Minestrone Soup Recipe
To say that we are BIG soup fans here at Healthy Seasonal Recipes is a complete understatement. Both reader surveys and five star ratings show time and again, healthy soup recipes are our top fan favorites. And this Minestrone Soup recipe is our most popular soup recipe ever. It always achieves high praise. It is fast (just 35 minutes), healthy and full of fresh vegetables, hearty beans and tender pasta. All for only 111 calories per cup!
Table of contents
What is minestrone soup?
Minestrone soup is a classic Italian soup made with beans and vegetables such as carrots, onions and tomatoes. Many versions have the addition of small pasta like ditalini, macaroni or tubetti or potatoes. Traditional Italian Minestrone is made with cranberry beans, kidney beans, cannelini beans or borolotti beans. Some versions have leafy greens such as kale or escarole.
Minestrone vs pasta fagioli
Minestrone and Pasta Fagioli are both traditional chunky and thick bean soups from Italy. Pasta Fagioli is a simple comfort food soup that is thick with pasta and beans with onion and garlic. It sometimes includes carrot and celery as well. Meanwhile, Minestrone is a hearty vegetable soup with beans and pasta. This sounds similar, but the difference is in the ratios: Minestrone is mostly veggies while Pasta Fagioli is mostly pasta and beans.
Why We Love This Minestrone Soup Recipe
When I set about the goal of perfecting homemade Minestrone, I guess this was a seemingly straightforward task. But not so, because a lot of Minestrone soup recipes fall flat on flavor, taste drab or too low-fat.
If you’ve been to Italy and had authentic Minestrone soup, then you know that real-deal Italian Minestrone is neither flat nor low fat tasting! This version is fast, healthy and made with vegetables, beans, zucchini and fresh basil. It’s high in fiber and only 111 calories per cup, but it is surprisingly filling! Also, it can be frozen too!
This minestrone soup is delicious!! And it’s so colorful and pretty. The whole family loved it.
~Alicia
Chef’s Notes: What is the secret to making an easy minestrone soup taste great?
- Take your time to develop the flavor by sauteeing onion and garlic first
- Bloom your herbs and spices before adding liquid
- Building fond
- Deglazing with wine (here’s why that’s important)
If you follow these tips, you’ll be rewarded with richly flavored soup in only 35 minutes! Take a taste and you’ll see why we think this is the best minestrone soup recipe.
Minestrone Soup ingredients
- Pasta: I like to use macaroni, but another small pasta shape (like mini shells) works fine too. If you are following a gluten-free diet, use your favorite gluten-free pasta.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: To cook the veggies and for drizzling at the end you’ll want olive oil. While the cooked oil will not add too much flavor, the finishing oil will. That is why I recommend a good quality extra-virgin olive oil for finishing this dish. If you happen to have two different in your kitchen, use the less expensive olive oil for cooking and then use a really good olive oil for topping the soup at the end.
- Fresh Veggies: I used diced onions, garlic, celery and carrots in this healthy minestrone soup recipe. To bulk up the veggies more I also added in diced zucchini. If you prefer you can use green beans instead.
- Italian seasoning: This is a dry seasoning blend found in large supermarkets. It has a nice balance of herbs that wake up beautifully in the soup.
- Salt: I use table salt here. If you prefer to use coarse kosher salt, read this info about substituting. If you are on a low-sodium diet, simply omit the salt and use a low-sodium broth. Then just add salt and pepper to taste at the very end if you feel you need it.
- Dry white wine: To bring out the flavors and add acidity to the soup, I use dry white wine. Look for one without a lot of oak or residual sugar. I like Italian whites for this such as Orvieto or Pinot Grigio.
- Vegetable broth: My favorite brand of veggie broth is Imagine No Chicken. It tastes amazing and is not bitter or dark. You can also use my recipe for Vegetable Stock to make yours from scratch. This vegetarian minestrone soup is technically a vegan soup (meaning it is made without meat or dairy), but if you eat poultry, you can also sub in chicken broth or homemade chicken stock.
- Canned whole peeled tomatoes: The tomatoes help by adding acidity to the soup. They also are yet another veggie to add in. Look for whole Italian-style plum tomatoes. I prefer the rustic texture of hand-crushed whole tomatoes to canned diced tomatoes, but if you are looking for a shortcut, diced tomatoes will work instead.
- Red kidney beans: Look for no salt added if you are on a reduced-sodium diet. Make sure to drain and rinse the beans. If you prefer white beans look for cannellini beans instead which are white kidney beans. For a change of pace, Great Northern Beans too.
