What makes this Minestrone soup healthy?

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 .

What goes with Minestrone soup?

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 .

Minestrone Soup

Name: Recipe for Minestrone Soup
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Italian
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; ¾ teaspoon salt; ½ 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; ¼ cup chopped fresh basil; Grated Parmesan cheese for serving, optional

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

Units Scale

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

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

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