Minestrone Soup (Hearty Italian Vegetable Soup)

What Makes This Recipe Work

Building the soup on a soft onion, carrot, and celery base gives it depth without heavy cream, and stirring the pasta in at the end keeps every bowl tasting freshly made.

Ingredients for Minestrone Soup (Hearty Italian Vegetable Soup)

• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for serving
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, with their juice
• 6 cups (1.4 L) vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 can (15 oz) cannellini or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 1 cup (100 g) small pasta such as ditalini or small shells
• 1 1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper, plus more to taste

How to Make Minestrone Soup (Hearty Italian Vegetable Soup)

1. Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and cook the onion, carrots, and celery until softened, 6 to 7 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. Pour in the broth and diced tomatoes, add the beans and the salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce the heat and simmer 15 minutes until the carrots are tender.
5. Stir in the zucchini and pasta and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender but still firm.
6. Stir in a handful of spinach or chopped kale if you like and cook 2 to 3 minutes until wilted.
7. Taste and adjust the salt, then serve with a drizzle of olive oil and grated parmesan.

Tips for the Best Minestrone Soup (Hearty Italian Vegetable Soup)

• Add the pasta at the end and cook it right in the soup; pasta added at the start turns mushy and drinks up the broth.
• Season in stages: salt the broth as it goes in, then do a final taste before serving.
• Minestrone thickens as it sits because the pasta keeps absorbing liquid; loosen it with a splash of broth or water when you reheat it.
• A parmesan rind simmered with the broth adds savory depth; fish it out before serving.

Variations and Substitutions

• Seasonal swaps: asparagus and peas in spring, zucchini and corn in summer, green beans and kale in early fall, and squash or root vegetables in winter.
• Slow cooker minestrone: add everything except the zucchini and pasta, cook on low 6 to 7 hours, then stir in the pasta and zucchini and cook 15 minutes on high.
• For a vegan minestrone, use vegetable broth, skip the parmesan, and finish with olive oil.
• Add browned Italian sausage with the onions for a richer, heartier bowl.

How to Store and Reheat

• Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 5 days; add a splash of broth when reheating.
• Freeze the soup with the pasta for up to 3 months, knowing the noodles will be softer when thawed.

Minestrone Soup (Hearty Italian Vegetable Soup) FAQ