Minestrone Soup

A hearty and flavorful minestrone soup packed full of fresh veggies. This healthy soup recipe is easily made in one pot in just 30 minutes!

Whenever we go to Olive Garden, we love to get the unlimited soup and Olive Garden breadsticks. Minestrone is always my first pick because it’s loaded with vegetables and bold Italian flavor. I decided to recreate this soup recipe at home, as well as their chicken gnocchi soup, pasta e fagioli and zuppa toscana.

This traditional minestrone soup is easy to whip up, hearty and delicious! It makes the perfect easy and comforting meal on a chilly, fall day. I love minestrone because it’s packed with fresh vegetables and is a great way to sneak some extra veggies into your kid’s dinner. My kids gobbled this up (even my picky eaters).

Minestrone also makes a great vegetarian dish for meatless Monday, however if you wanted to add some protein you could easily mix in some shredded chicken, crumbled sausage or mini meatballs. And don’t forget to serve the soup with a warm dinner roll, breadstick or piece of cornbread. Seriously so delicious!

Ingredients

• Tomato broth: The base of minestrone is a mix of diced tomatoes, tomato paste and chicken broth. Feel free to use vegetable broth if vegetarian.
• Veggies: This soup is loaded with veggies! Any type will work, but my favorites are diced onions, celery, potatoes, zucchini, squash, green beans and carrots.
• Spices: Don’t forget to add spices to help give the soup extra flavor! This recipe calls for Italian seasoning, garlic and salt and pepper.
• Beans: We love to add beans for extra protein. Kidney beans are our favorite, but white beans taste delicious too.
• Pasta: I love using mini shells, but you could also substitute for ditilini or elbow noodles. If you want to make it even more filling, a cheese tortellini would be delicious.

How to make minestrone soup

1. SAUTE. Start by sautéing the onions in a pot until translucent for about 3 minutes. Then add in the chopped celery and garlic and cook for an additional minute.
2. BOIL. Next stir in the broth, 1 cup of water, vegetables, tomatoes, tomato paste and spices. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and then simmer an additional 10 minutes.
3. COOK. Mix in the beans and pasta and cook until the pasta is al dente (about 8-10 minutes). If the soup is too thick, add in another 1/2 to 1 cup hot water to thin it out a little. Then remove the pot from the heat.
4. SERVE. If adding spinach, mix it in right before serving. It will wilt quickly from the heat of the soup. Then ladle the minestrone into bowls and top with parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

Cooking tips

• This recipe is super customizable. Use any type of veggies or pasta that you have in the fridge and pantry.
• Use prechopped or frozen veggies to save on time.
• You can omit the pasta and double up on beans if preferred.
• For more protein, add in ground turkey, shredded chicken, meatballs or Italian sausage.
• Add the spinach (or kale) in right before serving. It only takes a few seconds to wilt.

Freezing + reheating

This minestrone soup makes a great freezer meal. I’d recommend omitting the pasta if freezing, as it tends to get mushy when frozen.

1. To freeze: Let soup cool completely. Ladle into a freezer bag or container, leaving room for the soup to expand. Label the bag with the date so that you easily know the expiration. Then store in freezer for up to 3 months.
2. To reheat: Thaw in microwave or in fridge overnight. Add soup to a large pot and simmer over low heat. While the soup is warming, cook the pasta in a separate pot until al dente. Add pasta to the pot with the soup and mix together. Ladle into bowls and serve with desired toppings!

TIP: When reheating minestrone, I like to add a splash of chicken broth to thin it out a little.

More Italian soup recipes:

• Sausage tortellini soup
• Tomato basil soup
• Meatball soup
• Tomato tortellini soup