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: Cookie and Kate
- 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.
Sherri
I like garbanzo beans better than cannellini beans, so I used those instead. This soup is lovely to dip buttered bread into! I think the tomato paste really makes the soup. This soup is amazing!
Kate
A nice bread to go with this sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing, Sherri.
Greg bolls
I used a bit of cabbage instead of spinach and beans. Topped with fresh basil and chives.
Talia
I love this soup! I usually use less of the pasta/beans/veggies or add additional broth so that it is less thick. It goes great with sourdough rolls!
Shelly Woods
This was the best minestrone soup I have ever had! I added red kidney beans. Thank you for this recipie!
Kate
Hooray! You’re welcome, Shelly.
Natalie
I made this and loved it. I’m always on the hunt for meals that are good reheated in the microwave so I can pack them for lunch. This definitely fit the bill. I used potatoes and a little extra pasta, so it was well-rounded and filling. Thanks for another great recipe!
Kate
I’m happy to hear that, Natalie! Thanks for sharing.
Patty
Delicious! For one can of the diced tomatoes (14oz.) I used fire roasted with green chiles. It added a spicier depth. I think two cans would be too much. Will be making again.
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Patty!
Miriam
I made your cookbook version of this recipe for dinner tonight (actually I doubled it and froze some). Extremely filling and extremely delicious. The only thing I might change in future is to add more broth because there were a lot of veg/beans/pasta compared to liquid. Thanks for another winning recipe!
Kate
Thanks for letting me know you liked it, Miriam!
Sandra Dykstra
I made this soup and it was really good and healthy. I don’t know if it was because I double the recipe but it was a bit simple at the end, but I fixed it easily.
Kate
Thanks for your feedback, Sandra!
Kathy Varone
I made this for my adult daughter who had just been discharged from the hospital after a very tough time with pneumonia and the flu. She absolutely LOVED it; I think it helped her get better. Even my teenage grandkids loved it. I’m making it again tomorrow for myself as it will be a snowy cold day-perfect day for soup. The only thing I changed up was using chicken broth instead of vegetable broth, as that’s what we had. It’s a wonderful soup.
Kate
I’m happy it seemed to help your daughter! Thanks so much for your review, Kathy.
Kate
Actually, the vast majority of boxed pasta is egg free. Fresh pasta (refrigerated section) and homemade typically do contain eggs, so I understand your confusion. Check the labels!
Amber
Thanks Kate. I made with fresh corn kernels, zucchini, Brussels sprouts and kale. I used cooked green lentils. Added chopped parsley at the end. Didn’t have any tomato paste, but still tasted great. Delicious!
Laurie
Classic minestrone is the best I have ever made or eaten!
Kate
I’m happy you loved it, Laurie!
Emma
This was delicious.
Even though i didn’t have celery, and dried herbs (i omitted), it turned out fabulous. I also didn’t have tomato paste so i used passata instead.
Yummmm thank you!
Kate
I’m happy it was still delicious for you, Emma! Thanks so much for your review.
Karrey Neering
This soup is amazing, I’m making it a 2nd time today to use up some broccoli (won’t add until pasta) and butternut squash. Picky eaters in my family love it also. Thanks soooo much, this is now a favorite of mine.
Kate
I’m so happy you loved it, Karrey! Thanks for the review.
Staci
This is one of the best soups I’ve ever made. I used 48 oz of vegetable broth and made up the difference with water. Omitted the thyme because I don’t like it. Soooo. Goood
Kate
Great to hear, Staci! Thank you for your review.
Maeve O'Reilly
I’m not sure what red pepper flakes are so I used dried chillies and it gave it a good kick! This was fine as we are all recovering from colds, and the other flavours were yum. It’s a really moreish winter soup (especially on a freezing day watching patrick’s day parade..!) and delish served with buttered toasted crusty sour dough. If anyone can point me towards red pepper flakes appreciate it as I’d also like to make regular minestrone.
Kate
You should be able to find red pepper flakes in the spices at the grocery store. Thank you for sharing!
Penny
Maeve, red pepper flakes are dried chilli flakes so you’ve nailed it!
Tammy
Hi Kate,
This soup looks fab and I’m making it today. Just wondering if you ever add a parmesan rind to yours? Thanks, Tammy
Kate
I don’t, just topping. But, try it and let me know!
Violet
Tammy, I just added a parmesan rind to mine today and it is delicious! Highly recommend!
Violet
This was delicious Kate; thanks so much for this recipe! I simmered it with a parmesan rind and a few dried shiitakes for extra umami. So good!! I love that you can adjust this to whatever vegetables you have on hand. I used Trader Joe’s gluten-free rice pasta and it turned out great. I also used half the canned tomatoes and that was just the right amount for me.
