One-pot vegetarian minestrone soup

One-pot vegetarian minestrone soup with step by step photos & a recipe video. Minestrone soup is one of my favorites! It is packed with so many delicious flavors. Perfect weeknight meal!

This easy Minestrone soup is packed up with lots of vegetables, tomatoes, beans, pasta, and flavored with Italian seasoning.

Minestrone in Italian means "thick soup". It is a thick soup that contains pasta, tomato broth, and vegetables. It can be vegetarian or non-vegetarian.

This Italian vegetable soup is absolutely delicious & is satisfying too. It has a perfect balance of veggies, pasta, and beans.

You can have this delicious hot soup on a cold day as lunch or dinner. It is a complete meal in itself. A new addition to our family's favorite dishes. My kids loved the soup.

The best part of this vegetarian minestrone soup is that there is no hard & fast rule about what veggies will go in it.

Feel free to use any vegetables or greens you have in your hand. It is a great way to use leftovers.

Recipe features

• Quick & easy to make.
• Easy to customize – see the ingredient list below for alternative ingredients. You can add or skip the ingredients as per your taste.
• Make-ahead recipe - You can make it ahead of time. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It tastes better the next day.
• Vegetarian - No eggs or meat is used to make the soup.
• Vegan - No dairy products are used to make the soup.

Ingredients

• Pasta - I have used macaroni or elbow pasta. You can use any small shape pasta. Or use small shell pasta. You can also use quinoa or rice in the soup.
• Olive oil - I strongly recommend using olive oil. It is healthy & has its own unique flavor. You can also use butter to add richness to the soup. Or use regular cooking oil.
• Crushed tomatoes - It gives the soup a nice texture & flavor. To substitute, you can also use 1 cup thick tomato puree.
• Vegetable broth - The addition of vegetable broth enhances the flavor of the soup. You can make it easily at home too. Or use water instead of broth. But you cannot get the exact results with water.
• Italian seasoning - It gives authentic Italian flavor to the soup.
• Onion & garlic - Enhances the flavor.
• Spinach - It has its own lovely flavor & adds the same to the soup. You can also use Kale.
• Beans - I have used red kidney beans. You can also use cannellini beans.
• Vegetables - Celery, carrot, zucchini, etc.
• Lemon Juice - It brings a fresh flavor to the soup.
• Sriracha - I love the flavor it adds to the soup. It is completely optional. Skip, if you do not have it. You can also add red pepper flakes.
• Flavoring - Add black pepper powder & salt as per taste.

For the detailed list of ingredients & their measurements, please check out the recipe card below.

How to make one-pot Minestrone soup

1. Heat 2 tablespoon olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
2. Add onion & garlic. Stir fry it until the onions are translucent.      
3. Next, add carrots & celery. Stir fry until vegetables are soft.       
4. Add Italian seasoning, salt & black pepper powder. Saute for a minute.
5. Stir in crushed tomatoes & vegetable broth. Combine everything well. Cover & cook until it comes to a boil.
6. Add zucchini. Cover & cook for 5 minutes.
7. Add macaroni, red kidney beans & spinach.
8. Cook the pasta until al-dente. Stir in between to avoid pasta sticking to the bottom of the pan.
9. Taste & adjust the seasoning.
10. Remove from heat & stir in lemon juice, sriracha, and olive oil.
11. Minestrone soup is ready to serve. Serve with crusty bread.

Cooking Tips

• Cook the pasta until al dente. Mushy or overcooked pasta will not taste good.
• The addition of vegetable broth enhances the flavor.
• Use any vegetable of your choice.
• Cook the vegetables in such a way that it should be cooked right. It should not be mushy in the soup.
• You can use any small shape pasta.
• I have used homemade tomato puree. You can also use a can of crushed tomatoes.
• If you are using canned red kidney beans, they are already cooked. You can use them straight away. But if you are using uncooked kidney beans then cook it & then use it. 
• To cook uncooked kidney beans - Soak them in water for 7 hours. Drain it & pressure cook for 5 whistles or more until it is cooked.
• 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 when thawed.
• The soup will thicken with time. Add in some broth to adjust the consistency & reheat it.
• Garnish with parmesan cheese for more flavors (optional). If you are vegan then skip adding the cheese.

Variations that you can try

• You can add the vegetables of your choice. Add blanched bell peppers, corn, peas, potatoes, etc.
• If you are not vegan then add parmesan rind to the soup while cooking it. Or use vegan parmesan cheese.
• Make it gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta to make the soup.
• Garnish with some fresh basil leaves.
• If you are non-vegetarian then you can add meat to the soup. Use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth.

Storage suggestions

To Refrigerate

• Let the soup cool down completely. Transfer the soup to an air-tight container & store it in the refrigerator. Consume it within 2 days.

To Freeze

• If you are planning to freeze it then do not add pasta and spinach to it. Let the soup cool down completely.
• Transfer it to an airtight container & freeze it. Make sure to freeze it in small batches.
• Thaw it. Reheat & add some vegetable broth to adjust the consistency.
• Once thawed, do not re-freeze it.
• Stays good for a month.

Related recipes

• Pumpkin Soup
• Thai chicken soup
• Veg Manchow soup

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