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Lunch One Pot Vegetarian Italian
4.8 from 21 votes

Minestrone Soup

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By: Joanna Cismaru •8/5/23 23 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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.

Table of Contents

  • Easy Minestrone Soup
  • Minestrone Soup Highlights
  • Ingredients You’ll Need
  • How To Make Minestrone Soup
  • What Other Veggies Can I add To My Soup
  • Can I Make Minestrone Soup In A Slow Cooker?
  • What To Serve Minestroni Soup With
    • No Knead Bread
    • Easy Bruschetta Recipe
    • Easy Garlic Bread
    • Caesar Salad Recipe
  • Expert Tips
  • Leftovers
    • Freezing
  • More Delicious Recipes To Try
  • Recipe: Minestrone Soup
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions 
    • Equipment
    • Notes
    • Nutrition Information
  • Did You Make This?
minestrone soup in a bowl with a spoon

Easy Minestrone Soup

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!

Minestrone Soup Highlights

  1. Hearty and healthy soup perfect for a meal on its own.
  2. Uses seasonal vegetables and staple pantry ingredients! A great soup if you want to clean your fridge! Use whatever you have!
  3. Easy to make! This soup is as easy as you can get, you pretty much dump everything in the pot and cook. A soup perfect for everyone!

Ingredients You’ll Need

overhead shot of ingredients in minestrone soup
  • 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 will also work.
  • 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

process shots showing how to make minestrone soup
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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!

overhead shot of a pot filled with minestrone soup

What Other Veggies Can I add To My Soup

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.

Can I Make Minestrone Soup In A Slow Cooker?

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.

What To Serve Minestroni Soup With

no knead bread in dutch oven.
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No Knead Bread

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Easy Bruschetta Recipe

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Easy Garlic Bread

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Caesar Salad Recipe

Expert Tips

  1. Cut all the vegetables the same size, so they take the same amount of time cook.
  2. To make this soup dairy free/vegan, skip the Parmesan cheese.
  3. To make this soup low carb, skip the pasta, you won’t miss it.
two bowls of minestrone soup

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.

overhead shot of a bowl of minestrone soup

More Delicious Recipes To Try

  • Creamy Loaded Potato Soup
  • Vegetable Beef Soup
  • Summer Chicken Vegetable Soup
  • Egg Roll Soup
  • Italian Wedding Soup
  • Easy Hamburger Soup
  • Italian Meatball Soup
  • Tuscan Bean Soup
  • Black Bean Soup

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

a spoon lifting minestrone soup from the bowl
4.81 from 21 votes

Minestrone Soup

Prep 20 minutes minutes
Cook 45 minutes minutes
Total 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes
8
Rate Recipe Print Recipe
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.
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Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoon 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 ounce red kidney beans (or Great Northern beans or cannellini beans (1 can), drained and rinsed)
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 28 ounce 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 tablespoon lemon juice (freshly squeezed)

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions 

  • Saute the veggies: 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: Add the lemon juice and cook for another minute.
  • Garnish and serve: Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese and serve warm.

Equipment

  • 6 Quart Dutch Oven

Notes

  1. Cut all the vegetables the same size, so they take the same amount of time cook.
  2. To make this soup dairy free/vegan, skip the Parmesan cheese.
  3. To make this soup low carb, skip the pasta, you won’t miss it.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1servingCalories: 252kcal (13%)Carbohydrates: 43g (14%)Protein: 9g (18%)Fat: 6g (9%)Saturated Fat: 1g (6%)Sodium: 1227mg (53%)Potassium: 809mg (23%)Fiber: 8g (33%)Sugar: 8g (9%)Vitamin A: 3220IU (64%)Vitamin C: 24mg (29%)Calcium: 82mg (8%)Iron: 4mg (22%)
© Author Joanna Cismaru

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.

a spoon lifting minestrone soup from the bowl

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Joanna Cismaru

Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Through Jo Cooks, I invite you to join me in my kitchen as we explore delicious recipes from around the globe, celebrate the joy of cooking, and make every meal a memorable one. Happy cooking!

