Looking for a hearty and delicious Italian vegetable soup that’s easy to make? Look no further than the best Minestrone Soup recipe! Packed with all your favorite veggies, this soup is a surefire hit with the whole family.
My favorite season is soup season! It’s perfect for meal prepping for the week or when you need a quick and easy meal option.
What I love about this recipe is that it’s totally customizable. While I use canned veggies in my version, you can easily swap in fresh ones from the garden when they’re in season.
Sure, it might require a bit more prep work, but the taste is definitely worth it! And it’s a great way to use up those leftover vegetables that have been sitting in your fridge.
Pair your Minestrone Soup with some crusty bread or a side salad, and you’ve got a complete meal that’s sure to satisfy. And if you’re missing some of the veggies called for in the recipe, don’t worry! You can easily substitute for whatever variety of vegetables you have on hand.
Looking for more soup inspiration? Give chicken tortilla soup or slow cooker tortellini soup a try. Both are hearty and delicious, and perfect for chilly nights!
Why You’ll Love This Comforting Soup
- Affordable: Using canned vegetables makes this soup budget friendly.
- Easy to make: Everything is cooked in one pot making clean up a breeze.
- Hearty and delicious: Super filling and even better the next day.
What You Need
- Vegetables: Carrots, celery, green beans, corn, diced tomatoes, minced garlic and diced onions.
- Beans: Red kidney beans and cannellini beans.
- Seasonings: Dried basil, oregano, dried thyme, salt and black pepper.
- Vegetable broth
- Ditalini pasta
- Olive oil
- Grated Parmesan cheese: for garnish.
Recipe Variations
- Make a meaty version by adding some Italian sausage or ground beef.
- Replace cannellini beans with lentils for a lentil minestrone soup.
- For a thicker soup replace canned tomatoes with tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes.
- Add some heat by adding red pepper flakes or hot Italian sausage to the soup.
- For a seafood twist add shrimp but cook separately from soup. Adjust cooking time accordingly.
- If you are not a fan of beans, leave them out!
How to Make Minestrone Soup
- Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, carrots, and celery, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add diced tomatoes, kidney beans, cannellini beans, green beans, corn, broth, basil, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper to the pot. Stir everything together.
- Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the pasta to the pot and simmer for an additional 10 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked.
- Adjust seasoning if needed. Serve hot, with grated Parmesan cheese on top and a side of garlic bread.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t over cook the vegetables! They should be tender and not mushy.
- Make sure to drain and rinse kidney and cannellini beans before adding to soup.
- Adjust the seasonings to your preference.
- Garnish with fresh herbs such as basil or parsley for added freshness and color.
Storing and Reheating
- To Store: Place leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: Allow soup to cool and place in an airtight container or freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in fridge before reheating.
- To Reheat: Reheat in microwave or via stove top to desired temperature. May need to add a little water or broth if soup has thickened.
FAQs
What type of pasta should I use?
For this recipe we used ditalini but you can use any kind of small pasta you’d like. Some favorite are elbow macaroni, cavatappi and shells pasta.
Can I use fresh vegetables in the soup?
Yes, you can use canned or fresh vegetables in this soup. Canned vegetables will save you time from prepping and great to use when in a pinch or vegetables are not in season.
Can I make minestrone soup in the slow cooker?
Yes, of course. To do so, add all the ingredients to the slow cooker except the pasta and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. When finished add cooked pasta and serve.
Can I make minestrone soup in advance?
Yes, you can make this soup on advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Can I freeze minestrone soup?
Yes! This soup freezes nicely. Allow to cool and place in a airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 month. Thaw soup overnight in fridge and reheat.
Can I make minestrone soup gluten free?
Yes, you can make this soup gluten free by swapping the pasta for a gluten-free pasta and the broth if it has gluten in it.
Minestrone Soup
Looking for a hearty and delicious Italian vegetable soup that's easy to make? Look no further than the best Minestrone Soup recipe! Packed with all your favorite veggies, this soup is a surefire hit with the whole family.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz) green beans, drained
- 1 can (15 oz) corn, drained
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup small pasta, such as macaroni or ditalini
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, carrots, and celery, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add diced tomatoes, kidney beans, cannellini beans, green beans, corn, broth, basil, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper to the pot. Stir everything together.
- Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the pasta to the pot and simmer for an additional 10 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked.
- Adjust seasoning if needed. Serve hot, with grated Parmesan cheese on top.
Notes
- To Store: Place leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: Allow soup to cool and place in an airtight container or freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in fridge before reheating.
- To Reheat: Reheat in microwave or via stovetop to desired temperature. May need to add a little water or broth if soup has thickened.
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