- Basil: To add fresh and bright herb flavor at the end I also add in fresh basil. This great way to make a big flavor pop. Do not sub in dried. If you do not have it you can skip it.
- Grated Parmesan cheese: This recipe is vegan, but if you eat cheese, I love the way a bit of Parmesan tastes on top. Freshly grate if you can for the best flavor and texture. If you happen to have a leftover parmesan rind you can also add it in with the broth and simmer it in the soup!
Equipment Note: If you love making homemade soups, I suggest you invest in a good soup pot. I particularly love my 9-quart heavy, enameled cast iron pot for making soup. It has a wide bottom, so I can brown the vegetables quickly and they don’t over-crowd and steam. The thickness of the bottom is important because it will prevent the food from burning.
How To Make Minestrone Soup
Step 1: Cook the pasta separately
This is the one and only sure-fire way of making sure your pasta is cooked but not overcooked. Trying to time soften the variety of vegetables in a quick Minestrone is tricky if the pasta is in the pot at the same time. Cooking the pasta in another pot on the stovetop eliminates the guesswork. Check your package for proper cooking time and follow the instructions to boil the pasta. Then once your soup is finished, stir the cooked pasta into the hot soup!
Step 2: Cook the onion and garlic first
In a large Dutch oven, add the oil, chopped garlic cloves and onion and saute first. Do this to get a little caramelization (that means the natural sugars have started browning).
Step 3: Add the carrots, celery and dry herbs
After the onions brown, add the carrots and celery which will contribute moisture and slow the browning process. You will also want to add the dry herbs which will help bloom them so they will be more flavorful.
If you like to add meat to your minestrone, you can add 8 ounces of Italian sausage to the pot with the veggies. Remove the casings and crumble it with the spoon as it browns.
Look for fond in the bottom of the pot. Fond is the tasty browned bits that stick to the pan. Fond is your one-way ticket to Flavortown. You want that! I do the same thing in my Ratatouille recipe and it makes such a difference! You don’t want to burn the pot, so don’t let it go too dark. Burning is bitter.
Step 4: Deglaze with white wine
White wine is acidic which is important because it and helps to draw up the fond (aka your one-way ticket to Flavortown.) Acidity also helps to brighten and balance the other flavors in the Minestrone. Wine as an ingredient also helps our taste buds perceive flavor. If you don’t drink wine or alcohol you can skip it, use a little lemon juice or try verjus instead.
Step 5: Add vegetable broth and zucchini
Next add in the broth and zucchini. The reason that we need to wait and add the zucchini with the broth is that zucchini cooks quickly and won’t caramelize because it is high in water content. So there is no point in sautéing it with the onions etc. The same goes for green beans if you are adding them to the soup instead of zucchini.
Step 6: Crush the canned tomatoes by hand
I know this seems like extra work, but I like to crush them by hand into the soup. I love the rustic, irregular texture. Look for those with the label that says San Marzano. Use the tomato sauce from the can too. That gives the soup body.
Step 7: Add beans and pasta at the end
Wait to add the beans and pasta into the soup and just heat it through. That will ensure the pasta doesn’t become overcooked and the beans will not break down.
Step 8: Stir in the basil
Add the basil after the Minestrone soup comes off the heat. Fresh basil has volatile compounds our noses pick up, but they evaporate quickly when heated. So stirring the basil in at the end will keep as much fresh basil flavor for serving.
Once you ladle the minestrone soup into bowls, top it with a drizzle of more (good) Italian extra-virgin olive oil. It’s delicious and you can really taste the olive oil when it hasn’t been cooked. I add on Parmesan cheese too- but if you’re vegan you can skip it.
Expert Tips and FAQs For This Recipe
Homemade Minestrone Soup ingredient substitutions
This recipe is very versatile so if you do not have one or more of the ingredients.
- Feel free to use any fresh vegetables you have on hand. For example, you can use fresh green beans instead of zucchini.
- You can also make this recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta.
- We save our Parmesan rinds too, so if you happen to have one, add it into the pot with the stock.
- If you like a little heat, add a half teaspoon of red pepper flake with the Italian Seasoning.
- Some Italian variations are also cooked with parts of the pork in the broth, that don’t actually add any chunks of meat to the soup, but they add lots of velvety mouthfeel.
Make Ahead Tips
Soups are one of the best make-ahead meals out there! I love the way the flavors marry and taste even better the next day. I will often make a big pot on the weekend with the express purpose of having it for lunches for the week. This Minestrone soup can be made ahead up to 5 days in advance.
