Hearty Minestrone Vegetable Soup (Printable)

Hearty Italian vegetable soup with beans, pasta, and fresh herbs for a comforting meal ready in one hour.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
04 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
07 - 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
08 - 1 cup green beans, chopped
09 - 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes

→ Legumes & Pasta

10 - 1 can (14 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
11 - 1 cup small pasta such as ditalini or elbow macaroni

→ Broth & Seasonings

12 - 6 cups vegetable broth
13 - 2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs including oregano, basil, and thyme
14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Finishing Touches

16 - 2 cups baby spinach or chopped kale
17 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
18 - Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving, optional

# Method:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in minced garlic, diced zucchini, diced potato, and chopped green beans. Cook for an additional 3 minutes.
03 - Add diced tomatoes, drained cannellini beans, vegetable broth, dried Italian herbs, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil.
04 - Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
05 - Stir in pasta and simmer uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes until pasta and vegetables are tender.
06 - Remove bay leaf. Add spinach or kale and cook for 2 minutes until wilted.
07 - Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with fresh parsley, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's honestly one of the easiest soups to make, and somehow it tastes like you've been cooking all day.
  • The vegetables soften into each other while the pasta picks up all those wonderful brothy flavors.
  • You can swap almost any vegetable you have lying around without breaking anything.
  • One pot means minimal cleanup, which feels like a small miracle on a weeknight.
02 -
  • The pasta will continue absorbing broth even after you turn off the heat, so if you're planning to have leftovers, make the soup slightly brothier than you think you want it.
  • If you add the pasta too early, it will turn mushy and fall apart; waiting until the last ten minutes keeps it tender but still with a slight bite.
  • That bay leaf really does add something special, but forgetting to remove it before serving is absolutely something I've done, and everyone notices.
03 -
  • Toast your pasta in a dry pan for two minutes before adding it to the soup—this adds a subtle nuttiness that most people can't quite identify but somehow makes the whole thing taste better.
  • If your broth tastes thin or watery, let the finished soup simmer uncovered for five extra minutes to concentrate the flavors and thicken it slightly.
  • Keep a wedge of Parmesan in your freezer so you can always grate some fresh cheese for serving, even on nights when you're reheating leftovers.
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