This is truly the best minestrone soup recipe. Much thicker than most minestrone soups out there- filled with colorful vegetables like celery, carrots, green beans and spinach combined with protein-rich beans. Pair with grilled cheese for the ultimate comfort dinner!
There are countless of minestrone recipes out there, and everyone has their favorite- whether it's torn from an old magazine, tucked inside a cookbook, or scribbled on a piece of food stained paper. This one is my favorite. It takes me straight back to my childhood; it's a little heartier, less broth-y, and packed with layers of incredible flavor. It's a hit with everyone who tries it, and warning: when paired with grilled cheese, it disappears FAST. This soup also made its way to my favorite zucchini recipes, too!
Why You'll Love This Minestrone Soup Recipe
- Incredibly hearty, comforting and satisfying
- Everything comes together in one pot
- Perfect way to use up vegetables sitting in the refrigerator
- Make ahead of time and freeze for later
- So much more delicious than store-bought soup
Ingredients You Need
This minestrone soup is pretty forgiving. You can easily change up the vegetables based on what you like or what's left in the refrigerator at the end of the week.
- Chicken Broth: This minestrone recipe uses 8 cups of chicken broth. If you're needing this to be vegetarian or vegan, you can use vegetable broth. I recommend using a low sodium broth.
- Zucchini: You can leave this out or use another squash its place. I usually add it when I make it earlier in the season while squash is still readily available. I've also used mushrooms instead.
- Green Beans: You can use chopped fresh green beans or frozen green beans instead. No need to thaw if using frozen.
- Spinach: Feel free to use fresh or frozen chopped spinach or leave it out. You can also use fresh kale.
- Beans: I love using great northern beans and kidney beans, but feel free to use all of either. You can also use chickpeas, cannellini, or butter beans instead.
- Onion, Carrots & Celery:
- Tomato Paste: Using tomato paste helps add depth and richness to the broth. Without it, it would have much less flavor.
- Tomatoes: You can use regular diced tomatoes or fire roasted tomatoes.
- Pasta: You can skip adding the pasta or use rice in its place. Without it, the soup will have more broth so if you prefer it more hearty, reduce the broth to 6 cups.
- Olive Oil: Just 1 Tablespoon is needed to cook down the vegetables.
- Spices: We're using traditional soup spices like bay leaves, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper for the best flavor.
Overview: How To Make Minestrone Soup
The full printable recipe is below, but let's walk through the steps before you get started.
- Cook the Vegetables: Add the onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften.
- Add the Tomato Paste & Broth: Stir in the tomato paste, breaking it apart, allowing it to cook for a few minutes. Add the chicken broth, bay leaves, beans, green beans, and diced tomatoes and bring to a boil.
- Cook the Pasta: Add the pasta, cooking as directed on the package or until done.
Storing: How to Freeze Minestrone Soup
This soup freezes wonderfully! I often make a double batch (similar to this slow cooker chicken chili and stuffed pepper soup) so I have some readily available. You want the soup to cool before placing in a large freezer container or soup molds. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat on the stove until warm. You may need to add 1-2 cups of chicken broth as the pasta/rice will absorb the liquid as it sits.
FAQs
We are all different. What may be healthy to one person, may not be to another. This minestrone soup is loaded with vegetables and beans. Overall it's considered to be a nutrient dense recipe.
Traditional minestrone soup recipes have a variety of vegetables such as zucchini, green beans, peas, carrots, celery, and onions. It also has a variety of beans like kidney or great northern beans and short pasta all cooked in a rich tomato broth.
The word minestrone means thick vegetables soup. The idea behind minestrone is to use whatever you have on hand.
No, traditional minestrone does not contain meat however there are many recipes that do include it. Because minestrone means to use up what you had on hand, it could be an abundance of vegetables and/or meat.
Often minestrone soup includes a short pasta or rice, though some choose to omit it.
Thick & Hearty Minestrone Soup
Description
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- ⅔ cup sweet onion, about ½ medium onion
- 1 cup diced carrots, 1-2 large carrots
- 1 cup diced celery, 2-3 stalks
- 1 ¼ cups diced zucchini, about 1 medium or large
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ Tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth , or vegetable broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup fresh or frozen chopped green beans
- 1 (14-ounce can) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (14-ounce can) great northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (14-ounce can) diced tomatoes, do not drain
- 1 cup uncooked pasta, like orzo or ditalini
- 3 ½ cups fresh spinach, chopped
- for serving: grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot or dutch oven (5-quart or larger.) Add the onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 7-8 minutes to allow the vegetables to soften and release some juices. Add the tomato paste, stirring it in as best you can, and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth, bay leaves, beans, green beans, and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then add uncooked pasta. Reduce to medium heat, cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the pasta is cooked. Stir in the chopped spinach and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves.
- Serve warm and if desired, top with fresh parmesan cheese with homemade bread. Leftovers stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: The soup can be made up to 1 week in advance and stored in the refrigerator. You can also prep the vegetables ahead of time, even cooking them and then beginning at step 2 the day of.
- Freezer Instructions: This soup freezes wonderfully! I often make a double batch. Freeze the cooled soup for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat on the stove, adding more broth as needed.
- Chicken Broth: You can use chicken broth or vegetable broth. For both, I recommend using low sodium and add additional salt as needed. You will need more broth when reheating the soup as the pasta soaks up a lot of liquid.
- Beans: I personally love this combination of beans, but you can use any type of beans like chickpeas, cannellini, or butter beans.
- Spinach: Feel free to use chopped fresh kale instead, or leave it out completely. If using frozen spinach, you may need to let it cook slightly longer at the end.
Jennifer says
Made this for dinner and it was great. I added extra veggies and used a different small pasta.
Joe says
i made this for dinner for my family tonight and we all loved it.