This classic Minestrone Soup is filled with pasta, beans, and plenty of vegetables. This is the perfect soup for a cold night or for when you are feeling under the weather.
For more meat free soup recipes, try this Broccoli Cheddar Soup or this Potato Corn Chowder.
Whether it’s cold outside, or if you are under the weather, or if you are just craving a big bowl of soup, this Minestrone Soup is the recipe for you.
Chuck full of vegetables, plus some beans and pasta to make it hearty, this minestrone is not only delicious and good for you, but so super simple to make.
Ingredients
- Butter: This is what you will use to cook your onion, carrots, and celery. You can also use a neutral oil, if desired.
- Vegetables: This is where it gets fun! You can really get creative with what vegetables you use. As written, I used carrot, celery, onion, zucchini, and green beans. You could also add potatoes, spinach, butternut squash, peas…it’s a great recipe to make when you have a lot of extra vegetables on hand!
- Broth: To keep this vegetarian, use vegetable broth. I also like to use chicken stock because it adds in an extra layer of flavor, but only do this if you are not keeping it vegetarian.
- Canned Tomatoes: I will usually use regular diced tomatoes. You could also use fire roasted tomatoes or Italian seasoned tomatoes. If you are making this during tomato season, you could even use fresh tomatoes. If you do use fresh tomatoes, you may need to add little bit of extra broth.
- Seasonings: I keep it simple with Italian seasoning, dried thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Pasta: Any short cut pasta will work – elbow noodles (macaroni) is my favorite. You could also use ditalini or small shells.
- Beans: I like to use kidney beans, but white beans are delicious in this soup, as well.
- Cheese: The parmesan cheese is optional, but I like a sprinkling of parmesan cheese on top of each serving.
How to Make Minestrone Soup
STEP 1: Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy soup pan. Add the onions and cook until the onion is tender.
STEP 2: Add in the carrot and celery and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.
STEP 3: Add the vegetable broth to the pot.
STEP 4: Then add the tomatoes, (with the juices), as well as the Italian seasoning, thyme, salt, and pepper. Let the soup come to a boil.
STEP 5: Once boiling, add the pasta.
STEP 6: Then stir in the zucchini and the green beans. Let it all cook together until the vegetables are tender and the pasta is al dente.
Tips and Tricks
- You can also make this soup in the slow cooker. Just add all of the ingredients except for the pasta and let it cook on low for 4-6 hours. Add the pasta in the last 30ish minutes before you are ready to serve.
- I like to serve this topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Or a dollop of pesto is also delicious.
- I love this soup because it is hearty and filling on its own, but if you want to add more protein, add in come cooked, shredded chicken. Or some cooked Italian sausage, or sliced kielbasa.
- We also like to serve this with toasted bread for dunking.
Storage and Make Ahead
Store any leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator. The pasta will soak up the broth the longer it sits, so the pasta in the leftovers will become very soft. And you will probably need to add more broth. You can cook the pasta separately and add it to each portion to avoid the pasta getting too soft.
You can easily make this ahead of time, just don’t add the pasta in until you are almost ready to serve the soup. You can make the soup (minus the pasta) up to 2 days in advance. When reheating, add the pasta and let it cook until al dente.
You can also freeze this soup. The pasta will most likely become softer, but it will still be delicious!
More Soup Recipes
Broccoli Cheese Soup
Zuppa Toscana
French Onion Soup
Homemade Bean and Bacon Soup
Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
Chicken Tortellini Soup
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Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 1/2 cup celery chopped
- 1/2 cup carrot chopped
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup (4 oz) short cut pasta
- 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup sliced zucchini
- 1 cup fresh green beans trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
- 4 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender. Stir in the celery and carrot, and cook for 3-4 more minutes.
- Pour the vegetable broth into the pot. Add the undrained tomatoes, then season with the Italian seasoning, salt, thyme, and pepper, Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Add the pasta, beans, zucchini, and green beans. Bring the mixture back to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium-low. Cook, stirring often to keep the pasta from sticking, until the pasta and the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
- Serve topped with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.
Cynthia says
Thanks for this recipe and idea hon, I’ve been running low on creativity these days as to what to cook. I’ll try this soon.
Patricia Scarpin says
My grandma says that my grandpa (who was Italian) loved minestrone – yours looks delicious, Deb!
Emiline says
Your soup looks so good- I love that it has garbanzos in it. Yum!
The bread looks good too, even if you didn’t make. Or did you?
Judy says
You know, I consider myself somewhat of a soup expert, but I have never made minestrone. High time, I think.
Kevin says
The soup looks great. Lots of vegetables. I like the idea of topping minestrone soup with parmesan cheese.
Laura says
Yummy soup Deborah, minestrone is my little ones favourite. Well done on posting every day this month I’d never be able to keep it up!
P.S. Happy Anniversary!!
Nora B. says
Believe it or not, I never made my own minestrone before. And it’s such a healthy soup. Thanks for the recipe.