This minestrone soup recipe is a delicious version of the classic Italian vegetable soup. Serve it with crusty bread for an easy vegetarian meal!
Today, I have two goals: to bake a batch of Christmas cookies and to make a pot of minestrone soup. To me, the two go hand-in-hand. After I spend an afternoon baking (and eating!) something sweet, I want nothing more than a warming, nourishing pot of soup for dinner at night.
I love this minestrone soup recipe in particular because it’s so satisfying, but still light and fresh. Onions, carrots, and celery add depth of flavor to its herb-flecked tomato broth, and starchy beans and pasta make it nice and thick. I toss in green beans for texture, and, as a final finishing touch, I top it off with fresh parsley and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. It’s super easy and flavorful, and all you need is crusty bread to make it a meal. Cookies for dessert are optional, but highly recommended.
Minestrone Soup Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this minestrone soup recipe:
- Onion, carrot, and celery – These vegetables create the aromatic base of the soup, known as a soffritto in Italian. You’ll sauté them in olive oil before adding the other ingredients.
- Garlic – It adds additional depth of flavor to the soup. You’ll stir it in after cooking the onions, carrots, and celery so that it doesn’t burn.
- Diced tomatoes – For sweet, tangy flavor.
- Green beans – They add vibrant color and crisp-tender texture to the soup.
- White or kidney beans – Navy beans, cannellini beans, and red kidney beans all work great!
- Vegetable broth – Use store-bought, or make your own.
- Bay leaves, oregano, and thyme – My easy version of a homemade Italian seasoning! These dried herbs add so much complexity to this simple minestrone soup.
- Small pasta – Think elbows, little shells, orecchiette, or ditalini. I like to cook it right in the soup so that it releases its starches into the broth.
- Fresh parsley – For garnish! Fresh basil would be excellent here too.
- Red pepper flakes – Optional, for heat.
- And Parmesan cheese – This salty, umami garnish takes the soup over the top.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Variations
If you don’t have these exact ingredients on hand, don’t worry. As Alice Waters writes in The Art of Simple Food, minestrone soup is endlessly customizable. Part of the beauty of this recipe is that you can change it up to use what’s in season or what you have on hand. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Substitute chopped fennel for the celery.
- Replace the green beans with diced zucchini or yellow squash, or use a mix of all three.
- In the summer, use diced fresh Roma tomatoes instead of canned ones.
- Stir in fresh greens, like spinach or kale, near the end of the cooking time.
- No pasta? Swap in a quick-cooking grain like pearled farro or barley.
- Instead of using canned beans, cook your own! Then, use the aromatic cooking liquid in place of some or all of the vegetable broth in this soup.
Let me know what variations you try!
Minestrone Soup Serving Suggestions
This recipe is best right after it’s made, as the pasta absorbs the broth as it sits in the leftover soup. If you want to make it ahead of time, I recommend cooking the pasta separately and stirring it into the soup as you’re ready to eat. Alternatively, you can skip the pasta and add an extra cup of beans to the soup. Prepared this way, the soup will keep well for up to four days in the fridge.
When you’re ready to eat, top each bowl with a sprinkle of parsley, red pepper flakes, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. If you’re vegan, feel free to skip the cheese, or garnish your bowl with a scoop of vegan pesto instead. (Non-vegans take note: regular pesto is also a great topping for minestrone soup!).
Serve the soup with good crusty bread and call it a day, or round out the meal with a side salad. This arugula salad, this beet salad, and this pear salad would all be fantastic with this minestrone soup. Enjoy!
More Favorite Soup Recipes
If you love this minestrone soup, try one of these delicious soup recipes next:
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Tortellini Soup
- Cabbage Soup
- Many-Veggie Vegetable Soup
- Best Lentil Soup
- Instant Pot Lentil Soup
- Tomato Basil Soup
- Or any of these 33 Best Soup Recipes!
Minestrone Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1½ cups cooked white beans or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup chopped green beans
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¾ cup small pasta, elbows, shells, orecchiette
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- Red pepper flakes
- Grated Parmesan cheese, optional, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, salt, and several grinds of black pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the garlic, tomatoes, beans, green beans, broth, bay leaves, oregano, and thyme. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Stir in the pasta and cook, uncovered, for 10 more minutes, until the pasta is cooked through.
- Season to taste and serve with parsley, red pepper flakes, and parmesan, if desired.
