Finally! It’s about time this blog offered a traditional minestrone soup recipe. Minestrone is a hearty Italian vegetable soup made with tomato-y broth and pasta or rice. I’ve been working hard on this recipe and I’m so excited to share it with you.
Minestrone was traditionally made to use up leftover vegetables, so feel free to use any seasonal vegetables and greens you have on hand. I used potatoes and spinach for the soup you see here, and it was absolutely delicious.
I listed some alternatives in the recipe, including yellow squash, zucchini, butternut squash, green beans or peas. That means that you can make seasonal minestrone on cool days from fall through spring!
I used canned beans here instead of cooking my own, which cuts the cooking time down to a reasonable weeknight level. The remaining ingredients are basic pantry items, including canned tomatoes, pasta, basic spices and onions.
Why is this the best minestrone soup?
- This hearty minestrone is easy to make and totally worth the effort.
- The recipe calls for seasonal vegetables and affordable pantry ingredients.
- The soup packs great for lunch, and tastes even better the next day.
- It freezes and defrosts well, too.
- This homemade minestrone is infinitely better than the Olive Garden or store-bought varieties!
I adapted this recipe from the lentil minestrone in my cookbook, which was based on my lentil soup. For this classic minestrone, I omitted the lentils, added white beans, upped the tomato paste, and reserved the final tablespoon of olive oil to mix in at the end.
Please let me know how you like this soup in the comments! I always love reading your feedback and I’m eager to hear which veggies you use in your soup.
If you’re looking for more soup recipes, definitely check out the two mentioned above, and I have even more soups here.
Watch how to make Minestrone Soup
Classic Minestrone Soup
- Author:
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 bowls 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Warm up with this vegetarian minestrone soup! This classic minestrone soup recipe is healthy, easy to make, and tastes incredible. It’s vegan, too, if you don’t top it with cheese. Recipe yields 6 bowls or 8 cups of soup.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 medium ribs celery, chopped
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 cups chopped seasonal vegetables (potatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, butternut squash, green beans or peas all work)
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, with their liquid (or 2 small 15-ounce cans)
- 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 bay leaves
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup whole grain orecchiette, elbow or small shell pasta
- 1 can (15 ounces) Great Northern beans or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked beans
- 2 cups baby spinach, chopped kale or chopped collard greens
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnishing (optional)
Instructions
- Warm 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, tomato paste and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables have softened and the onions are turning translucent, about 7 to 10 minutes.
- Add the seasonal vegetables, garlic, oregano and thyme. Cook until fragrant while stirring frequently, about 2 minutes.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes and their juices, broth and water. Add the salt, bay leaves and red pepper flakes. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper.
- Raise heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, then partially cover the pot with the lid, leaving about a 1” gap for steam to escape. Reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer.
- Cook for 15 minutes, then remove the lid and add the pasta, beans and greens. Continue simmering, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until the the pasta is cooked al dente and the greens are tender.
- Remove the pot from the heat, then remove the bay leaves. Stir in the lemon juice and remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Taste and season with more salt (I usually add about ¼ teaspoon more) and pepper until the flavors really sing. Garnish bowls of soup with grated Parmesan, if you’d like.
Notes
Make it dairy free/vegan: Don’t garnish with Parmesan, or use homemade vegan Parmesan.
Make it gluten free: Substitute your favorite sturdy gluten-free noodle. I used DeLallo’s Whole-Grain Rice Shells and they worked great.
Parmesan note: Most Parmesans are not technically vegetarian (they contain animal rennet), but Whole Foods 365 and BelGioioso brands offer vegetarian Parmesan cheese.
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Stacey Drant Allada
Great recipe. I substituted homemade vegan parmesan. I also add 1-2 tablespoon of white Miso that adds a nice umami flavor to vegan recipes and cauliflower. My omnivore husband loves this soup so it is definitely in our regular rotation.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Stacey! I appreciate your review.
Sangeeta
Best recipe ever!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you!
Ethna
This is a FANTASTIC soup!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Ethna!
Fleur
This looks amazing! I don’t have tomato paste, is there a substitute I could try instead? And I don’t have canned tomatoes, could I use fresh cherry tomatoes?
Kate
Hi Fleur! Unfortunately you won’t get quite the same flavor without it. It really helps build the flavor profile.
Jessica Gleason
Made with summer squash, zucchini and a potato.