Kate
Sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing, Violet.
Jean
Thanks for the wonderful suggestion of how to use a large parmesan rind in my refrigerator. Fabulous soup.
Melanie
My husband thinks I’m an amazing cook thanks to your recipes, Kate! Your minestrone soup recipe was a hit. I used cauliflower, kale, carrots and peas. I can’t wait to make this again.
Kate
You are an amazing cook, Melanie! :) Thanks for sharing. I’m glad you are both enjoying the recipes.
Connie Allen
I just made a big pot of this soup and it’s the best I have ever eaten.Thank you so much. Taking some to the gym for trainers there. I know they will love it too!
Kate
You’re welcome, Connie!
ladele
made this for family tasted fantastic! now making for ladies tea, they’re going to love it!
Kate
A great soup for a get together! Thank you for your review!
Ladele
This soup was a hit! 136 ladies and they all love it,thanks so much for posting the recipe
Joyce
This is amazing! I wanted a nice soup for this winterish spring day and also that fit in with lent, this was perfect! I didn’t have enough canned tomatoes so added some tomato sauce and chopped fresh tomatoes. I used kidney beans and gluten-free quinoa pasta. It is so filling and it looks beautiful too! A little fresh grated Parm cheese on top was just perfect. Even my boyfriend who doesn’t consider a meal complete without meat loves it! I’m looking forward to having some leftovers tomorrow – hopefully, if they don’t get eaten tonight = )
Kate
I’m happy this fit the bill, Joyce! I appreciate your comment and review. I’m happy your boyfriend loved it, too!
Judith G. Keith
I love your minestrone soup recipe. It is easy to make and the flavors are just wonderful. Of course that’s what I’d expect from Kate. All of her recipes are delicious. I love the Granola, and the Arugula Salad with wild rice and roasted carrots………………Yum!!! Bought your book and it is wonderful. Thanks. I intend to try them all. Really healthy food combinations.
Kate
I’m really happy to hear you are enjoying my recipes, Judith. Thanks so much for your review.
Stephanie
Delicious classic minestrone recipe. I added a Japanese eggplant and used a handful of enoki mushrooms for a little meaty texture, thank you so much!
Kate
You’re welcome! Thanks for trying, Stephanie.
Natalie
Wow, this was the best minestrone not to mention one of the best soups I have ever tried and NO MEAT! It was so tasty, so healthy and QUICK and EASY to make… and I didn’t even have half the ingredients. I had no vegetable broth nor beans but I used what I had on hand from the recipe ingredients. Made double the recipe. I am a meat and potatoes girl and I did not miss meat at all in this recipe. My family loved it too. My daughter made pasta to add to soup to make it heartier. What had gotten my attention at first was the fact that ‘classic’ is in the title of the recipe. I wanted something genuinely minestrone, if that makes sense. And then all the interesting possibilities and the stipulation that any seasonal veg on hand could be incorporated… It sounded good. Tried it. Good job.
Kate
I’m happy you loved it! Thank you for commenting, Natalie!
Dawn Ceapa
I used your recipe and love d it. Thanks so much. Dawn
Kate
You’re welcome, Dawn!!
Pat
This was absolutely awesome and delicious. Thank you for sharing!
PM
Kate
You’re welcome, Pat!
Lara Reed
What is your recommended approach to making this in an Instant Pot?
Kate
I haven’t tried it, sorry! Readers are great about putting their experiences, so I would check to see what others recommend by searching the comments.
Janina
Made this for 6 adults incl myself and have leftovers for tomorrow night’s dinner for me and my partner. Absolutely filling, delicious and easy to cook. Great for the large vegetable intake as I don’t eat enough of them! Best served with buttered crusty Vienna bread.
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Janina!
Melody
Yum! Made this tonight for my family. I thought I’d be the only one enjoying it, but all four of my kids commented on how good it was (teens down to pre-k), along with my husband, who truly does NOT ever look forward to vegetable-based soup nights! I had to omit a couple things I didn’t have on hand (beans, green beans and spinach), and used some spaghetti sauce to replace the tomato paste. The depth of this soup flavor was great! Thank you for a great recipe!
Kate
I’m glad you all love it and that you can make it work for your family!
Nasha
I made this tonight and really enjoyed it. A little bland at first, so I doubled the spices and added a bit of sugar (3tbs). I also added Gardein vegetarian ground “meat” for a more classic texture. Will definitely make again!
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Nasha!
Jennifer
Just made a huge batch of this soup- tastes wonderful! I added the rind from the parmesan cheese during the last 20 minutes of simmering- adds a great depth of flavor to finish it off. Will make again!
Kate
Great to hear, Jennifer!
Stacy Wulczynski
I am interested in making tonight. How can I substitute the diced tomatoes. My family does not like any tomato chunks. Thanks!
