Hearty Classic Italian Minestrone (Printable)

Hearty Italian vegetable soup with pasta, beans, and savory tomato broth

# Components:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 large onion, diced
03 - 2 carrots, diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
07 - 1 cup green beans, chopped
08 - 2 cups chopped spinach or kale

→ Base and Seasonings

09 - 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
10 - 6 cups vegetable broth
11 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
12 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
13 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Pasta and Beans

16 - 3/4 cup small pasta such as ditalini, elbow, or small shells
17 - 1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
18 - 1 can (15 oz) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

→ Garnishes

19 - Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
20 - Chopped fresh parsley
21 - Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery; sauté for 5 to 6 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in minced garlic, diced zucchini, and chopped green beans; cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
03 - Add diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, oregano, basil, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
04 - Reduce heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 15 minutes.
05 - Stir in pasta and both types of beans. Simmer uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes, or until pasta reaches al dente texture.
06 - Add spinach or kale and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until wilted. Remove and discard bay leaf.
07 - Taste the soup and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, and a drizzle of olive oil if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's a one-pot meal that feels like you spent hours cooking when it actually takes just over an hour from start to finish.
  • The vegetables get soft enough to be comforting, but the soup stays bright and alive because nothing gets overcooked to oblivion.
  • You can throw in whatever vegetables you have hanging around your crisper drawer without guilt.
02 -
  • Add the pasta directly to the soup pot, not in a separate pot of water, because the pasta will absorb all that seasoned broth and taste infinitely better.
  • Don't add the greens until the very end or they'll turn into an unappealing mush that tastes more like sadness than vegetables.
03 -
  • Toast the dried herbs in the hot oil for thirty seconds before adding the vegetables so their flavors bloom and become more aromatic instead of dusty and flat.
  • Taste the broth before you add the tomatoes so you know what you're starting with, because some vegetable broths are saltier than others and you need to adjust as you go.
Return