Holy Moly!!!
Absolutely delicious!
Fed a group of meat eating guys and they loved it as well.
Served with a loaf of whole wheat La Brea bread and Tait red wine.
★★★★★
Rebecca Seaman
Made this recipe last night. So delicious. Loved it. My husband loved it. A keeper!!! Thank you
★★★★★
Debbie
Thank you for this recipe. Made it today with some homemade croutons and was delicious
★★★★★
Kate
Sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing, Debbie.
Keri A Fitzhugh-Jobe
Love it! It’s my favorite minestrone soup recipe now and I make it almost weekly. Thank you! :)
Kate
You’re welcome! I’m glad you loved it.
Jennifer
This is delicious. I can’t have garlic or onions so I used garlic and shallot infused oils for flavor. I increased all the spices a bit to compensate as well. Love it!
★★★★★
Missy
Oh my gosh this was so good. We woke to a cold, snowy day so it was a perfect time for hot soup. Two weeks ago I made a terrible Minestrone Soup recipe that had turnips, rutabaga, and parsnips in it. That should have been my first clue! So when I found yours today I tried it. Thank you. It was exactly what I wanted for flavor and crunch. I think the lemon juice and olive oil at the end set it off.
(For the seasonal veggies I used delicata squash, potatoes, sweet peppers, and frozen peas)
Kate
Oh no! I’m happy you made this one and it was just what you were looking for, Missy.
Kelly Breeney
I make this minestrone every monday and eat it for dinner Monday – Thursday. I absolutely love it. I add a lot more water since I make my vegetable portions pretty big. Absolutely amazing.
★★★★★
Lois Demers
I’m making this right now, for lunch tomorrow (I always like my soups and sauces the second day) and I’m giving it 5 on the taste already! I used a peccoroncini and garlic olive oil to saute my veggies, added eggplant, zuccini, peppers, peas, and a small amount of corn. I got to finally use up the carton of veggie broth that I keep on hand for my daughter-in-law, (No get-togethers right now of course, but she’ll get a big container of this)!
★★★★★
Ruffina
What a lovely soup. My daughter followed your recipe and shared it with me. Enjoyed it.
Lynn Jepson
somehow this doesn’t look like the picture of the lead-in, where the broth is much clearer. This broth looks thicker. Not sure I want to try it.
Kate
Hi Lynn, I’m not sure I understand your concern?
Sandi
Hi Kate,
My guess would be that Lynn’s version resulted in a thinner, more transparent broth, meaning there seems to be a discrepancy between yours and hers. The cause? I have no clue… an error either in the recipe as written or the way she followed it, perhaps? Sounds like something you two could hash out. lol
Anyway, I’m looking for a dupe of an authentic minestrone I had back in the 70’s from a local diner (South SF Bay Area) and yours looks like it might hit all the right marks. Will be trying soon, thank you for sharing!
Barb Ludman
Hi, has anyone made this in an instant pot? If so, how long did you cook it and did you need to alter the amount of liquid? Recipe sounds delicious!!!
Thanks
Carol
Hey, guess what? You can add more broth to make it thinner! Who would have known! I did that myself because mine turned out rather thick too. Great recipe!
Kelley Sue Walters Opperud
Absolutely delicious!! Thank you so much!! I’m not a vegetarian so I added small turkey meatballs. I live okra in my soup so I added that as well. I followed the test verbatim.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome!
NK
Made this yesterday and it was super delicious and perfect for the cold front. Two things: 1) buy the raw veggies and chop them up– frozen mixed vegetables are faster but less tasty. 2) I used italian style diced tomatoes and it added a lot of flavor!
★★★★★
Steve Snyder
Kate, I have made this soup many times in the last couple of years! It is as perfect a minestrone soup as there is. I do all the cooking in the family, and if my wife hasn’t had this in a while….she starts dropping hints like crazy. Such good stuff. I follow it to a tee….using green beans, red potatoes and squash as my seasonal veggies.
Kathleen Fletcher
I have made this several times, for different people. Everyone agrees it’s the best minestrone they have ever had!
★★★★★
Roxanne
I made this soup twice and it came out great both times! The recipe was easy
to follow and even though I didn’t follow the measurements or ingredients exactly, the soup was delicious!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Roxanne!