If you like al dente pasta, keep it separate in an airtight container and only add it just before serving. Once it is stirred into the soup it will continue to soften and absorb liquid.
How to Reheat Minestrone on the Stovetop
- To rewarm, bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat stirring occasionally.
- Do not simmer for too long as this will overcook the pasta and zucchini and dull the flavor of the basil.
- For best flavor, leave the basil out until it is re-warmed. If the flavors seem dull, feel free to add salt and pepper to taste.
Can you freeze minestrone soup?
Yes, this Minestrone can be frozen up to three months. Here’s how:
- Divide into containers with a convenient number of servings.
- Cool completely in the fridge before covering tightly and freezing.
- Freeze for up to three months.
- To thaw, transfer the container to the refrigerator and thaw at least 24 hours.
- Or reheat from frozen in the microwave, breaking up ice as it thaws every 4 minutes or so.
At only 111 calories and 4 grams of fiber per cup, this minestrone is filling but relatively low in calories. This soup is also high in vegetables and research shows that high intakes of vegetables can be associated with reduced risk of weight gain and lower rates of chronic disease.
Pick up a loaf of crusty bread to make this hearty soup into a simple homey meal. If you want to go a step further, serve this soup as a main course with a side garden salad or kale caesar salad or with homemade whole-wheat bread. Alternatively, it could be served as a first course for an Italian vegetarian meal of vegetarian mushroom lasagna or spinach stuffed shells.
More Healthy Soup Recipes You’ll Love
- If you love this recipe, and you love your Instant Pot, try our Instant Pot Minestrone too!
- Harvest Vegetable Soup, and Garden Vegetable Soup are in a competition to win the “most delicious vegetable soup on the planet” award. You’ll have to try them both to cast your vote!
- Chicken and Wild Rice Soup, if you eat poultry, you’ll want to save this one as well. It’s full of hearty veggies and has so much flavor!
- Chicken and Quinoa Soup plus what to do with mustard greens this is a “cures what ails ya” kind of recipe. It is super healthy (with turmeric too! Save it for when you have a cold! It will be your lifeline.)
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup a great weeknight soup dinner the whole family will love.
- Healthy New England Seafood Chowder if you haven’t made chowder from scratch, this is a great recipe for beginners.
- Recently we shared our healthy creamy Corn Chowder recipe, and it’s already getting rave reviews!
- This creamy Zucchini Soup and our Lentil Soup are the two latest additions from last soup season.
At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie
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Recipe for Minestrone Soup
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 15 cups 1x
Description
Our tried and tested recipe for Classic Minestrone soup has slow-simmered flavors in just 35 minutes! Our delicious homemade recipe is bursting with fresh vegetables, pasta, tender beans, zucchini and basil. Only 111 calories per cup.
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked macaroni, gluten-free if desired
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
- 3 cups diced onion
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 tablespoon dry Italian seasoning
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 small zucchini, diced
- 1 28–ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, preferably Italian plum tomatoes
- 1 14–ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- Grated Parmesan cheese for serving, optional
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook according to package instructions. Drain.
- Sauté The Vegetables: Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often until the onion is starting to brown slightly, about 3 minutes. Add in in carrots, celery, Italian seasoning and salt, and stir to combine. Continue cooking, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened and the pan has a little fond along the bottom, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Make The Soup: Pour in wine and cook, stirring until most of the wine is evaporated, 1 to 3 minutes. Add in broth and zucchini, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, and cook until the vegetables are tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Crush tomatoes into the soup and add any tomato sauce from the can. Stir in beans and the cooked macaroni and cook, stirring often until heated through, about 4 minutes.
- To Finish and Serve: Remove from heat. Stir in basil. Serve in bowls topped with Parmesan and additional olive oil if desired.
Notes
Fond is the golden brown tasty crusty bits found on the bottom of the pot once the liquid in the veggies has cooked out. Fond is very flavorful so it is important to develop the fond in step 2 to maximize flavor of the Minestrone.
This soup can be made ahead up to 5 days in advance. To rewarm, bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat stirring occasionally. Do not simmer for too long as this will overcook the pasta and zucchini and dull the flavor of the basil. For best flavor, leave the basil out until it is re-warmed.
Minestrone can be frozen up to three months. Divide into containers with convenient number of servings and cool completely in the fridge before covering tightly and freezing. To thaw, transfer the container to the refrigerator and thaw at least 24 hours. Or reheat from frozen in the microwave, breaking up ice as it thaws every 4 minutes or so.
