The Best Minestrone Soup Recipe
User Reviews
4.9
The Best Minestrone Soup Recipe
Description
This minestrone soup recipe incorporates white beans blended with broth for a creamy base, combined with sautéed onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. Canned diced tomatoes and vegetable or chicken broth contribute acidity and richness. Fresh herbs including rosemary, basil, and parsley add bright, herby notes. The soup simmers gently with bay leaves and optional Parmesan rind for umami until the flavors meld.
Near the end, zucchini and spinach are added to maintain their texture and freshness. The recipe calls for small pasta like ditalini or orzo cooked separately to keep it al dente and prevent the soup from thickening excessively. Ladled into bowls with pasta and optionally topped with extra Parmesan, this soup delivers a balanced mixture of creamy bean base, tender vegetables, and pasta.
The soup works well as a nourishing meal or starter, especially in cooler weather. It combines hearty and fresh elements for a classic vegetable soup experience.
The notes suggest cooking pasta separately to avoid over-softening. This approach maintains the pasta's texture and prevents it from absorbing too much broth during storage.
Ingredients
- 15 ounce can White beans (drained, rinsed (cannellini beans or navy beans))
- 32 oz container chicken broth or vegetable broth for vegan, reduced sodium
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion chopped
- 1 cup carrot diced
- 1/2 cup celery diced
- 2 garlic minced, cloves
- 28 oz can diced tomatoes petite
- Parmesan Cheese optional, rind
- 1 rosemary fresh sprig
- 2 bay leaf
- 2 tbsp basil chopped, fresh
- 1/4 cup Italian parsley chopped, fresh
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- black pepper fresh
- 1 medium zucchini (about 8 oz each, diced)
- 2 cups spinach (chopped fresh, if frozen defrosted)
- 2 cups ditalini al dente (or gluten-free pasta, or orzo, cooked small pasta
- Parmesan Cheese optional, extra, for garnish
Instructions
- Puree beans with 1 cup of the broth in a blender.
- Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic and stir, saute until tender and fragrant, about 15 minutes.
- Add the remaining broth, tomatoes, pureed beans, parmesan cheese rind if using, salt and pepper. Add the rosemary, bay leaves, basil and parsley, bring to a boil, then cover and cook on low 40 minutes.
- Add the zucchini and spinach, cover and simmer until the zucchini is tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaves, rosemary sprig, Parmesan rind and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Ladle 1-1/4 cups soup into 8 bowls with 1/4 cup pasta in each and top with extra parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- Cooking the pasta separately keeps it al dente and prevents it from soaking up too much broth.
- If preferred, pasta can be cooked directly in the soup at the end, but it will soften more.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 175 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 11/2 cups | |
| Calories | 175kcal | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 31.5g | 11% |
| Protein | 8g | 16% |
| Fat | 2g | 3% |
| Sodium | 358mg | 15% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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