Easy Minestrone Soup
It’s time for a healthy meal that will make you feel good from the inside out! As you know, I cook with lots of meat, especially chicken, but every once in a while I crave a good vegetarian meal. This soup is a favorite in my veggie repertoire. Deep, rich flavors with loads of goodies in every bite. Variations of this simple vegetable soup have been around for centuries, but the Minestrone we know and love today originated in Italy. Some of you may have come to love this soup as a popular item at Olive Garden, along with the classic Zuppa Toscana. However you stumbled across this recipe, one thing is certain. You are going to savor each and every bite!
Olive oil – Avocado, safflower, sunflower, canola, or vegetable oils will work instead. Veggies – Onion, celery, potatoes. Garlic – Use more or less as you prefer. Red kidney beans – I used one can, rinsed and drained. Other types like black beans or cannellini beans will work too. Seasoning – Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, onion powder. Tomatoes – Both diced tomatoes and tomato paste to add a rich and deep flavor. Bay leaves – Fresh or dried. Vegetable broth – Chicken broth will work too, but try and use a low sodium one. Pasta – A small shape such as ditalini, which is what I used, elbow macaroni, shells or orzo will also work. Parmesan rinds – (Optional) I saved some in my freezer from ghosts of parmesan wedges past. Lemon juice – Fresh or bottled.
What Other Veggies Can I add To My Soup
This classic vegetable soup is your shining opportunity to load up all those veggies in your freezer or fridge that need a home. While these add-ins aren’t typical of a “classic” minestrone, your soup, your rules. Some options include broccoli, cauliflower, peas, corn, green beans, bell peppers, zucchini, kale, or spinach to name a few.
Can I Make Minestrone Soup In A Slow Cooker?
Absolutely! Simply add all the ingredients to the slow cooker, excluding the pasta, and let everything cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours or HIGH for 2 to 3 hours. Add the pasta and cook for an additional 20 to 30 minutes on LOW.
Leftovers
You can store your minestrone soup right in the pot you cooked it in, as long as it has a lid. You can also transfer leftovers to an airtight container. Make sure the soup has fully cooled down to room temperature before storing it in the fridge. It’ll last 3-4 days refrigerated. Reheat either in the microwave or on the stovetop. Add a splash more broth if you feel the veggies or pasta have soaked too much liquid up.
Freezing
If you’re making this recipe with plans of freezing it, I would leave the pasta out until you plan on serving it. It can be frozen directly in the pot you made the soup in, or transferred to an airtight container. Just like the fridge, make sure your soup has fully cooled down before popping it in the freezer. It’ll last 4-6 months. Reheat in the microwave or stovetop. If the pasta isn’t already in the soup, add it once the soup has come to a simmer and cook until tender.
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title: “Minestrone Soup” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-29” author: “Mario Huddleston”
A colorful, flavorful, and nutritious combination of seasonal vegetables, legumes, and herbs come together into one of the most iconic Italian dishes. Minestrone is comforting and satisfying, excellent for meal prep and a delicious family dinner. Like other Italian soups, think of Tuscan white bean soup, Lentil Soup, chickpea soup, and tortellini soup; Minestrone combines seasonal vegetables and sturdy herbs with protein-rich legumes. To make minestrone a fulfilling meal, pasta, rice, or farro are often added – we chose pasta. We recommend adding a piece of Parmigiano crust to the pot and topping the Minestrone with a teaspoon or two of basil pesto and some shaved parmesan. The result is a thick, creamy, chunky, deeply satisfying one-pot meal that the whole family will love. Tip: Minestrone is easy to make in one pot and cooks in about 30 minutes. Chopping the veggies, however, can take some time if you are not used to it. To speed things up, you can use pre-chopped or frozen veggies.
Flavor base
Like most other Italian soups, Minestrone starts with a soffritto (flavor base) of extra virgin olive oil, onion, celery, carrot, leek, and garlic. The veggies are chopped and sautéed in the oil to release flavor and aroma. This first step is essential to infuse Minestrone soup with a deep, rich flavor. Some regional variations add a small piece of lard, pancetta, or prosciutto to this initial flavor base. We skip this to keep the recipe vegetarian.
Vegetables
Feel free to swap veggies with what’s seasonal where you live. We use:
Potatoes: substitute sweet potatoes. Cauliflower: substitute broccoli, chard, or kale. Vine tomatoes: substitute canned tomatoes, canned, crushed, or whole peeled. Frozen peas: substitute green beans, snap peas, or snow peas. Zucchini: you can use any summer squash or courgette. Substitute mushrooms or bell peppers. Beans: You can use white beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, or borlotti beans. You can also use canned beans or dried ones cooked in water.
