Who doesn't love a hearty, flavorful soup packed with vegetables and comforting ingredients? This minestrone soup recipe is inspired by the classic Italian favorite, offering a nutritious and customizable meal perfect for any time of year. Whether you're looking for a vegetarian option or want to add some extra protein, this recipe is incredibly easy to adapt to your preferences.
What is Minestrone Soup?
Minestrone soup is essentially a heartier version of vegetable soup. Instead of only having vegetables, herbs and broth, this easy minestrone soup recipe packs extra nutrients from the potatoes, pasta and kidney beans. Minestrone soup is a hearty Italian soup made with vegetables, beans, pasta, and a flavorful, rich tomato-based broth. Italians call this type of recipe “cucina povera,” which means “poor kitchen,” because it was primarily made with whatever was available. Similar to ribollita, which is a white bean soup from Tuscany, there is no single way to make it.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
This vegetarian minestrone soup is packed with veggies like celery, carrots, green beans and spinach and simmered in a flavorful, Italian seasoned tomato broth. Use your favorite noodles in this minestrone soup recipe and pack in the protein with kidney beans!
This minestrone soup recipe is a delicious version of the classic Italian vegetable soup. This vegetarian minestrone soup recipe is my take on the classic Italian vegetable soup. It's hearty, fresh, and flavorful - just add crusty bread to make it a meal!
This minestrone soup recipe is incredibly easy to make and great for customizing! I’ve actually made it with ground turkey and ground beef for a hearty soup that packs even more protein.
Read also: A Review of the Mediterranean Diet in Kidney Disease
Key Ingredients and Their Benefits
Traditional minestrone soup recipes are filled with plenty of nutrition; you get a variety of yummy vegetables, protein, fiber, incredible seasonings and of course, pasta. What’s not to love?
- Vegetables: The beauty of minestrone soup is that you really can add whatever vegetables are in season and what you have on hand. Onions, carrots, and celery add depth of flavor to its herb-flecked tomato broth.
- Protein: I love adding kidney beans for an extra boost of fiber and protein. The beans provide fiber and vegetarian protein, while the pasta provides heft and body.
- Noodles: What’s a minestrone soup without noodles?
- Seasoning: Sweet paprika, dried rosemary, and 1 bay leaf add fragrant depth to the soup.
Recipe: Mediterranean Minestrone Soup
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1½ cups cooked white beans or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup chopped green beans
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¾ cup small pasta, elbows, shells, orecchiette
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- Red pepper flakes
- Grated Parmesan cheese, optional, for serving
Optional Ingredients:
- Tomato
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Brussel Sprouts
- Onions
- Peas
- Zucchini
- Winter Squash
- Kale
- Garlic
- Broth
- Salt
- Pepper
- Herbs
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Instructions:
- Add olive oil to a large pot or dutch oven and place over medium high heat.
- Add in diced onion, celery, sliced carrots and potatoes. Saute for 3-5 minutes or until onions soften.
- Next add in crushed tomatoes, kidney beans, vegetable broth, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook on medium low for 10-15 minutes.
- Next stir in the green beans, spinach and pasta. Cook uncovered for 8-12 more minutes or until pasta is al dente and green beans are tender.
- Pour into a bowl and serve with parmesan cheese on top. I also like to serve mine with garlic bread, crostinis or crackers.
Detailed Instructions:
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, salt, and several grinds of black pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the garlic, tomatoes, beans, green beans, broth, bay leaves, oregano, and thyme.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and partially cover the pot.
- Cook for another 5 minutes, then stir in the parsley and fresh basil.
- Serve. Remove the cheese rind and bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.
Instructions overview:
In a saucepan, heat the oil, then add the garlic, and all the vegetables. Cook, stirring occasionally. In addition, you will find an easy ingredient layout picture for easy cooking, nutrition facts, and helpful resource links. Save it, print it, and place it in your cookbook binder. After the purchase, the e-recipe will always be available for download in your profile.
Serving Suggestions
This recipe is best right after it’s made, as the pasta absorbs the broth as it sits in the leftover soup. Minestrone Soup Serving Suggestions: This recipe is best right after it’s made, as the pasta absorbs the broth as it sits in the leftover soup. If you want to make it ahead of time, I recommend cooking the pasta separately and stirring it into the soup as you’re ready to eat. Alternatively, you can skip the pasta and add an extra cup of beans to the soup. Prepared this way, the soup will keep well for up to four days in the fridge.
