Hearty Italian Vegetable Minestrone (Printer-friendly)

Hearty Italian soup brimming with vegetables, beans and pasta in a flavorful broth

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
04 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
07 - 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
08 - 1 cup green beans, chopped
09 - 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes

→ Legumes & Pasta

10 - 1 can (14 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
11 - 1 cup small pasta such as ditalini or elbow macaroni

→ Broth & Seasonings

12 - 6 cups vegetable broth
13 - 2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs including oregano, basil, and thyme
14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Finishing Touches

16 - 2 cups baby spinach or chopped kale
17 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
18 - Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving, optional

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, sliced carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
02 - Stir in minced garlic, diced zucchini, diced potato, and chopped green beans. Cook for an additional 3 minutes.
03 - Add diced tomatoes with their juice, drained cannellini beans, vegetable broth, dried Italian herbs, and bay leaf. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat.
04 - Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 20 minutes until vegetables are nearly tender.
05 - Stir in small pasta and simmer uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes, or until pasta and vegetables reach desired tenderness.
06 - Remove bay leaf from pot. Add spinach or kale and cook for 2 minutes until completely wilted.
07 - Season soup with salt and freshly ground black pepper according to personal preference.
08 - Ladle soup into individual bowls. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Its like having a garden in your bowl thats equally delicious on day one or tucked away as leftovers for busy weeknights.
  • You can empty your crisper drawer of whatever vegetables are on their last legs and still end up with something amazing.
02 -
  • Adding the pasta toward the end prevents it from becoming mushy, a lesson I learned after one particularly sad batch of minestrone mush.
  • If making ahead, consider cooking and storing the pasta separately then adding it to individual servings to maintain its texture.
03 -
  • If you find yourself without fresh herbs, stir a spoonful of prepared pesto into the finished soup for an incredible flavor boost.
  • Save Parmesan rinds in the freezer specifically for soups like this one, they melt partially during cooking and impart an incredible depth of flavor.
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