Hearty Italian Minestrone Soup (Print view)

Italian vegetable soup with beans, pasta, and fresh herbs. Hearty, nutritious, and comforting in every spoonful.

# 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, such as 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

# Cooking Steps:

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

# Expert Ideas:

01 -
  • It tastes even better the next day when all those vegetables have gotten to know each other in the broth.
  • You can throw in whatever vegetables are lingering in your crisper drawer and it somehow always works.
  • One pot, no complicated techniques, and you end up with enough to freeze for those nights when cooking feels impossible.
02 -
  • Don't add the pasta at the beginning thinking it'll just absorb more flavor because it'll turn to mush and your soup will become thick and gluey.
  • The bay leaf is not a garnish you can forget about; one guest biting into it will never let you live it down.
03 -
  • Dice your vegetables roughly the same size so they cook evenly and the soup has a pleasant, consistent texture throughout.
  • Taste as you go and remember that you can always add more seasoning but you can't take it out once it's in the pot.
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