This classic Italian recipe is a family favorite. My hearty minestrone soup is packed full of veggies and lots of flavor, making it perfect for chilly weather!
Even though this soup is hearty, it’s not heavy. With all the nutritious vegetables, I could eat bowl after bowl! Whenever I make it on a cold day, I like to serve it with a warm loaf of No Knead Artisan Bread or slices of Focaccia.
Minestrone Soup (Plus a Twist!)
I’m ashamed to admit that this is only the second time in the past 8 years that I’ve made minestrone! My Italian family would be so disappointed, but when you love soup as much as I do, it’s hard to eat the same kind over again.
I’m kind of a mad scientist in the kitchen when it comes to soup, just ask my husband. I stayed pretty true to this classic though, with the exception of one ingredient: pesto! Our family is obsessed with basil pesto… it’s FULL of herby flavor and I think it adds a nice flavor that really takes this soup from good to amazing!!
Ingredient Tips
Traditional minestrone soup was initially created with the intent to use up leftover vegetables, so you really can use almost any veggies your heart desires! The vegetables I used for this recipe include:
- Onion
- Celery
- Carrots
- Tomatoes
- Beans
- Green Beans
- Zucchini
- Spinach
Some other vegetable options you might use in your soup could be:
- Potatoes
- Yellow Squash
- Butternut Squash
- Sweet Potatoes
- Peas
Pasta: You can see in the pictures I used anellini pasta, but you can use any small pasta such as shells, elbows, or ditalini.
Parmesan Rind: Our grocery store sells them next to the specialty cheese—ask if you’re having trouble finding it!
How to Make Minestrone Soup
SAUTE. In a large stock pot or Dutch oven set over medium heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, celery and carrots. Cook until soft, about 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
SIMMER & COOK. Add the diced tomatoes, kidney beans, great northern beans, vegetable broth, chicken broth (or water), tomato paste, pesto, bay leaves, oregano, salt, pepper, rosemary, and parmesan rind. Turn heat to medium high and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
ADD/COOK PASTA. Remove the cover and turn heat to medium-high. When the liquid is boiling, add the pasta, zucchini, and green beans, stir well. Cook until the pasta is tender, about 20-25 minutes.
SPINACH. During the last 5 minutes, add the spinach and allow it to wilt.
SERVE. Remove from heat and serve warm.
Variations and Storage Tips
Vegetarian Minestrone: This recipe doesn’t include meat, but if you want it to be truly vegetarian, just use water in place of the chicken broth.
Add Meat: You can easily add ground beef, sausage or turkey for a protein-packed version too.
STORE: Leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container inside the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat large batches in a pot on the stovetop, or individual portions in the microwave.
FREEZE: The pasta contained in the soup won’t hold up well in the freezer, so if you’re planning from the start to freeze the soup, leave the pasta out. The soup will hold up in the freezer for 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, and add cooked pasta if desired as you’re reheating the soup.
I hope you’ll give this hearty minestrone soup a try, it’s bound to become a cold weather favorite!
For more delicious soups packed with veggies, try:
Hearty Minestrone Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 cup yellow onion - diced
- 1 cup celery - diced
- 1 cup carrots - diced
- 6 cloves garlic - minced (raw or roasted)
- 2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
- 1 (14.5 oz) can red kidney beans - drained and rinsed
- 1 (14.5 oz) can great northern beans - drained and rinsed
- 5 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 cup low-sodium chicken broth - or water
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 2 tbsp basil pesto
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp kosher sea salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 parmesan rind
- 1 1/2 cup small shells - OR small elbows, ditalini or anellini
- 1 1/2 cup zucchini - quartered lengthwise and diced
- 1 cup frozen green beans - thawed
- 2 cup baby spinach - roughly chopped
Instructions
- In a large stock pot or Dutch oven set over medium heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, celery and carrots. Cook until soft, about 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the diced tomatoes, kidney beans, great northern beans, vegetable broth, chicken broth (or water), tomato paste, pesto, bay leaves, oregano, salt, pepper, rosemary, and parmesan rind. Turn heat to medium high and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
- Remove the cover and turn heat to medium-high. When the liquid is boiling, add the pasta, zucchini, and green beans, stir well. Cook until the pasta is tender, about 20-25 minutes. During the last 5 minutes, add the spinach and allow it to wilt. Remove from heat and serve warm.
I made it for our NYE party with friends! It was a big hit!! Delicious and healthy!
I used gluten-free Ditalini pasta and could not tell the difference!
This is a recipe I would use year round. Healthy & very tasty. I’ve made it several times. It adapts easily to more of one veggie. I don’t care for green beans but I love zucchini so I use more zucchini to replace the green beans.
We ❤️ it. Thanks, Pam C.
That makes me so happy you loved it so much! I’m always up for more zucchini too! 🙂