Thick & Hearty Minestrone Soup
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!
Servings: 8 -10 servings
Calories: 142kcal
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 142kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 543mg | Potassium: 498mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 4115IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 2mg