Lyle
This is really good! I used green beans. I think next time, I would use less canned tomatoes but I am not sure. I also would like to try it with broccoli, and more pasta and maybe more beans.
I’m not very experienced, so cooking this took two hours and exhausted me. However, it was the right amount of work to be worth it for this good soup.
★★★★★
Michelle
This soup is incredible, I make it every few weeks since the first try. Such a great way to sneak in a ton of veggies – it is by far the best minestrone I’ve had. If I have a Parmesan rind I throw that in as well. Thank you for sharing this recipe that is now a staple in our home :)
★★★★★
Kate
I’m excited you think so, Michelle! I appreciate your review.
Carol
This minestrone is just so very good. The flavor has a complexity that makes it taste rich and “professional.” Perfect for a chilly autumn night, and then for lunch the next day!
★★★★★
Lauren
This is my new favorite soup recipe. It is so filling and satisfying. I pack this for lunch and always look forward to it. My husband and kids love it too. I like that they are eating so many veggies.
★★★★★
Kate
Love that this is a hit with your family! Thank you for your review.
Yen
Great recipe. Thanks Kate for this sharing. Made it for dinner, and whole family loves it!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for your review, Yen.
Terri Dumouchel
Excellent Minestrone Soup!!!
★★★★★
Debra Ortmann
Loved this recipe! Thanks so much! I just sent it off to my daughter to make. I used shallots, turnips, carrots, potatoes and frozen peas and corn. I didn’t have celery or greens to use but plenty of the above mentioned. I’ve made my own version of minestrone, but I’m not Italian—lol—and I’ve never made it with tomato paste or red pepper flakes. Your recipe is in my favorites and looks like I will be making it many more times! In the summer when I have fresh tomatoes and more garden greens, I will have more to work with!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it, Debra! Thank you for taking the time to review.
Jo
This soup was so yummy. I used 1/2 vegetable and 1/2 chicken stock and fresh plum tomatoes instead of canned. I used broccoli rabe in place of peas. My family loved it and I will definitely be making it again.
★★★★★
Lenny
Great recipe, loved the outcome. the only thing I messed up in was using dry beans instead of canned knowing diff between soft and raw beans.
★★★★★
Angela Derritt
It was delicious. Thank you for sharing
★★★★
Kate
I’m happy you loved it, Angela! Thank you for taking the time to review.
Nancy
This was absolutely delicious – perfect for this rainy, chilly day. I used zucchini, green beans, frozen peas, and yukon gold potatoes for my veg – probably more like 3-4 cups in total. Only change in process was that I cooked the onion/celery/carrot mix for about 7 minutes before adding the tomato paste (so that I could see when onions turned translucent), cooked the chopped vegetables with herbs for about 5-6 minutes before adding tomatoes, etc. Layered salt throughout the cooking, and still needed to add a bit more at the end. YUM!
★★★★★
Kate
Sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing, Nancy.
Bailey
Lovely soup. I had to use chick peas, as had no other beans. Great for using up vegetables. I’ve frozen some in small servings. Hope this will work.
I love all of your recipes. Thank you.
★★★★★
Kris
Soup is delicious. I think I went a bit overboard on the vegetables however and it is pretty thick. What can I add after the fact so that is has more liquid?
★★★★★
Kate
Hi! You can add some more vegetable broth when you reheat. Thank you for sharing, Kris.
Danielle
I was pleased with the soup. I think it’s a bad idea to try to soften vegetables in tomato paste without liquid. Before I knew it the bottom of the pan was burning so I added in all of the vegetable broth before it said to. The soup tasted more like mozzarella pizza chili to me, but it was a pleasant surprise. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★
Simona C.
SO SO delicious!! I used zucchini and sweet potato as my seasonal vegetables and kale as my greens. Topped it with Parmesan and ate it with some freshly baked artisan bread. Cannot wait to have the leftovers tonight!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Simona! I appreciate your review.
Jennifer Allgier
Just made this soup—had to improvise a little because I didn’t have vegetable broth or tomato paste (added some tomatoes I dried earlier this year) still very pleased with the way it turned out! Thanks!
★★★★★
Maria
ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!! I love it! First time making minestrone soup & I will definitely make this again! Yummy
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great, Maria! Thank you for your feedback.
Tricia
What a great soup! So easy to make. Healthy!!
