Description
This Easy Minestrone Soup is a hearty, comforting Italian classic packed with fresh vegetables, beans, pasta, and vibrant herbs, simmered to perfection in a savory vegetable broth and finished with a touch of parmesan cheese. Perfect for a nutritious and satisfying meal any day of the week.
Ingredients
Scale
Base
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Vegetables
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 3 medium celery ribs, diced
- 4 medium carrots, diced
- 3 medium zucchini, diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped
Canned Items
- 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (15 ounce) can white cannellini beans, undrained
- 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, undrained
Other
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni or shell pasta
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, to garnish
Instructions
- Heat fats: Heat 2 tablespoons salted butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large 6-quart soup pot over medium heat.
- Sauté onions: Add 1 medium diced white onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to soften.
- Cook vegetables: Add 3 diced celery ribs, 4 diced carrots, and 3 diced zucchini. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften. Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add canned ingredients and broth: Stir in 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice, 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce, 1 (15 ounce) can white cannellini beans with liquid, 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans with liquid, 6 cups vegetable broth, 1 tablespoon dried basil, and 1 tablespoon dried oregano. Bring to a boil over high heat.
- Cook pasta: Add 8 ounces elbow macaroni or shell pasta. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook at a low boil for 10 to 12 minutes until pasta is tender.
- Add spinach and season: Stir in 1 cup roughly chopped baby spinach during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Season soup with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Serve: Serve hot, garnished with 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- You can substitute vegetable broth with chicken broth if not vegetarian.
- Use gluten-free pasta to make this recipe gluten-free.
- For a vegan version, omit the parmesan cheese or use a plant-based cheese alternative.
- If you prefer a thicker soup, cook the pasta separately and add it to bowls when serving.
- Leftovers store well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 580 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
