My Minestrone Soup recipe is made with lots of fresh, good-for-you veggies and pasta to make it hearty and filling. The delicate tomato veggie broth is spiked with parmesan rind to ramp up this classic recipe. You’ll give this healthy and easy recipe a warm welcome as a new addition to your weekly dinner rotation.
Easy Minestrone Soup
- Hearty and healthy soup perfect for a meal on its own
- Uses seasonal vegetables and staple pantry ingredients
- Easy to make
It’s time for a healthy meal that will make you feel good from the inside out! As you know, I cook with lots of meat, especially chicken, but every once in a while I crave a good vegetarian meal. This soup is a favorite in my veggie repertoire. Deep, rich flavors with loads of goodies in every bite.
Variations of this simple vegetable soup have been around for centuries, but the Minestrone we know and love today originated in Italy. Some of you may have come to love this soup as a popular item at Olive Garden, along with the classic Zuppa Toscana. However you stumbled across this recipe, one thing is certain. You are going to savor each and every bite!
Ingredient Notes
- Olive oil – Avocado, safflower, sunflower, canola, or vegetable oils will work instead.
- Veggies – Onion, celery, potatoes.
- Garlic – Use more or less as you prefer.
- Red kidney beans – I used one can, rinsed and drained. Other types like black beans or cannellini beans will work too.
- Seasoning – Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, onion powder.
- Tomatoes – Both diced tomatoes and tomato paste to add a rich and deep flavor.
- Bay leaves – Fresh or dried.
- Vegetable broth – Chicken broth will work too, but try and use a low sodium one.
- Pasta – A small shape such as ditalini, which is what I used, elbow macaroni, shells or orzo.
- Parmesan rinds – (Optional) I saved some in my freezer from ghosts of parmesan wedges past.
- Lemon juice – Fresh or bottled.
How To Make Minestrone Soup
- Sauté veggies: Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Simmer soup: Add the potatoes, beans, seasonings, bay leaves, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, pasta, and stir everything well. If you’re using parmesan rinds, add them now as well. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through and the potatoes are fork tender. Discard the parmesan rinds if using and the bay leaves.
- Finish and serve: Add lemon juice, then cook for another minute. Serve piping hot with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
We’ve made this recipe about six times in the last four weeks. It is so easy and yet so tasty! Thank you!
FAQs & Expert Tips
FAQs
This classic vegetable soup is your shining opportunity to load up all those veggies in your freezer or fridge that need a home. While these add-ins aren’t typical of a “classic” minestrone, your soup, your rules. Some options include broccoli, cauliflower, peas, corn, green beans, bell peppers, zucchini, kale, or spinach to name a few.
Absolutely! Simply add all the ingredients to the slow cooker, excluding the pasta, and let everything cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours or HIGH for 2 to 3 hours. Add the pasta and cook for an additional 20 to 30 minutes on LOW.
My answer will alway be my crust bread which is the perfect accompaniment to this bread. If you’re looking for a bit of protein you can throw together some simple baked chicken breasts or thighs to enjoy alongside your soup.
Tips
- Cut all the vegetables the same size, so they take the same amount of time cook.
- To make this soup dairy free/vegan, skip the Parmesan cheese.
- To make this soup low carb, skip the pasta, you won’t miss it.
Leftovers
You can store your minestrone soup right in the pot you cooked it in, as long as it has a lid. You can also transfer leftovers to an airtight container. Make sure the soup has fully cooled down to room temperature before storing it in the fridge. It’ll last 3-4 days refrigerated.
Reheat either in the microwave or on the stovetop. Add a splash more broth if you feel the veggies or pasta have soaked too much liquid up.
Freezing
If you’re making this recipe with plans of freezing it, I would leave the pasta out until you plan on serving it. It can be frozen directly in the pot you made the soup in, or transferred to an airtight container. Just like the fridge, make sure your soup has fully cooled down before popping it in the freezer. It’ll last 4-6 months.
Reheat in the microwave or stovetop. If the pasta isn’t already in the soup, add it once the soup has come to a simmer and cook until tender.
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Minestrone Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 medium carrots chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 medium potatoes peeled and chopped (yellow squash, zucchini, green beans would also work)
- 15 oz red kidney beans or Great Northern beans or cannellini beans (1 can), drained and rinsed
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 28 oz diced tomatoes (1 can or 2 small 15 oz cans)
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 6 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth, no sodium added or low sodium
- 1 cup pasta such as elbow, tubular or small shells
- Parmesan rinds optional
- 1 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
Instructions
- Saute the veggies:Â Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery to the pot and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
- Make the soup: Stir in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until aromatic. Add the potatoes, red kidney beans, Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt, pepper, bay leaves, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, pasta and stir well to combine. If using Parmesan rinds add them now. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through. Discard the parmesan rinds if using and the bay leaves.
- Finish the soup:Â Add the lemon juice and cook for another minute.
- Garnish and serve:Â Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese and serve warm.
Recipe Notes
- Cut all the vegetables the same size, so they take the same amount of time cook.
- To make this soup dairy free/vegan, skip the Parmesan cheese.
- To make this soup low carb, skip the pasta, you won’t miss it.
- You can store your soup right in the pot you cooked it in, as long as it has a lid. You can also transfer leftovers to an airtight container. Make sure the soup has fully cooled down to room temperature before storing it in the fridge. It’ll last 3-4 days refrigerated.
- Reheat either in the microwave or on the stovetop. Add a splash more broth if you feel the veggies or pasta have soaked too much liquid up.
- If you’re making this recipe with plans of freezing it, I would leave the pasta out until you plan on serving it. It can be frozen directly in the pot you made the soup in, or transferred to an airtight container. Just like the fridge, make sure your soup has fully cooled down before popping it in the freezer. It’ll last 4-6 months.
Followed directions exactly, except I cooked my pasta before adding it. Absolutely delicious, family loved it
I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it!
We’ve made this recipe about six times in the last four weeks. It is so easy and yet so tasty! Thank you!
very tasty
I’ve made up my own version of minestrone soup, but stumbled upon this recipe. Family loved it! It was perfect for a cold rainy day — warm, delicious hardy meal in a bowl. Not a huge fan of stewed tomatoes, so I only added one can, not two. I was also out of red kidney beans, so substituted navy beans. Still delicious! Thank you again, Jo, for another keeper!
I just made a wonderful minestrone last week. Like you, lots of vegetables, and a can of red kidney beans, but for the pasta I added a bag of spinach and ricotta tortellini. Absolutely delish! Seems to get better with each passing day.
That’s great! Yes, minestrone soup is one of those soups that the longer it sits the better it tastes.
Jo, any chance you can tell me how to make this in the Instant Pot?
Follow the recipe exactly as described over the sauté setting of your IP. After adding all the ingredients, cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. Quick release the pressure, add the lemon juice, and enjoy.