I make this Italian minestrone soup a lot at home. This easy vegetable soup has beans and pasta. This one-pot dinner is ready in 30 minutes and tastes delicious.
Why is it called minestrone soup?
Minestrone in Italian means "thick soup". It's a thick vegetable soup with beans, pasta, and seasonal veggies, cooked together in a flavourful broth.
What I enjoy most is how flexible this classic Italian minestrone is. You can use any vegetables sitting in the fridge, and they taste great.
No fixed recipe here the ingredients change with season and whatever you have at home. If you enjoy this soup, you'll love my chicken cacciatore recipe as well.
Why You'll Love The Recipe
- Perfect for busy winter nights: When I want something warm, healthy, and filling without much effort, this Italian vegetable soup is what I make.
- Made with simple everyday ingredients: This easy minestrone soup recipe is made with everyday ingredients like vegetables, beans, and a little pasta.
- One-pot recipe: A little bit of chopping, less cooking, and almost no cleanup just like my Mediterranean chicken and chickpea soup.
- Make-ahead meal: I often pack the leftovers for lunch because the flavours get even better the next day.
- Flexible: For this Italian bean and pasta soup you can use any vegetables you have at home.
- Light Italian flavour: I love that it feels comforting in any season.
- Tastes even better the next day: That makes it great for meal prep or lunchboxes.
What is minestrone soup made of?
See the recipe card at the end of the post for full ingredients, quantities, and a printable version.
- Pasta: I use macaroni or elbow pasta. Any small pasta works, even small shells. You can also use quinoa or rice.
- Olive oil: I prefer olive oil because it has a nice flavour. You can use butter for richness or regular oil if that's what you have.
- Crushed tomatoes: They give the soup a good texture and flavour. You can replace them with 1 cup of thick tomato puree.
- Vegetable broth: I used homemade broth. It adds more flavour to the soup. You can use water, but water alone won't give the same taste.
- Italian seasoning: This brings that classic Italian flavour. I used it in my one pot chicken noodle soup recipe too.
- Spinach: Adds a lovely taste and some colour. You can use kale, too.
- Beans: I use red kidney beans, but cannellini beans also work well.
- Vegetables: Celery, carrot, zucchini, and any veggies you already have. It's a great way to finish leftovers. There are no fixed rules here.
- Sriracha: I like the little kick it gives, but it's optional. You can skip it or use red chilli flakes.
Variations
- You can add any vegetables of your choice. Add blanched bell peppers, corn, peas, potatoes, etc.
- Add parmesan rind to the soup while cooking it.
- Make it gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta to make the soup.
- If you are non-vegetarian then you can add chicken to the soup. I had made it many times with shredded chicken and it tastes great.
- Use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth.
How to make Italian Minestrone Soup Recipe With Step-by-Step Photos
Step 1: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onions turn soft and translucent.
Step 2: Add the carrots and celery. Stir and cook until the vegetables become soft.
Step 3: Add Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Mix well. Add the zucchini. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Step 4: Stir in the crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth. Mix everything well. Cover and bring it to a boil.
Step 5: Add the macaroni, red kidney beans, and spinach. Cook the pasta until it is al dente. Stir in between so it doesn't stick.
Step 6: Taste and adjust the seasoning. Turn off the heat and add lemon juice, sriracha, and a little olive oil. Your minestrone soup is ready. Serve hot with crusty bread.
Recipe Tips
- Cook the pasta until al dente. Soft or mushy pasta will not taste good in this soup.
- Use any vegetables you like. Cook the veggies only until they are just right. They should not turn mushy.
- The soup becomes thick as it sits. Add a little broth to adjust the consistency while reheating.
- Top with parmesan cheese for extra flavour or crispy noodles like we did in our chicken manchow soup recipe.
What to serve with minestrone soup?
- Crusty bread and butter: Perfect for dipping into a warm bowl of soup.
- Bruschetta: Toasted bread with tomatoes and herbs adds extra flavour.
- Parmesan crisps: My favorite! Crispy and cheesy snack to enjoy alongside.
- Mediterranean roasted vegetables or grilled vegetables: Light side option.
- Caesar salad: A fresh, crunchy side to balance the soup.
Recipe Card
Italian Minestrone Soup Recipe
Video
Equipment
- Heavy bottom pot
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
- ½ cup carrots, peeled & chopped
- ½ cup celery, diced
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1 can crushed tomatoes (or use 1.5 cups of fresh tomato puree)
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 no. zucchini
- ½ cup Macaroni, elbow pasta, uncooked
- 1 cup red kidney beans, drained & rinsed (cooked beans)
- 1 cup spinach
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon sriracha (optional)
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onions turn soft and translucent.
- Add the carrots and celery. Stir and cook until the vegetables become soft.
- Add Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Mix well. Add the zucchini. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth. Mix everything well. Cover and bring it to a boil.
- Add the macaroni, red kidney beans, and spinach. Cook the pasta until it is al dente. Stir in between so it doesn't stick.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning. Turn off the heat and add lemon juice, sriracha, and a little olive oil. Your minestrone soup is ready. Serve hot with crusty bread.
Notes
- You can use any small shape pasta.
- If planning to freeze the soup then cook the pasta separately & then directly add it to the serving bowl.
- Do not freeze the soup with pasta. It will become mushy & spoil the entire soup.
- The soup will thicken with time. Add in some broth to adjust the consistency & reheat it.
- After adding pasta, cook stirring it often to avoid pasta sticking to the bottom of the soup.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you like this recipe, you might be interested in other soup recipes.
Samaira
Amazing. I made it today. It was delicious.