When you’re ready to eat, top each bowl with a sprinkle of parsley, red pepper flakes, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. If you’re vegan, feel free to skip the cheese, or garnish your bowl with a scoop of vegan pesto instead. (Non-vegans take note: regular pesto is also a great topping for minestrone soup!).
Serve the soup with good crusty bread and call it a day, or round out the meal with a side salad. This arugula salad, this beet salad, and this pear salad would all be fantastic with this minestrone soup. Or any of these 33 Best Soup Recipes!
Read also: Delicious Mediterranean Recipes
Variations
If you don’t have these exact ingredients on hand, don’t worry. As Alice Waters writes in The Art of Simple Food, minestrone soup is endlessly customizable. Part of the beauty of this recipe is that you can change it up to use what’s in season or what you have on hand. No pasta? Instead of using canned beans, cook your own!
- To add more heartiness & protein: sauté 1 pound ground turkey or beef with the onions and carrots until meat is nice and browned.
- Omit the pasta. If you’re looking for a low-carb option, simply leave out the pasta.
- Swap the pasta: If you don’t have pasta, swap in farro, barley, or freekeh. These whole grains will add even more fiber, and you can find them in our shop.
- Make it your own: Minestrone is meant to be adapted, so feel free to make this recipe your own by using what vegetables and beans you have on hand. It’s common to add a handful of spinach or diced potatoes. You can use white beans instead of kidney beans, or use a combination of both. If you’re looking for a low-carb option, feel free to omit the pasta. And if you need something meaty, add cooked ground turkey or even leftover rotisserie chicken.
Tips for the Perfect Minestrone
- Cook the pasta separately. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 cup ditalini or elbow pasta and cook to al dente according to the package directions. It’s well worth the extra pot. It makes for better leftovers because the pasta doesn’t get mushy. Just add the cooked pasta to the bottom of each bowl and top with the hot soup!
- Pasta reminder: Cook the pasta before adding it to the soup. Simply follow package instructions for al dente pasta.
- Use seasonal vegetables. Remember, something as communal as a pot of vegetable soup is an invitation for each home cook to get creative. Use what’s in season. In warmer months, I use summer squash and zucchini. When temperatures drop, I turn to root vegetables like potatoes or even sweet potatoes (diced fairly small so they will cook quickly and evenly).
- No carrots? No problem. Use baby carrots and dice them into bite-size pieces.
- Swap vegetable broth for chicken broth to make a vegetarian-friendly soup.
- With pasta, veggies, and beans, you don’t need anything more than a drizzle of good olive oil to finish this minestrone soup recipe. (Though I doubt anyone would complain about homemade focaccia for dipping!)
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
- To freeze: I’d recommend freezing this soup without the added noodles, as they can become mushy while reheating.
- To reheat: first let the soup thaw in the refrigerator. While it’s thawing you can make the 4oz of pasta on the stovetop.
- Make-ahead tip: If you are not serving this minestrone soup immediately, do not add the cooked pasta to the pot until you are ready to serve.
A Taste of Italy in Every Bowl
This Mediterranean minestrone soup recipe is more than just a meal; it's a celebration of fresh ingredients, vibrant flavors, and the joy of sharing good food with loved ones. Feel free to experiment with different vegetables, herbs, and toppings to create your own unique version of this classic Italian soup. Buon appetito!
E-Recipe Summary
- Course: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: The New Modern Mediterranean Diet
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 23 min
- Servings: 2
- Author: Chef Giuseppe Urbano
Cookware and utensils:
spatula, 1.4L (1.5 QT) saucepan, serving ladle, measuring spoons, scale
Description:
This healthy soup is a delicious appetizer in The New Modern Mediterranean Diet. It features Italian flavors of vibrant and nutritious vegetables, fragrant herbs, and flavorful broth. It's easy to prepare, and with just a few simple ingredients, it can elevate any meal.
The Story Behind:
Coming Soon…
Read also: Mediterranean Diet, Instant Pot Style
#
tags: #mediterranean #diet #minestrone #soup #recipe