Minestrone Vegetable Soup (Printer-friendly)

Hearty Italian soup with seasonal vegetables, beans, pasta, and fresh herbs for ultimate comfort.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
07 - 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
08 - 1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
09 - 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes with juice
10 - 4 cups vegetable broth
11 - 2 cups water

→ Beans and Pasta

12 - 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
13 - 3/4 cup small pasta such as ditalini or elbow macaroni

→ Seasonings and Herbs

14 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
15 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
16 - 1 bay leaf
17 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
18 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
19 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, optional

→ Garnish

20 - Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic, sautéing for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant and translucent.
02 - Add diced carrots, celery, zucchini, potato, and green beans to the pot. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
03 - Stir in diced tomatoes with juice, vegetable broth, and water. Add dried oregano, dried basil, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
04 - Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 15 minutes until vegetables soften.
05 - Add cannellini beans and pasta to the pot. Continue simmering uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes until pasta and vegetables are tender.
06 - Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in fresh parsley and basil. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's endlessly flexible, so you can use what's actually in your fridge instead of making a shopping trip.
  • The whole thing comes together in an hour, making it perfect for those nights when you need comfort food but not a complicated plan.
  • It tastes even better the next day, which means one pot feeds you twice.
02 -
  • Don't add the pasta until the very end—I learned this by making a pot of starch soup instead of vegetable soup, and the lesson stuck.
  • The difference between a good minestrone and a great one is often the moment you add fresh herbs at the end; they brighten everything and make people notice the flavor instantly.
03 -
  • Toast your pasta in a dry pan for one minute before adding it to the soup—it adds a subtle nuttiness that deepens the whole experience.
  • Keep the bay leaf visible in the pot while simmering so you remember to remove it; forgetting and biting into it is a jarring surprise no one enjoys.
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