Minestrone Soup Recipe

Minestrone Soup is a warm, hearty Italian soup packed with vegetables, beans, tomatoes and pasta. It makes a simple meal feel filling without much work. I like making it on busy evenings when I want something comforting but still full of fresh ingredients. You can change the vegetables based on what you have in the fridge, which makes this soup very practical. A bowl of hot minestrone also tastes even better the next day as the flavors blend. Serve it with crusty bread, a little Parmesan cheese, or enjoy it on its own for a satisfying lunch or dinner.

What is Minestrone Soup

Minestrone Soup is a classic Italian vegetable soup made with a mix of seasonal vegetables, beans, tomatoes and pasta. Unlike one fixed recipe, minestrone can change from region to region and season to season. Common ingredients include carrots, celery, zucchini, green beans, kidney beans, cannellini beans and small pasta. The soup usually starts with sautéed onion, carrot and celery, which builds a rich base. A tomato broth then brings everything together. The result is a thick, flavorful soup with tender vegetables, creamy beans and small bites of pasta.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 cup green beans, cut into small pieces
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup small pasta, such as ditalini
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

1. Sauté the vegetables:
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook for 5-6 minutes until they begin to soften.

2. Add garlic and vegetables:
Stir in garlic, zucchini and green beans. Cook for 2 minutes.

3. Build the broth:
Add diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, cannellini beans, kidney beans, Italian seasoning, oregano and bay leaf. Stir well.

4. Simmer the soup:
Bring the soup to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the vegetables become tender.

5. Cook the pasta:
Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Stir often so the pasta does not stick to the bottom.

6. Add spinach:
Remove the bay leaf. Stir in spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes until wilted.

7. Finish and serve:
Add lemon juice and adjust salt and pepper. Ladle the hot soup into bowls and top with Parmesan and fresh parsley.

Essential Note

Add the pasta near the end of cooking because it continues to absorb liquid as it sits. If you plan to store leftovers, cook the pasta separately and add it to each bowl when serving. This keeps the pasta from becoming soft and soaking up most of the broth.

Use low-sodium broth when possible so you can control the salt. Rinse canned beans before adding them to remove excess liquid and reduce the strong canned taste.

Keep the soup at a gentle simmer rather than a hard boil. A strong boil can make vegetables too soft and cause the pasta to break apart. Cut the vegetables into similar sizes so they cook at about the same rate.

If the soup becomes too thick after sitting, add a little extra broth when reheating. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use them within 3-4 days.

Recipe Notes

Minestrone Soup works well with seasonal vegetables, different beans and small pasta shapes, so adjust the ingredients to match what you already have.

Cooking Tips and Tricks

Start with onion, carrot and celery. This simple base gives the soup a deeper flavor.

Cut all vegetables into small, similar pieces. They will cook more evenly and make each spoonful easier to eat.

Do not rush the vegetable sauté. A few extra minutes help soften the vegetables and build a better flavor base.

Add delicate vegetables, such as zucchini and spinach, later so they keep their texture and fresh taste.

Taste the broth before adding more salt. Parmesan also adds salt, so wait until the soup is finished before making the final adjustment.

For a thicker soup, mash a small amount of the beans against the side of the pot. For a lighter soup, add more broth.

A splash of lemon juice at the end can brighten the tomato broth and balance the rich bean and Parmesan flavors.

For meal prep, keep cooked pasta separate from the soup and combine them when serving.

Anupam

Before I even start cooking, I taste-test everything to make sure it’s spot-on. Then, I break it down for you with everyday essentials, nutrition info, and simple, step-by-step instructions. From breakfast to dinner, I walk you through each stage so cooking becomes easy, fun, and stress-free.