Hearty Italian Minestrone Soup (Print Version)

Italian vegetable soup with beans, pasta, and herbs for a comforting, nutritious meal in just 1 hour.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
04 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
07 - 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
08 - 1 cup green beans, chopped
09 - 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes

→ Legumes & Pasta

10 - 1 can (14 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
11 - 1 cup small pasta such as ditalini or elbow macaroni

→ Broth & Seasonings

12 - 6 cups vegetable broth
13 - 2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs such as oregano, basil, and thyme
14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Finishing Touches

16 - 2 cups baby spinach or chopped kale
17 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
18 - Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in garlic, zucchini, potato, and green beans. Cook for another 3 minutes.
03 - Add diced tomatoes, cannellini beans, vegetable broth, dried herbs, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil.
04 - Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
05 - Stir in pasta and simmer uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes until pasta and vegetables are tender.
06 - Remove bay leaf. Add spinach or kale and cook for 2 minutes until wilted.
07 - Season with salt and pepper to taste.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with fresh parsley, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It's forgiving enough to use whatever vegetables need rescuing from your fridge before they turn sad.
  • The soup tastes even better the next day, so you're essentially getting two meals from one pot.
  • There's something deeply satisfying about a dish that's hearty enough for dinner but light enough you don't need a nap afterward.
02 -
  • Don't add the pasta until the last 10 minutes, or it will turn into mush and absorb all the broth, leaving you with something more like porridge than soup.
  • A Parmesan rind simmered in the broth adds an umami depth that tastes expensive but costs almost nothing if you save rinds in the freezer.
03 -
  • Save your Parmesan rinds in a freezer bag and drop one into soups and broths for restaurant-quality depth at no extra cost.
  • Taste the vegetables before they finish cooking so you know exactly when each one reaches the tenderness you prefer, rather than assuming timing.
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