Minestrone Recipe

Finally! It’s about time this blog offered a traditional minestrone soup recipe. Minestrone is a hearty Italian vegetable soup made with tomato-y broth and pasta or rice. I’ve been working hard on this recipe and I’m so excited to share it with you.

Minestrone was traditionally made to use up leftover vegetables, so feel free to use any seasonal vegetables and greens you have on hand. I used potatoes and spinach for the soup you see here, and it was absolutely delicious.

I listed some alternatives in the recipe, including yellow squash, zucchini, butternut squash, green beans or peas. That means that you can make seasonal minestrone on cool days from fall through spring!

I used canned beans here instead of cooking my own, which cuts the cooking time down to a reasonable weeknight level. The remaining ingredients are basic pantry items, including canned tomatoes, pasta, basic spices and onions.

I adapted this recipe from the lentil minestrone in my cookbook, which was based on my lentil soup. For this classic minestrone, I omitted the lentils, added white beans, upped the tomato paste, and reserved the final tablespoon of olive oil to mix in at the end.

Please let me know how you like this soup in the comments! I always love reading your feedback and I’m eager to hear which veggies you use in your soup.

If you’re looking for more soup recipes, definitely check out the two mentioned above, and I have even more soups here.

Warm up with this vegetarian minestrone soup! This classic minestrone soup recipe is healthy, easy to make, and tastes incredible. It’s vegan, too, if you don’t top it with cheese. Recipe yields 6 bowls or 8 cups of soup.

Make it gluten free: Substitute your favorite sturdy gluten-free noodle. I used DeLallo’s Whole-Grain Rice Shells and they worked great.

Parmesan note: Most Parmesans are not technically vegetarian (they contain animal rennet), but Whole Foods 365 and BelGioioso brands offer vegetarian Parmesan cheese.

Classic Minestrone Soup

Warm up with this vegetarian minestrone soup! This classic minestrone soup recipe is healthy, easy to make, and tastes incredible. It’s vegan, too, if you don’t top it with cheese. Recipe yields 6 bowls or 8 cups of soup.

Prep: 20min

Total: 1h5min

Yield: 6

Serving Size: 1 bowl (made with potatoes and no Parmesan)

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 bowl (made with potatoes and no Parmesan), calories 298 calories, Sugar 9.7 g, Sodium 924.2 mg, Fat 10.5 g, Saturated Fat 1.6 g, Trans Fat 0 g, Carbohydrate 45.6 g, Fiber 10.4 g, Protein 9.8 g, Cholesterol 0 mg

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 medium ribs celery, chopped
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 cups chopped seasonal vegetables (potatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, butternut squash, green beans or peas all work)
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, with their liquid (or 2 small 15-ounce cans)
• 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 bay leaves
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup whole grain orecchiette, elbow or small shell pasta
• 1 can (15 ounces) Great Northern beans or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 1/2 cups cooked beans
• 2 cups baby spinach, chopped kale or chopped collard greens
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnishing (optional)

Instruction:

1. Warm 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, tomato paste and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables have softened and the onions are turning translucent, about 7 to 10 minutes.
2. Add the seasonal vegetables, garlic, oregano and thyme. Cook until fragrant while stirring frequently, about 2 minutes.
3. Pour in the diced tomatoes and their juices, broth and water. Add the salt, bay leaves and red pepper flakes. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper.
4. Raise heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, then partially cover the pot with the lid, leaving about a 1” gap for steam to escape. Reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer.
5. Cook for 15 minutes, then remove the lid and add the pasta, beans and greens. Continue simmering, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until the the pasta is cooked al dente and the greens are tender.
6. Remove the pot from the heat, then remove the bay leaves. Stir in the lemon juice and remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Taste and season with more salt (I usually add about 1/4 teaspoon more) and pepper until the flavors really sing. Garnish bowls of soup with grated Parmesan, if you’d like.

Minestrone Soup

This vegetarian minestrone soup recipe is my take on the classic Italian vegetable soup. It’s hearty, fresh, and flavorful – just add crusty bread to make it a meal!

Prep: 15min

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion (diced)
• 2 medium carrots (chopped)
• 2 celery ribs (thinly sliced)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (plus more to taste)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves (grated)
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups white beans or kidney beans (cooked, drained, and rinsed)
• 1 cup chopped green beans
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3/4 cup small pasta
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
• Pinches of red pepper flakes
• Grated Parmesan cheese (optional, for serving)

Instruction:

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, salt, and several grinds of black pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.
2. Add the garlic, tomatoes, beans, green beans, broth, bay leaves, oregano, and thyme. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Stir in the pasta and cook, uncovered, for 10 more minutes, until the pasta is cooked through.
4. Season to taste and serve with parsley, red pepper flakes, and parmesan, if desired.

Minestrone Soup

Cook up a pot of Ellie Krieger’s healthy Minestrone Soup from Food Network, loaded with fresh veggies, pasta and herbs.

Prep: 0 15min0

Total: 0 45min0

Yield: 6 servings

Nutrition Facts: calories 260, Fat 8 grams, Saturated Fat 2 grams, Cholesterol 5 milligrams, Sodium 560 milligrams, Carbohydrate 37 grams, Fiber 10 grams, Protein 15 grams

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 1/3 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 28-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
• 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 15-ounce can low-sodium kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup elbow pasta
• 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Instruction:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add the celery and carrot and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the green beans, dried oregano and basil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste; cook 3 more minutes.
2. Add the diced and crushed tomatoes and the chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in the kidney beans and pasta and cook until the pasta and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt. Ladle into bowls and top with the parmesan and chopped basil.

Olive Garden Minestrone Soup

This Olive Garden minestrone soup is loaded with vegetables, beans and pasta in a tomato broth. It’s a copycat of the restaurant version that tastes even better than the original recipe!

Prep: 15min

Total: 40min

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 300 kcal, Carbohydrate 49 g, Protein 15 g, Fat 5 g, Sodium 644 mg, Fiber 12 g, Sugar 5 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 cup onion (diced)
• 1/2 cup celery (sliced)
• 1/2 cup carrots (peeled, quartered and sliced)
• 1 zucchini (quartered and sliced)
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 15 ounce can small white beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 15 ounce can kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1/2 cup frozen cut green beans
• 1/2 cup small shell pasta
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instruction:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots and zucchini to the pot.
2. Cook until the vegetables are tender, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Add the tomatoes, vegetable broth, tomato paste and Italian seasoning to the pot. Bring to a simmer.
4. Add the white beans, kidney beans, green beans and pasta to the pot. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until pasta and vegetables are tender.
5. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the spinach leaves and cook for 2-3 minutes or until wilted.
6. Sprinkle the parsley over the soup and serve.

Minestrone Soup Recipe – Italian Vegetable and Pasta Soup

FAQ

What are all the ingredients in minestrone soup?

What makes minestrone minestrone?

What is the difference between minestrone soup and vegetable soup?

How does Gordon Ramsay make minestrone soup?

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the onions, carrots, celery and some seasoning. …
2. Add the thyme, bay leaf and bacon. …
3. Tip in the borlotti beans and cherry tomatoes, then pour in the chicken stock or water to cover. …
4. Add the spaghetti and cook for 10 minutes.