Massive soup fan here and always have one on the hob. My favourite minestrone soup and it is very adaptable to what vegetables you have available. Make double and it freezes well. Never heard of adding parmesan rind and will try. Question, does it melt and is no further shavings required at the end? Can the rind be used for other dishes?
Hi Julie, it melts into the soup, there will be a small chunk of it left, you can just pull it out (it’s totally edible). It makes the broth richer – you can add more on top at the end if you’d like, but you might not find it necessary.
Very delicious and so warm and filling! Only thing different to your recipe, I added a diced zucchini. Will be my “Go To” Minestrone soup this winter, Thankyou.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Just gave this recipe a try last night and the whole family loved it! I added in potato and zucchini for extra veggies, and used beef bone concentrate as it’s what I had in the pantry. The leftovers tasted even better.
Hi Natalie, I’m so glad you loved the soup!
I doubled the recipe to have extra to freeze for a rainy day. It turned out great, especially lovely with some homemade bread. May used crushed tomatoes next time, the diced were a bit large in proportion to the other veggies.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I browned 3/4″ of ground chicken with some garlic salt, added vege’ s and followed the recipe as is! Yum! A little added protein for those who are non vegan but delicious either way! Thank you for an easy delicious base recipe…..lots you can modify to change it up!
Hi Danielle, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I added cooked chicken breast, chicken stock, and tinned baked beans, so yummy.
Hi Katrina, I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup!
We’ve made this soup a few times and all love it! So much flavor and packed with veg. We sometimes throw in a Parmesan rind when adding the stock. Thank you for a delicious soup recipe!!
Hi, I’m so glad you love the soup! A Parmesan rind is a great addition here.
Can you freeze the soup?
yep!
Excellent. Today was a soup day. This was delicious. Used chicken stock and asparagus instead of green beans. Will definitely have it again. With Parmigiana!
Excellent, I tried both with vegetable stock and chicken stock as suggested in the comments, and it was delicious each time! Easy to make, comforting soup.
This has become a family favorite!!! The flavors are perfect! I did notice that it did make a difference to use a “good” quality tomato brand be store brand. (I usually chop canned San marzano….but used regular store brand diced tbjs last time, and we could tell a difference!)
Hi Holly, I’m so glad it’s been a hit!
This is fantastic; followed the recipe exactly as is and took suggestion to add a rind of Parmesan and drizzle with olive oil. So so good. Thank you!
How much does this recipe make with only 3/4 c. Pasta ?
Hi Sandy, the pasta expands as it cooks. The recipe serves 4 to 6.
I made this for my family tonight, including mother and aunt and I was told this might be one of the best soups I’ve ever made. I have to agree. The flavor was totally on point and it was very presentable. Thank you!
Hi Ellen, I’m glad you all enjoyed it!
Excellent soup. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Hi Acsana, I’m so glad you loved it!
Delicious and easy soup! I will definitely be making this a lot. It’s so customizable to your taste and whatever you have on hand. I added chickpeas and 1 medium yellow potato. Next time I’ll add kale. Delicious and healthy!
Hi Stephanie, I’m so glad you loved the recipe!
I made this once according to recipe. Now, it’s just a base for a variety of vegetable soups. My favorite starts with tomato paste(Italian), plus chunks of zucchini and a Parmesan rind (or 1/2 cup grated). Everything else remains the same. Spinach is great addition to your veggie mix. Sometimes, I make it even easier by using frozen mixed veggies from the grocery store.
Hi Lisa, Amazing! This recipe is a great flexible base. I’m glad you’re making it your own!
Has anyone doubled the beans and left out the pasta?
Hi Kerry, I think that would work great!
I did it and it turned out great. I only had fire roasted tomatoes. I wouldn’t recommend that – were a little overpowering. Next time I might even 14oz diced and 14oz tomato sauce.
Great idea! I bet that would be delicious.
I make this regularly. Especially when the veggies are in season and fresh. Occasionally I add some left over beef roast to make it a little hardier in the winter. Broken up spaghetti is what my kids love instead of other pastas, Warm crusty bread is a must! Don’t forget to Thank God for this wonderful meal
Hi Cherie, I’m so glad you love the recipe!
Really good and simple recipe for a hearty and quick soup. I used chicken stock in place of vegetable but otherwise as per recipe. Highly recommended and very authetic.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I used chicken stock as well to give it a little more flavor … I didn’t change anything else in the recipe and it is wonderful, thank you we love it ?