 2.0 pcs Thyme Sprigs; 40.0 g Kale; 60.0 g Tomatoes; 0.5 tsp Salt; 0.5 tsp Black Pepper; 150.0 g Crispy Chickpeas

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Cabbage and kale minestrone with crispy chickpeas

Instructions

1
Cook the pasta according to the package instructions and set aside.
2
Add vegetable broth, tomato paste, white cabbage, red onion, olive oil, and thyme leaves to the Vitamix container and secure the lid.
3
Start the Hot Soups program, or start the blender at the lowest speed and ramp quickly to the highest. Blend for 7 minutes 30 seconds.
4
Add kale, tomato, salt, and pepper through the lid plug opening.
5
Start the blender and ramp to speed 4. Blend for 20 seconds.
6
Divide the cooked macaroni evenly among bowls. Pour the soup over the top and garnish with the crispy chickpeas.

Chef's Note

For the roasted chickpeas: preheat the oven to 200 °C. Mix drained canned chickpeas with olive oil and spices, spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake for 20 minutes until crispy. You can vary the pasta shape as you like — gluten-free noodles work well too.

The Vitamix heats the soup through the frictional heat of the rapidly rotating blades — no separate pot, no immersion blender pass afterward. From the pre-cooked vegetables it creates a uniformly hot, velvety-smooth base in a single step, while the vortex reliably draws all ingredients toward the blades. Compared to an immersion blender, you save one appliance and one preparation step.

When hot-blending, always start on Variable 1 and ramp up to maximum in about 5 seconds; remove the lid plug (vented lid) and loosely hold a folded kitchen towel over the opening — the soup has reached the target temperature of around 75 °C once vigorous steam escapes. Do not fill the container past the maximum fill line.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy	52 kcal218 kJ
Fat	1.6 g
Carbohydrates	7.5 g
of which sugars	1.9 g
Protein	2.4 g
Salt	0.95 g
Fiber	4.0 g

Values per EU FIC Regulation (1169/2011). Values are averages and may vary depending on ingredients and preparation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the soup without the Hot Soups program?

Yes. Start the blender at Variable 1 and increase the speed to the highest setting over about 5 seconds. Then let it run on the highest setting until strong steam escapes from the vented lid – that is the signal that the soup has reached around 75 °C. Plan on about 7–8 minutes for this.

Why are the kale and tomato added only in the second step?

Kale and tomato need only brief heat – blending too long on the highest setting would affect their color and freshness. By mixing them in on speed 4 for just 20 seconds after the first high-performance pass, they keep a livelier flavor and the soup stays green and vibrant rather than turning grayish.

Do the chickpeas really need to be made crispy – or can they go into the soup raw?

Raw canned chickpeas would turn soft in the soup and offer no contrast. The crispness of the baked chickpeas is a deliberate textural counterpoint to the velvety minestrone – one of the highlights of this recipe. As an alternative, you can also use croutons or toasted bread.

Which Vitamix container is best suited for this soup?

The 2.0 L container (Low-Profile or standard) is ideal – it comfortably holds the full amount of soup for 3 servings without exceeding the fill level. Important: never fill to the maximum mark, since hot liquid expands in volume while blending.

Can I make the soup ahead of time?

Yes. The minestrone keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It is best to store the roasted chickpeas separately and add them only when serving so they stay crispy.