Michael Cheng
SOOOO GOOD. This actually was my first vegan recipe I think and it was so much more flavorful and tasty than any I’ve had in restaurants. This definitely inspires me to eat more veggies and make more recipes like this. Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it! Thank you for sharing, Micheal.
Shree
This is a great recipe; my wife and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Replaced fresh vegetables with a bag of frozen Italian vegetables + potatoes, which worked well. I am a good cook – but the true secret is that I find recipes that match my taste preferences and follow it religiously, or I tweak reasonably good recipes to match my taste preferences. Happy to have found your website several years ago as I have made over a dozen of your recipes and they all come out fantastic (10/10) without any measurable tweaks. I guess my wife and my tastes match yours! Also you must be using huge bowls, because the recipe is far more than 6 servings using our bowls :)
★★★★★
Kate
I’m delighted you found my blog too, Shree! Thank you for taking the time to review.
Tricia Wickes
I have some Rutabaga that is diced and frozen that I would like to use. Do I put it in at the beginning tot sauté with the carrots and celery or add it in later with the pasta? Thanks
Jennelea Montanez
Excellent minestrone soup recipe. I added some red wine (8 oz) and a large parmesan rind. It is delicious now and will be even better tomorrow. Thank you for a lovely recipe, Kate. I love your recipes!
★★★★★
Jerry Gleicher
Only problem , I didn’t make enough.
★★★★★
Monica
This is Delicious!!!! My New Favorite Vegetarian Soup!!! Thank YOU!!!
Kate
Awesome! Thank you, Monica.
Lyn
Definitely the best soup I’ve ever made. It’s so tasty and satisfying
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you so much, Lyn!
Kristie
Delicious recipe, even tastier when you add bacon.
★★★★★
Rich
AMAZING!! I’m a horrible amateur, and despite my mistakes, forot the tomato paste even though it sat on the counter while I cooked, came out great. Used a bit extra potatoes and pasta to help cut the spices when I realized my mistake. Some frozen green beans…perfect!! Gotta love when kids enjoy a vegetarian soup. Will be a staple.
★★★★★
Linda B
What a fabulous, tasty soup! For the meat lovers ..I added leftover turkey and some Italian sausage… I used fresh green beans and yellow squash…this soup is well worth the time and can’t wait for leftovers.
Thank you so much for the recipe.
Linda B
★★★★★
Lydia
This soup is just right. Hearty, flavorful, full of veggies, and coziness.
I used beet stems, parsnips, potatoes, carrots, diced tomatoes, and frozen spinach for my veggies.
We sprinkled shredded mozzarella cheese on top because we did not have parmesan. Both of my kids gobbled it right up.
Thanks for such a simple, delicious recipe.
★★★★★
Erin
I made this today and I really loved the way it turned out! Thank you.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Erin!
Maeve
Delicious flavours! Is there a way to prevent the pasta from overcooking? Especially when it’s being reheated.
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Maeve! When it’s reheated, it will soak some of the liquid up so you can always add a splash of vegetable broth when reheated. Just be sure when you are cooking, you check it according to package directions. I hope this helps!
Marigold
Absolutely love this recipe…so flavorful! My Instacart delivery forgot the spinach but the soup was still terrific without it. I’m making it again today two batches to share with my grown up kids who also love it. This time Instacart did not forget the spinach!!
★★★★★
Amy
Was delicious! Used green beans and zucchini for the seasonal vegetables and spinich for the greens. Can’t wait to make again!
★★★★★
Kate
Wonderful to hear, Amy!
Casey
Very very tasty. I chose to add more veggies than it called for though. I’ll make this again for sure
★★★★
Martin Brady
I tried this recipe for the first time last weekend and was really pleased with the result; it reminded me of a great minestrone soup I bought in a good Italian restaurant, well pleased.
Gave some to my family and friends and had great feedback.
One thing I added was tomato passata 400g.
★★★★★
Rachel
Absolutely delicious! I made a winter version with butternut squash and kale. I also used a 1/2 lb. of whole grain pasta to bulk it up a bit more. I am looking forward to the leftovers already! Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome! Sounds like a delicious combination, Rachel.
Jessica Enyeart
This recipe is super delicious! Planning on making again!
★★★★★
Anne Hennessy
Perfect recipe- loved your soup, very easy to make and definitely going to be a regular this winter. Thank you
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great! Thank you for sharing, Anne.