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23 Comments
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Sarah
Sarah
Posted: 6 months ago

Does it matter what kind of potato and onion to use?

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Sarah
Posted: 6 months ago

Great question! For this Minestrone Soup recipe, you have some flexibility. You can use any type of potato you prefer or have on hand. Russet potatoes are a classic choice due to their starchy nature and ability to hold their shape during cooking. However, Yukon Gold or red potatoes would also work well and offer a slightly creamier texture.

As for the onion, you can use a yellow, white, or red onion based on your preference. Yellow onions are typically used in soup recipes because they have a nice balance of sweet and savory flavors. White onions have a sharper, more pungent flavor, while red onions are a bit sweeter. Each will subtly change the flavor profile of the soup, so choose what you think you’d enjoy the most.

0
Reply
Dragana
Dragana
Posted: 6 months ago

5 stars
This is a really great recipe! Thank you 🙂

0
Reply
Holly
Holly
Posted: 9 months ago

5 stars
This is the best minestrone soup I’ve ever tasted. The spices are spot on and the addition of the parmesan rind makes this dish. Just lovely. Thank you, Jo.

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Holly
Posted: 9 months ago

My pleasure, Holly! Glad you enjoyed it!

0
Reply
Flo
Flo
Posted: 1 year ago

By far, the best minestrone soup I have made…and just in time for a cold snap in the NE. Great recipe!

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Flo
Posted: 1 year ago

So glad you liked it!

0
Reply
Sam Hensley
Sam Hensley
Posted: 1 year ago

What type of potatoes do you recommend?

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Sam Hensley
Posted: 1 year ago

Pretty much any will work, but I prefer yellow potatoes or russets.

0
Reply
Normajean
Normajean
Posted: 1 year ago

5 stars
This minestrone is so good. I made it exactly as written except that I added a small summer squash that I needed to use. This will be my go to minestrone. Thank you for such a great recipe

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Normajean
Posted: 1 year ago

My pleasure, so glad you liked it!

1
Reply
Adele Farough
Adele Farough
Posted: 1 year ago

I have a question. I have every intention of trying this fabulous-sounding soup. My pasta of choice is orzo. How much would you suggest I add? A cup of uncooked orzo yields a lot of cooked orzo, so I rather doubt that a cup is a good idea. Can you advise? Thanks!

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Adele Farough
Posted: 1 year ago

Yeah, orzo tends to double in size, I guess it really depends on how much pasta you like in your soup. I’d say anywhere from 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup is more than enough.

0
Reply
Cynthia
Cynthia
Posted: 2 years ago

5 stars
Fabulous recipe! I left out the pasta; personal choice. Will make it again !

0
Reply
Shelly
Shelly
Posted: 3 years ago

5 stars
Followed directions exactly, except I cooked my pasta before adding it. Absolutely delicious, family loved it

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Shelly
Posted: 3 years ago

I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it!

0
Reply
Julia
Julia
Posted: 3 years ago

5 stars
We’ve made this recipe about six times in the last four weeks. It is so easy and yet so tasty! Thank you!

0
Reply
PegMacD
PegMacD
Posted: 3 years ago

5 stars
very tasty

0
Reply
Kathleen H.
Kathleen H.
Posted: 3 years ago

5 stars
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!

0
Reply
Soleil Noor
Soleil Noor
Posted: 3 years ago

4 stars
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.

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Soleil Noor
Posted: 3 years ago

That’s great! Yes, minestrone soup is one of those soups that the longer it sits the better it tastes.

0
Reply
Susan Smith
Susan Smith
Posted: 3 years ago

Jo, any chance you can tell me how to make this in the Instant Pot?

0
Reply
Jo Cooks Team
Jo Cooks Team
Reply to  Susan Smith
Posted: 3 years ago

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.

0
Reply

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I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is the place where I share my passion for easy and delicious recipes. From comforting classics to global flavors, I believe that cooking should be fun, approachable, and most importantly, rewarding. Join me on this culinary journey and let’s get cooking!

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