Minestrone Soup Recipe
This minestrone soup recipe is hearty, veggie-packed, and so easy. Perfect comfort food for any weeknight — cozy, nourishing, and delicious! It’s the soup I turn to when I want to clean out my fridge, fill my kitchen with delicious smells, and serve something hearty and healthy without much fuss.
Ingredients
- Vegetables & Base:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 zucchini diced
- 1 cup green beans cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 can 14.5 oz diced tomatoes, with juices
- Broth & Beans:
- 4 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth if not vegetarian
- 1 can 15 oz kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can 15 oz cannellini or navy beans, drained and rinsed
- Pasta & Seasoning:
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup small pasta like ditalini or elbow macaroni
- Finishing Touch:
- 2 cups baby spinach or chopped kale
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics (5–7 min)
- Heat olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery — the classic base for so many vegetable soups! Cook, stirring often, until veggies soften and smell amazing.
- Add garlic and zucchini (2–3 min)
- Stir in the minced garlic and diced zucchini. Let it cook another couple minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
- Build the broth (2–3 min)
- Pour in diced tomatoes (with their juices), vegetable broth, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes if using. Stir well and bring the soup to a gentle boil.
- Add beans & green beans (15–20 min)
- Add kidney beans, cannellini beans, and green beans. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let everything simmer for about 15–20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- Cook pasta separately (8–10 min)
- Meanwhile, in a separate pot, cook your pasta according to package directions until just al dente. Drain and toss with a tiny drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking. Trust me: cooking the pasta separately keeps it from soaking up too much broth!
- Stir in greens (2–3 min)
- Turn off the heat and stir in the fresh spinach until it wilts. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve & garnish (2 min)
- To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and add a scoop of cooked pasta to each. Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese and a swirl of good olive oil if you like. Cozy, nourishing, and ready to enjoy!
Notes
- Keep pasta separate: This prevents it from absorbing too much broth — especially if you’re freezing minestrone soup!
- Taste as you go: Veggies, beans, and broth can all vary in saltiness. Adjust with salt and pepper.
- Use fresh parmesan: A little freshly grated cheese goes a long way.
- Add more broth: Minestrone thickens as it sits — feel free to add extra broth when reheating.
- Double up: This soup freezes well — just freeze without the pasta!