Minestrone Soup

A classic Italian Minestrone Soup Recipe loaded with fresh vegetables like onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes, zucchini, and green beans in a seasoned tomato-based broth with beans and pasta. The end result is a delicious hearty vegetarian soup that everyone enjoys and is even better than Olive Garden.

Enjoy this delicious soup by itself or with crusty French baguettes, Caesar salad, or Cheese Garlic Bread. This tasty meal can be made with seasonal vegetables and greens.

What’s homemade minestrone soup made of?

The heart of this soup is fresh seasonal vegetables along with pasta, beans, tomatoes, and Italian seasonings. Some of the usual suspects for veggies include onions, celery, carrots, green beans, and garlic. However, this well-known soup does not have rigid rules when it comes to ingredients as it was created like many dishes to use up leftover vegetables.

How do you make this minestrone soup recipe?

Start by heating a little oil in a large Dutch Oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Then add the onions, celery, and carrots cooking until the onions and celery are almost soft. Now add the green beans and zucchini and cook for several minutes or until the onion and celery are soft.

Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, thyme, and marjoram cooking for 1 minute. Then add the bay leaves, vegetable broth, tomato paste, and diced tomatoes. Bring the soup to a low boil and then reduce to a simmer cooking until the green beans, carrots, and zucchini are almost tender. Then add the beans and pasta. Cook until the pasta is tender but not overcooked. Finally if desired stir in a few cups of spinach and cook just until wilted.

Recipe notes and helpful tips

• For optimal flavor use the freshest in-season vegetables. If the green beans look great at the market then opt for them. If that is not the case try butternut squash or cauliflower.
• ProTip – for even more flavor add Parmesan Cheese rinds to the soup while it is simmering. Don’t forget to fish them out before serving the soup.
• Always peel your carrots to bring out that beautiful orange color we all love.
• Other beans to use include great northern beans or red kidney beans.
• Your veggies should be chopped fairly small so a variety of them fit on your soup spoon.
• Any small pasta will work including elbows, small shells, orecchiette, or ditalini.
• Other herbs to try include fresh basil and fresh Italian parsley.
• For an over-the-top taste sensation grate a little fresh Parmesan cheese over each bowl of soup or top with Homemade Croutons.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low or in the microwave at reduced power.
• If you know you are going to store or freeze some of this soup for leftovers then remove that portion before adding the pasta and the spinach. Then add them when reheating the soup. This will keep them from becoming overcooked.
• Freeze in heavy-duty zipper bags or sturdy freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

What is the difference between minestrone and vegetable soup?

Minestrone is a heartier thick Italian version of vegetable soup with beans and pasta. Most vegetable soups simply have a variety of veggies while minestrone packs a little more punch. You will enjoy the extra vitality.

More soup recipes you will love!

Classic Minestrone Soup

A thick and tasty Italian Minestrone Soup loaded with onion, celery, carrots, tomatoes, zucchini, green beans, elbow noodles, and white beans in a perfectly seasoned tomato base.

5 from 12 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 151kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 stalks celery chopped
• 1 large carrot chopped
• ½ lb. green beans trimmed and cut in ½ inch segments
• 1 zucchini diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram or dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 14.5 ounce cans fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 16 ounce can white beans like Great Northern or cannellini beans drained and rinsed
• ¾ cup uncooked elbow pasta or other small pasta
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2-3 cups baby spinach optional
•  

Instructions

• Heat oil in a large Dutch Oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, and carrots cooking until the onions and celery are almost soft. Add the green beans and zucchini and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the onions and celery are soft.
• Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, thyme, and marjoram cooking for 1 minute while stirring constantly. Add the bay leaves, vegetable broth, tomato paste, and diced tomatoes. Bring the soup to a low boil and then reduce to a simmer cooking until the green beans, carrots, and zucchini are almost tender.
• Add the white beans and pasta. Cook until the pasta is tender but not overcooked. If desired stir in the spinach and cook just until wilted; 2-3 minutes.

Notes

• For optimal flavor use the freshest in-season vegetables. If the green beans look great at the market then opt for them. If that is not the case try butternut squash or cauliflower.
• ProTip - for even more flavor add Parmesan Cheese rinds to the soup while it is simmering. Don't forget to fish them out before serving the soup.
• Always peel your carrots to bring out that beautiful orange color we all love.
• Other beans to use include great northern beans or red kidney beans.
• Your veggies should be chopped fairly small so a variety of them fit on your soup spoon.
• Any small pasta will work including elbows, small shells, orecchiette, or ditalini.
• Other herbs to try include fresh basil and fresh Italian parsley.
• For an over-the-top taste sensation grate a little fresh Parmesan cheese over each bowl of soup or top with Homemade Croutons.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low or in the microwave at reduced power.
• If you know you are going to store or freeze some of this soup for leftovers then remove that portion before adding the pasta and the spinach. Then add them when reheating the soup. This will keep them from becoming overcooked.
• Freeze in heavy-duty zipper bags or sturdy freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. 

Nutrition

Calories: 151kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 416mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 3115IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 2mg

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