Michelle
This truly is the best minestrone I’ve ever had. We make this regularly now and serve with homemade focaccia. Thanks so much for the recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Michelle! Thank you for your review.
Susan
Hello thank you for the recipe i am mid making it now . I don’t have any of the cannelloni beans i do have red kidney beans , or butter beans or chick peas which would work as a sub?
Thank you
Kate
Hi! You can substitute the beans you prefer here. Let me know what you think, Susan!
Susan
Hello thank you for the recipe i am mid making it now . I don’t have any of the cannelloni beans i do have red kidney beans , or butter beans or chick peas which would work as a substitute ?
Thank you
★★★★★
Kimberly Priesmeyer
I make this soup a lot, and you really can’t mess it up. I kick up the flavor by stirring in a dollop of prepared pesto.
★★★★★
Rhonda Minucciani
This is delicious! Another reader commented saying she made it on a Monday, had it for dinner through Thursday. I’m doing the same!
How long can it stay in the fridge before you need to freeze it?
Thank you
Kate
Hi Rhonda, it keeps well for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. If planning to freeze, I would do so shortly after making it so you don’t have spoilage concerns when it thaws.
Jane Lagomarsino
My husband made this recipe last night and he follow all the directions. He usually doesn’t cook, but he said that was really easy to make. The soup was delicious and we are going to have the left overs tonight with some garlic bread toped with grated parmesan. Looking forward for dinner since the weather is going to be cold. I pair the soup with Pinot Noir and my taste buds were in heaven. We are saving this recipe to have often.
★★★★★
Kate
Fantastic! I’m glad you enjoyed the flavor and that is was a good recipe for your husband to make as well. Thank you for your review!
Anjali P.
This is fantastic recipe, the best Minestrone Soup recipe I have used. Tasted so good with parmesan coated toasted bread crumbs. Cooked with zucchini and french green beans.
★★★★★
Tina
Hi there! I have a lot of chicken stock leftover and I’m wondering if I could use chicken stock instead of vegetable stock for this recipe? Thank you!
Kate
Hi Tina, that should work fine. It would likely change your flavor some.
Mimi
This soup is incredible!!! Second time I’ve made it in the past two weeks. This time I added sweet potatoes instead of potatoes and red kidney beans instead white beans, because that’s what I had. Turned out great!
★★★★★
Kate
I love that you are changing it up, Mimi! Thank you for taking the time to review.
Johnna
This is such a great recipe! I’ve made it three times now and have used different veg for the seasonal ingredients. Tonight, I used green beans, peas, and sweet potatoes, and it came out great. I made one more adjustment because my son hates tomatoes. Instead of the diced tomatoes, I added a little extra tomato paste. This has become my go-to minestrone soup recipe. Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
Sounds like a delicious combination! Thank you for sharing, Johnna.
Ann
Incredibly delicious. I was looking for a way to use my winter CSA share veggies and this is just the ticket. I used potatoes, butternut squash, green beans, sweet potatoes, spinach, and probably others that I can’t remember. That’s the beauty of it – you can use whatever is on hand! I used a small ham hock the first time. This time I’m using short ribs but I don’t load it up with meat – just a taste for flavoring.
★★★★★
Dyan
So excited to make this soup! Can you tell me when is the best step to add potatoes? It seems I either add them too early and they fall apart and get mushy, or I add them too late and they don’t cook through. Any advice would be helpful!! Thanks.
Kate
Hi Dyan! I had luck adding when it says to add seasonal vegetables. You could try and cut them slightly larger. What you type of potato have you been using?
Lisa Siegel
This is really a delicious soup – excellent recipe. Tonight I had baby spinach on hand so I added that as the greens and Im not sure it’s a great idea to add the spinach in at the same time as the beans and the pasta. By the time the soup is ready the spinach is unrecognizable.I was wondering if you ever add the spinach in to the bowls of soup as you serve them instead so that it stays fresh and green?
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Lisa! I appreciate your review.
Fred Brennan
I must reveal myself right at the start, I am a dedicated devote of
Marcella Hazan. So the minestrone I just made in the last two days
is about the same as hers but I do not put in pasta and as far as possible I do not use canned beans. They are mostly fine but
I prefer the ones I cook at home. I find the canned beans tend to be
more mushy then I like …. with best wishes
janet
Just made this for lunch with friends. Easy and delicious. I just used beans and no pasta for gluten free. Thanks!
