February 26, 2023
Cheesy Pesto Unstuffed Shell Soup
This cheesy pesto unstuffed shell soup is one of my favorite ways to enjoy the flavors of stuffed shells without all the work! It’s luscious, cozy, and ready in just 30 minutes!
Table of Contents
ingredients jump to recipe video step-by-step instructions tips and faqsCheesy Pesto Unstuffed Shell Soup
We are in full soup season mode in our household, and the inspiration for this cheesy pesto unstuffed shell soup came from one of my favorite recipes on the blog (and in my cookbook!). It’s everything we love about stuffed shells – cheesy, savory, rich, and luscious – but without having to do all of the work! Because let’s be honest, while stuffed shells are absolutely delicious, they also take a bit of effort, which frankly, I can’t be bothered with sometimes.
If you’re like me and you love stuffed shells, but want an easy shortcut, this recipe is for you! Grab a drink and let’s get to cookin’!
Ingredients for Cheesy Pesto Unstuffed Shell Soup
While the ingredients list may seem a bit long, it’s mostly pantry and fridge staples, many of which I’m sure you already have on hand! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Vegan Sausage: I like to use Impossible because I find it’s the most “realistic”, and it’s often times on sale at my local grocery store. That said, feel free to use any vegan sausage you’re able to find, as long as it’s not a breakfast-style sausage.
- Veggies and Aromatics: white onion, carrot, celery, parsley, garlic and basil.
- White Cooking Wine: most of the wine cooks out, but if you prefer not to cook with wine whatsoever, feel free to sub it for broth.
- Tomatoes: not fresh tomatoes – but crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and marinara sauce! For the crushed tomatoes, I love using fire-roasted! And for the marinara, feel free to use your favorite homemade recipe, or store-bought sauce.
- Seasonings: Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, a little sugar to cut the acidity of the tomatoes, and of course, salt and pepper!
- Non-Dairy Milk: for this recipe, I find that an extra creamy non-dairy milk such as Chobani Extra Creamy Oat Milk or Silk Extra Creamy Oat Milk work exceptionally well for this recipe. If you’re unable to find extra creamy, use whatever non-dairy milk you prefer, as long as it’s unsweetened and unflavored!
- Vegetable Broth
- Vegan Mozzarella Shreds
- Pasta Shells: you can use any short pasta, but I like using these medium pasta shells!
- Pesto and Vegan Ricotta: both the pesto and tofu ricotta can be prepared in less than 5 minutes using a food processor. You can also make both up to 3 days ahead of time to break up the work. I halved the pesto and ricotta from this recipe. You can also use store-bought pesto and ricotta . For pesto, I really enjoy this brand from Seggiano and the Sprouts Brand Vegan Pesto.
How to Make Cheesy Pesto Unstuffed Shell Soup
Everything you love about stuffed shells in alf the time and effort! Here’s how to make it:
1. Brown the Vegan Sausage:
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the vegan sausage and cook until browned. Remove the sausage from the pot and set aside.
2. Sauté the Veggies:
Reduce the heat to medium and place the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in the pot. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, carrot, celery, and parsley. Cook, stirring often until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and season with the sugar, Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and the red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant.
3. Deglaze the Pot:
Pour in the wine and continue to cook until most of it evaporates, scraping up any brown bits at the bottom of the pot. Stir in the tomato paste and cook another couple minutes.
4. Simmer:
Next, pour in the marinara sauce, crushed tomatoes, broth, non-dairy milk and pasta shells. Stir to combine and increase the heat to high. Once at a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer, stirring once or twice, until the noodles are tender.
5. Add the Sausage, Cheese, Pesto and Spinach:
Add the reserved sausage crumbles back into the soup, along with the vegan mozzarella shreds, pesto (if using), and spinach leaves, and stir to combine until the cheese has melted throughout. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
6. Serve and Enjoy!
Serve immediately with a few dollops of the tofu ricotta and a sprinkle of basil and enjoy!
Tips and FAQs
Storage and Reheating:
Store in a covered container in the refrigerator up to 4 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. If freezing, do not add the cheese until ready to serve. Reheat in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl or over the stovetop. To reheat from frozen, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight prior to reheating it. The pasta may soak up some of the liquid. If so, you can easily adjust by adding in more broth.
Can I Make This In a Slow Cooker or Multi-Cooker?
Yes! I have instructions on how to do so in the recipe below.
More Soup Recipes to Try
- New-England Style Clamless Chowder
- Mushroom Wild Rice Soup
- Vegan Zuppa Toscana
- Chick’n Sotanghon Soup
- Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Stuffed Shells, But Make It Soup!!!
I hope you love this cheesy pesto unstuffed shell soup as much as I do! If you try this dish and enjoy it, I wanna know! Snap a photo, take a video, or make a story and post it to Instagram or TikTok, and tag me at @eat_figs_not_pigs and #EatFigsNotPigs. I love seeing your recreations of my recipes!
Til next time, friends!
XO!
Cheesy Pesto Unstuffed Shell Soup
Ingredients
- 3 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1- pound vegan sausage
- 1 ½ cup diced white onion
- 1 cup diced carrot
- 1 cup diced celery
- ¼ cup fresh minced parsley
- 8 cloves fresh minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 1 cup vegan-friendly dry white cooking wine
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 1 28-ounce can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
- 2 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 1 ½ cups uncooked medium pasta shells
- 1 cup vegan mozzarella shreds
- ½ recipe basil pesto homemade or store-bought (about 1 cup), optional
- 6 cups loosely packed spinach leaves
- ½ recipe tofu ricotta (about 1 cup)
- Fresh basil for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the vegan sausage and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the sausage from the pot and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and place the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in the pot. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, carrot, celery, and parsley. Cook, stirring often until the onion is translucent, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the garlic and season with the sugar, Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and the red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Pour in the wine and continue to cook until most of it evaporates, scraping up any brown bits at the bottom of the pot, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Next, pour in the marinara sauce, crushed tomatoes, broth, non-dairy milk and pasta shells. Stir to combine and increase the heat to high. Once at a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer, stirring once or twice, until the noodles are tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Add the reserved sausage crumbles back into the soup, along with the vegan mozzarella shreds, pesto (if using), and spinach leaves, and stir to combine until the cheese has melted throughout. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
- Serve immediately with a few dollops of the tofu ricotta and a sprinkle of basil and enjoy!
Slow Cooker/Multi-Cooker Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a skillet or on the sauté setting of your multi-cooker. Once the oil is hot, add the vegan sausage and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes.
- In the same skillet or multi-cooker, add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and parsley. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, for about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the garlic and season with the sugar, Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and the red pepper flakes (if using). Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Pour in the white cooking wine and continue to cook until most of it evaporates, scraping up any brown bits at the bottom of the skillet or multi-cooker, for about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
- If using a slow cooker, transfer the sautéed vegetable mixture to it.
- Add the marinara sauce, crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, non-dairy milk, and pasta shells to the slow cooker or multi-cooker. Stir to combine.
- Cover the slow cooker or set the multi-cooker to a low temperature setting. Cook for 4-6 hours on low, or until the noodles are tender. If using a multi-cooker, you can use the slow-cooking function or a specific pasta setting if available.
- About 15-30 minutes before serving, add the vegan mozzarella shreds, pesto (if using), and spinach leaves. Stir to combine until the cheese has melted throughout. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
- Serve immediately with a few dollops of the tofu ricotta and a sprinkle of basil, if desired.
