Minestrone Soup

Minestrone Soup – A hearty and flavorful soup packed full of fresh veggies. Easily made in one pot in just 30 minutes!

I love to make soup recipes loaded with vegetables. It’s the perfect way to sneak in veggies at dinnertime. My family loves this easy minestrone soup, as well as hearty vegetable soup, crockpot cabbage soup, roasted cauliflower soup and creamy sweet potato soup.

Easy minestrone soup

This minestrone soup is easy to whip up, hearty and delicious! It makes the perfect easy and comforting meal on a chilly, fall day. Plus it’s cooked in just one pot in 30 minutes!

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 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 homemade roll, breadstick or piece of cornbread. Yum!

What is minestrone soup made of?

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: Minestrone is loaded with veggies! Any type will work, but my favorites are 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 to add, 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, you could add a cheese tortellini.

How to make minestrone soup

Step 1: Cook onion, garlic and celery 

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-heat. Add in the chopped onion and cook for 3 minutes, or until translucent. Mix in the celery and garlic and cook an additional minute.

Step 2: Add in broth, spices and veggies 

Mix in the chicken broth, 1 cup water, vegetables, tomatoes, tomato paste and stir together. Then add in the Italian seasoning and salt. Add desired amount of pepper (I added about 1/4 teaspoon).

Cover soup with a lid and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and then simmer an additional 10 minutes.

Step 3: Mix in beans and pasta 

Next add in the beans and pasta shells. Cook an additional 8-10 minutes, or until pasta shells are cooked al dente. They will continue to cook once off the heat, so don’t overcook. Add another 1/2-1 cup hot water if preferred. Salt and pepper to taste.

Step 4: Serve and enjoy! 

Remove pot from heat and stir in spinach if desired and allow to wilt. Ladle into bowls and serve with parmesan cheese and fresh basil if desired.

Can minestrone be frozen?

Yes, you can absolutely freeze minestrone soup! I’d recommend omitting the pasta if freezing, as it tends to get mushy when frozen. For freezing and reheating instructions, check out the simple steps below.

To freeze:

1. Let soup cool completely.
2. Ladle into a freezer bag or container, leaving room for the soup to expand.
3. Add a freezer label on top so that you easily know the expiration.
4. Store in freezer for up to 3 months.

To reheat:

1. To thaw, place in fridge overnight or thaw in microwave.
2. Add soup to a large pot and simmer over low heat.
3. While the soup is warming, cook the pasta in a separate pot until al dente.
4. Add pasta to the pot with the soup and mix together.
5. Ladle minestrone into bowls and serve with desired toppings!

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

More Italian soup recipes:

• Pasta e Fagioli
• Sausage Tortellini Soup
• Zuppa Toscana
• Chicken Gnocchi Soup
• Tomato Basil Soup
• Easy Lasagna Soup

Minestrone Soup Recipe

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: minestrone, minestrone soup, minestrone soup recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 292

Author: Jamielyn Nye

Minestrone Soup - A hearty and flavorful soup packed full of fresh veggies. Easily made in one pot in just 30 minutes! 

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Ingredients

• 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion , more if desired
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 2-3 teaspoons minced garlic , about 4 cloves
• 32 ounces chicken broth , or vegetable broth
• 1-2 cups water
• 4 cups seasonal vegetables (potatoes, zuchinni, green beans, squash, carrots)
• 14 ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 15 ounce can kidney beans (or white beans) , drained and rinsed
• 1 cup uncooked small pasta shells

Freshly ground pepper or red pepper flakes

Optional: 1-2 cups baby spinach, freshly grated parmesan cheese, fresh basil

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-heat. Add onion and cook for 3 minutes, or until translucent. Mix in the celery and garlic and cook an additional minute.
• Add in the chicken broth, 1 cup water, vegetables, tomatoes, tomato paste and stir together. Then add in the Italian seasoning and salt. Add desired amount of pepper (I added about 1/4 teaspoon). Cover soup with a lid and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and then simmer an additional 10 minutes.
• Next add in the beans and pasta shells. Cook an additional 8-10 minutes, or until pasta shells are cooked al dente. They will continue to cook once off the heat, so don't overcook. Add another 1/2-1 cup hot water if preferred. Salt and pepper to taste.
• Remove pot from heat and stir in spinach if desired and allow to wilt. Ladle into bowls and serve with parmesan cheese and fresh basil if desired.

Notes

This recipe is great because you can add any vegetables you have on hand. You can even buy pre-chopped veggies to save on time.

Here are some of my favorite vegetables to add to minestrone soup:

• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Celery
• Squash
• Zuchinni
• Green beans
• Peas
• Corn
• Bell peppers
• Spinach or kale

You could also add a protein to this soup if desired:

• Shredded chicken
• Mini meatballs 
• Cooked Italian sausage 

Nutrition

Calories: 292kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1198mg | Potassium: 861mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 6642IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 5mg

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