★★★★★
Shannon Muck
My 11 year old daughter kept raving about our friend’s minestrone that was sent home with us. He is an AMAZING chef and does it professionally.
I dared to make a minestrone that would live up to his and it happened tonight!
This was a delicious soup!!
I used delicata squash, sweet potato and red potato for the veggies and Persian cress for the greens!
I didn’t have bay leafs( ran out!!!! Yikes!) and used extra thyme and that sufficed!
I served it with fresh grated Parmesan and a delicious baguette and olivo nuovo!!!
Perfect meal!
Looking forward to it tomorrow!!
Thank you so much for the recipe!
A definite keeper!!
★★★★★
Sarah Nadeau
This minestrone is AMAZING. I’m so happy I tried it. Minestrone is my favourite soup and I’ll definitely be making this regularly. I’m not vegetarian so I did use my homemade chicken stock in the recipe which always adds a lovely flavour compared to store-bought. The lemon juice addition really makes the flavours pop. Thank you!
★★★★★
Lizzy
This is SO good. I never leave comments on recipes. It is perfect. I almost forgot the lemon–so glad I didn’t. Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you added it! Sends it over the top. Thank you for your review!
Gwyneth
This was FAB!! Thank you
★★★★★
Brittani M
Love this recipe! I definitely throw in a bunch of random vegetables to it’s different every time but this recipe is always my guidance.
★★★★★
Jackie Fage
This was my first attempt of real cooking. It was so good I gave some to my neighbours and they loved it. This has made me get into cooking. Will definitely make this again and it was so healthy.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Jackie! Thank you for your review.
Kristin
I made this exactly as is (but might have played a little fast and loose with the red paper flakes) and it is excellent! Absolutely delicious–nice layering of flavors. Thank you!!
★★★★★
De Aun Tollefson
Thanks for helping me prepare a deliciously warming bowl of soup today. I opted for zucchini, orecchietti pasta and kale. Happened to have some caramelized onions and anchovy paste in the fridge from last night’s dinner so threw a few tablespoons in for added umami.
★★★★★
Kate
Sounds delicious! Thank you for your review.
Jarmila Price
My first time to make minestrone soup. It was absolutely delicious and very easy to make. My daughter who Is vegan couldn’t compliment me enough. I used butternut squash and zucchini instead of potatoes. Thank you Kate
★★★★★
Faaria
Omg! First time making soup and this tasted great! Brought back childhood memories. Only mistake I made is using super big chunks of tomatoes. I should have blended half as I am hopeless with my chopping skills. Thank you for a great recipe.
★★★★★
Spike
I made an unusual substitution yesterday. I didn’t have celery or spinach (or similar greens) and we were on lockdown where I live. I did have bokchoy and used the lower yellow parts for the celery and the leaves for the greens. Came out amazingly well.
I also used fresh basil as I have a plant.
There are a lot of recipes for minestrone on the web but this one strikes me as one of the best. Really enjoyed making it.
Linda Lumsden
My favourite minestrone re Joe thank you I love changing the vegetables Aton d frog dung what I have
★★★★★
Lesley
Just tried your recipe this afternoon, substituting leafy greens from the garden for the ones in your recipe. Delicious!
★★★★★
Lisa Levy
My family doesn’t love vegetables, but we all love this soup. Have made it four times this winter already. I use zucchini, sweet potato, and sweet peppers. Serve with parmesan and fresh bread. Thank you for this recipe. Yummy!!
★★★★★
Olivia
This is my go to soup recipe. I love it!! So filling and delicious!!
★★★★★
Kate
I love that! Thank you, Olivia.
Stephen Caperton
I made the lentil minestrone from your book and even though I followed all of the cooking times the lentils were not done. Any advice?
kristina
Wonderful recipe, my daughter Lizzie passed it on to me. So delicious and nutritious! A great new years eve meal with a slice of hot buttered sour dough bread .
Happy New year !
★★★★★
Tim
This is the best minestrone soup recipe ever! It tastes so rich and fresh! The addition of lemon juice and olive oil at the end really enhances the flavors. It was the perfect meal with homemade sourdough bread. Thank you Kate!
★★★★★
LisaK
Very Good recipe and healthy. I used chicken broth instead of veg broth and my seasonal veggies were butternut squash and green beans. Otherwise followed it exact adding more water and salt/pepper to taste. Really Fresh and thoroughly enjoyed this, will make again.