Herbs
A rosemary sprig and bay leaves are usually added to minestrone. Substitute thyme for rosemary and sage for bay leaves. We recommend garnishing the soup with fresh basil leaves.
Pasta (optional)
Pasta is optional. Traditionally, ditali or ditalini pasta is used. We use ditalini. The pasta is cooked in the pot with the vegetables. Its starch releases right into the soup, making it ultra-creamy, cozy, and comforting. You can substitute pearled farro or barley for pasta, but we recommend precooking them first or adding them at the start, as they take about 30 minutes.
Water
The vegetables are cooked with water. Substitute vegetable broth for water, although not necessary since plenty of vegetables are already in the soup.
Parmigiano crust (optional)
If you have Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano in your fridge, add their crust to the minestrone pot. The crust softens and infuses the soup with a rich, savory flavor. You don’t have to eat the crust, although you can if you want to.
Toppings
We recommend shaved parmesan cheese and a tablespoon of basil pesto for each portion. To make the recipe vegan, you can use vegan parmesan and vegan pesto. Cut the leek in half lengthwise, rinse its layers under running water, and thinly slice it. Chop onion, celery, and carrot into small pieces. Chop potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes, and zucchini into slightly bigger but still small pieces.
2. Make the flavor base
Heat the olive oil in the largest pot you own. Add chopped onion, celery, carrot, leek, and grated garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often.
3. Add the vegetables
Add chopped potatoes, cauliflower, cooked beans (drained), hot water, rosemary, and bay leaves—season with salt and black pepper. Simmer for 12 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add chopped tomatoes, zucchini, frozen peas, cheese crust, and pasta. Stir in extra cup of water and finish cooking for another 12 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked but with a bite. Add more water to reach your desired consistency. Taste and adjust for salt, then turn the heat off and let the Minestrone cool down for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
Serving suggestions
Serve in bowls. You can top each bowl with shaved or grated parmigiano, fresh basil leaves, a good quality extra virgin olive oil drizzle, and a spoonful of basil pesto. Nico’s serving tip: Add a thick slice of toasted crusty bread to your bowl. Cover the bread with grated parmesan cheese, then pour over the hot Minestrone. Garnish with all the other toppings as recommended. The cheese melts, and the bread softens. You are in for a treat! Refrigerator: Minestrone with pasta keeps well for up to 2 days, in an airtight container in the fridge. Minestrone without pasta (you can use farro or barley instead) lasts up to 4 days. Freezer: If you make Minestrone with fresh vegetables, you can freeze it for up to 2 months. Let it cool down thoroughly first. Thaw: Defrost in the fridge or as you reheat it in a saucepan with a dash of water.
More soup recipes
THICK AND CHUNKY SOUPS: Black bean soup, vegetable soup, split pea soup, curry lentil soup, mung bean soup, lentil vegetable soup, kale soup, and Harira soup. SMOOTH AND CREAMY SOUPS: Carrot ginger soup, sweet potato soup, broccoli soup, cauliflower soup, potato leek soup, asparagus soup, and Turkish lentil soup. For even more inspiration, check out our compilation of our best soup recipes.
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title: “Minestrone Soup” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-06” author: “Cheryl Wiltshire”
Be sure to serve this with a side of No Knead Bread, and try my Chicken Taco Soup recipe next!
Minestrone Soup
This amazing Minestrone Soup recipe is an Italian classic with a ton of amazing flavor! My favorite part is how versatile it is, the vegetable combinations are truly endless! The combination of seasonings is perfect, and the broth has so much flavor. Add a rind of Parmesan cheese to the soup while it simmers to level up the flavor even more! This method also ensures that the pasta is perfectly al dente, and that the broth is plentiful. That is a must! Be sure to check out my PRO TIPS below!
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions. Soften onions, carrots, and celery in olive oil. Add garlic, seasonings, and tomato paste, followed by diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Add kidney and cannellini beans, zucchini, and green beans. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Boil pasta separately and add directly to serving bowls (or add to the soup pot if you don’t anticipate leftovers). Remove the bay leaf and serve with Parmesan cheese! Crock Pot Method: See the notes section of the recipe card for the crock pot method!
Storage
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. This soup freezes very well, but be sure to leave out the pasta and boil fresh pasta for serving!
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4.5 Quart Dutch Oven– The perfect size for almost any soup recipe. Better Than Bouillon– This is what I always use for broth/bouillon in my recipes. It takes very little space and makes it easy to measure out customized amounts of broth. Measuring Spoons– I have these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized in my utensil drawer. Pinch Bowls– For measuring seasonings, etc. ahead of time. Soup Ladle 16 oz. storage containers I use these to store/freeze my soups. They have 8 oz. sizes as well. They’re stackable, leak proof, and dishwasher/microwave safe.