Nutrition information is without garnishes.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: soup
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 111
- Sugar: 6
- Fat: 2
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 3 g
I have updated the text and photos in this post and republished it today. I originally shared this recipe for minestrone soup on September 7th, 2018.
The biggest issue I have is that the macaroni bloats after I store it in the fridge. Should I keep the macaroni separate and add it as I reheat?
Yup. In our “make ahead tips” section we cover this issue. Here’s what I said: If you like al dente pasta, keep it separate in an airtight container and only add it just before serving. Once it is stirred into the soup it will continue to soften and absorb liquid.
I am in love with Olive Garden’s minestrone soup and found a recipe that has way too much spinach and is very costly. I found this one while scrolling through Pinterest and had to give it a try! Have to say – I threw out the old recipe and enjoy this minestrone soup LEAPS AND BOUNDS above Olive Garden! It is so flavorful and easy to make. Thank you for sharing!
Woot woot! Thank you Brittany! This is such a great review. You just made my day!
This is the best minestrone soup ever. I have made this more than I could count and my family, friends and neighbors are nuts for it. It is so easy to make and when someone is sick in my area I whip up a pot of this and share it with them. I highly recommend making this with a great loaf of Italian bread as a side. Five stars isn’t enough!!!!!
Thank you so much Maureen!
So GOOD! Even my son who doesn’t like soup, said it was good. I did use a full pound of Italian sausage and a little more macaroni.
I am glad he liked it too! Thank you Jenna!
First minestrone recipe I actually liked, very full bodied flavor. I will put this in my repertoire.
Yummy food very nice
Dont forget about 1 cup plus/minus chunky-chopped mushrooms, pieces or slices about 1/2″.
I think mushrooms would be great in here, but I caution to add them in step 2 and allow the moisture to cook out and evaporate before deglazing, as achieving a fond is an important step in creating flavor.
This is a good recipe except for the packaged Italian seasoning. If you’re going to use fresh basil and fresh garlic, why use a food-packing company’s idea of “Italian” seasoning? Just use, in equal parts, rosemary, basil, oregano, thyme, and marjoram.
I am not sure we are on the same page here Gerre. Are you talking about Italian salad dressing mix? The product I am talking about is in the spices and it is only a combination of a blend of herbs and no additives. Many of our readers here at Healthy Seasonal Recipes are busy working individuals with families who do not a ton of extra time or bandwidth to go out and purchase several bottles of dried herbs. In many of my recipes, I call for Italian Seasoning because it is a convenient, affordable and accessible way of adding several herbs to a dish with only one bottle of herbs and one measurement. If you prefer to measure out and mix your own blend that is awesome and I applaud you. I am pasting below a link to the blend that I prefer. It actually has more than just the list of herbs you mentioned. It has oregano, basil, garlic, thyme, rosemary, onion, parsley, savory, marjoram, and sage.
https://mortonbassett.com/products/italian-herb-blend
Loved it! I added some red pepper flakes and splash of red wine vinegar. I’ll freeze it without the pasta and cook it up fresh for our next meal! Thank you!
Thanks so much Francyne!
Can I use beef broth instead of vegetable broth?
Thanks
Grace
If you need a substitute we suggest chicken broth as it has a nice neutral flavor, but beef broth could work in a pinch.
Thank you, Katie, for sharing this delicious recipe. I enjoyed making it and especially enjoyed eating it and sharing with friends.
Thank you Cathy! Have a great week!
This is a great soup ,but the cooking time is inaccurate, if you chop your own veggies give yourself an hour and 5 min from start to finish .
Thanks for the feedback on how long it took you Judith.
Sounds just delicious! Quick question, what is the difference between pasta fagioli soup and minestrone. I am interested in making tasty vegan soups and am interested in making your minestrone recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Pasta Fagioli is generally made with white cannellini beans or cranberry beans, but that varies by region. Like Minestrone it can be made with whatever veggies you have on hand, but is generally less about the veggies and much more about the beans and pasta, as the name implies. When making it, the beans are mashed into the broth and the pasta is cooked into the soup to thicken it. If you are looking for a plant-based pasta fagioli, note that many contain either lard or some sort of pork product so you’ll want to use olive oil instead.
Thank you Katie! This Minestrone is SOOOO AMAZING! I made it, thinking it might taste OK. What a pleasant surprise when I took my first spoonful. It tastes so fresh and flavorful and delicious!!
I followed the recipe EXACTLY, and will not change a thing the next time I make it—which will be soon.
I am so happy you liked it so much Linda. Thank you for coming back to review and leave a star rating. Thank you!