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great, Lisa! Thank you for your review.
Lauren
Wow. Wow. Wow. I don’t think of myself as a minestrone gal, but I’m working my way through most of your soup recipes and tonight was this one. Oh my god. Amazing. I followed the instructions exactly, using green beans and a sweet potato as my seasonal veggies. I will certainly be making this frequently going forward. Absolute perfection. Your soup page is my favorite corner of the internet and I can’t thank you enough for all of the delicious and healthy recipes!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy this one won you over! Thank you for your review.
Nohemi
Fantastic recipe for this amazingly delicious soup! Thank you for sharing !
★★★★★
Catherine Swift
This minestrone is terrific! Nice hearty broth & lots of veggies. I modified it by adding roasted grape tomatoes.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m excited you loved it! Thank you for sharing your modification, Catherine.
Catherine Dollard
I made your minestrone soup 3 days ago and I can honestly say it is the tastiest soup I’ve ever had. Still as good on the third day. Absolutely delicious and healthy. Thank you so much I will be cooking it on a very regular basis.
Catherine
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great to hear, Catherine!
Lkasabian
Fantastic recipe, followed exact only added little more water and salt. Whole family devoured it. Veggies we chose were green beans and butternut squash. So healthy thank you! My daughter and I fought over the last bowl.
★★★★★
Donna Wisnaskas
I made this today and it was delicious!! I used potatoes, zucchini, petite diced tomatoes and small shells. I did not change a thing. My husband loves minestrone soup and orders it at restaurants all the time. This is my first try (he does most of the cooking) and he loved it! This is a keeper! Next time I will use green beans instead of potatoes if using pasta. Thank you, Kate. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes once my husband gets out of my kitchen (Truly, I am not complaining)
★★★★★
Michele Purpura
This was super yummy. For the veggies, I went with one potato (perfect one cup) and a cup of fresh green beans. So good. My daughter is vegetarian (I’m close) so this is a great family favorite. I added garlic bread because my husband is a cancer survivor and I need to fatten him up! Thank you!!!!
★★★★★
Stacey
Delicious! Perfect soup/recipe for any chilly evening.
Thank you!
★★★★★
Just J
Wow! Your hearty lentil minestrone soup is so delicious!!! Thank you so much for adding it to your cookbook, Love real Food! I have been suggesting your recipes and website to my adult son all year long, so much so that he bought your cookbook for me this Christmas! He wasn’t aware that I had already purchased it for myself on Amazon. Rather than returning it, I am planning on giving it to a friend to share your yummy, healthy food! Your kale and quinoa salad with celery, cranberries, and lemon dressing (from your cookbook) is a weekly staple in our household, as well as your epic tacos (website recipe). I also enjoy your ‘what to cook’ each month emails, and will be trying lots of recipes this year, since your recipes are always a hit with our family. It’s my go to site whenever I’m searching for something new! I’ve been praying for Cookie’s continued good health after her cancer diagnosis! So happy to read she was doing so well after treatment!!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy you loved it! Thank you for sharing my blog and cookbook with others. I really appreciate it!
Clare Smith
Really tasty, had to work out the conversion in grams as don’t really use cups in the UK. So flavoursome, yum.
Bailey
I love minestrone but have usually found recipes to lead to very bland broth. This recipe is fantastic and I’ve made it at least a half dozen times since I first found it. The broth has so much more complexity than other recipes I’ve found. I always add a couple extra cups of broth and go heavy on the vegetables. My favorite combination is zucchini and sugar snap peas. Thank you!
Camille
I never follow recipes exactly (it’s a joke between me and my friends), but everytime I make this I always follow it exactly bc it doesn’t need any changes!!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Camille! I’m delighted you enjoyed it.
Katherine
Literally now my favorite soup and I am not usually a soup person. Recipe was super easy to follow, tasted amazing – I ended up making it two weeks in a row!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m delighted you enjoy this one!
Rose
Hi there, I just wanted to tell you that I tried your recipe and it was really good! I tend to browse different recipes and I take a little bit from each one, but with yours I did everything to the T. So good! I don’t do Instagram, but trust me, lol it was good. Thanks I look forward to trying more of your recipes..
★★★★★
Kate
I’m delighted you loved it, Rose! Thank you for your review.