Kate
The diced tomatoes help keep it authentic. You could remove them altogether, but will lose some flavor.
Liz T
Big hit on this one! Affordable and easy – made it with green/yellow summer squash. Paired it with homemade bread and it was very satisfying. Didn’t even need Parmesan.
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Liz!
Ramon Ayre
Fantastic recipe! Easy to make and great tasting. Adding the tomato paste when sauteeing the onions, celery and carrots really gave this soup a wonderful taste. Will definitely make it again.
Kate
Wonderful, Ramon!
Leslie
Made this soup today. Used zucchini and potatoes for my seasonal veggies. Also used beef broth for the soup base. Ended up adding a couple of extra cups. The flavour is excellent and the soup is delicious. Would use another cup of spinach next time. A hit with the family too. Recipe makes a big pot full!
Kate
Sounds like a great way to make it fit your tastes, Leslie! I appreciate the review.
Samantha
I am useless at cooking. Useless, even though I enjoy it. I followed your recipe – thank you for putting the ingredients in order of use! – and it has gone down a treat. Thank you!
Kate
I’m glad this one worked well for you! Thanks for your review Samantha.
Gitta
Made it 2 nights ago, froze 4 servings in my souper cubes,
Used 2 servings for dinner and have leftovers for another night for 2, another winner in my book. I omitted the green beans/butternut squash and peas but instead added 2 tomatillos and 2 small round Thai eggplants, for potato used 1 white sweet potato. Yummie and as per other suggestions did dip some buttered crusty bread.
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Gitta!
Jessica Valenti
I lovvvve this soup recipe! Really easy to make and tastes absolutely gorgeous! Perfect for clearing out the fridge, and I always have plenty left over for lunch the next day. I love the recipes that can easily be made vegan – thank you!
Jill
This was delicious, best I’ve ever had!
Kate
Great to hear, Jill!
Deb Kirk
HELP! I am in the middle of making this yummy soup and have one problem. I just realized my hubby didn’t understand my note and mistook 2c for 2 cans not fresh spinach 2 cups. Can i make it work if I drain it?
Kate
I’m sorry for the delay! You have 2 cans canned spinach? I would drain it for sure. What did you end up doing?
Layla
Made this the other night and used tortellini instead. It was a hit! My husband who normally won’t even touch pasta went back for seconds! I just upped the garlic and spice a little for personal taste.
Kate
Thanks for sharing! I love that he went back for seconds. I can’t believe he doesn’t love pasta! But, glad he liked this one.
Linda Stettler
Made this soup tonight and it was superb. Served with buttered crusty bread and cheese (Parmesan and sharp cheddar, because I couldn’t decide). Will add fresh parsley to leftovers tomorrow. Yummy recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Kate
You’re welcome, Linda!
Julie
OMG this was so yummy! My first Minestrone soup and it came out so good!! One thing I did add was some sliced chicken sausage. I needed to satisfy the carnivore’s in my house.
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Julie!
Cathy
I made this. Omg. I tagged you on my fb post. Ya gotta see how it went xx
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Cathy!
Lou
This is my go to minestrone recipe! Delicious! Thank you!
Kate
You’re welcome, Lou!
Monica Romano
Hi I’m wanting to make your minestrone soup! Is the veg broth that you use in a can? I’m very new at making vegan dairy free food & sugar free but have done 2 recipes which turned out ok! I’m really surprised that these recipes look & taste so good! I will give a feedback when I have done it! Regards Monica
Kate
Hi Monica! It’s typically sold in cartons now, but if you can still find it in a can(I think?)
McKenna
So freaking good! lots of flavor, I have never had better minestrone soup. plus I added cashew parm to make it 100% vegan.
Kate
I’m excited you loved it, McKenna!
Savannah
So filling and absolutely delicious! Such a perfect meal prep recipe. Thank you!!
Kate
You’re welcome, Savannah!
Cathy wilk
I just came across your blog. Will be making this wonderful soup as we need more veggi’s in our diet. Sounds delish!! Will let you know how it turns out. Thanks
Cathy W
Kate
Welcome, Cathy! Yes, please let us know how it turns out.
Merilyn
Awesome
Kate
Thank you for your review, Merilyn!
David
First time visiting your website, very interesting recipes. I look forward to making some and also look forward to the emails with your newsletter.
Kate
Welcome, David! I’m excited for you to try some recipes.
Sherralyn Croft
Fantastic soup Doll face, I used Gluten free mini pasta. taste Delicious.
Hopefully this will help on my weight loss journey.
Kate
Thank you for your review, Sherralyn!
Justine
Oh no! Mine isn’t a soup at all. It’s more of just a pasta :/.
Justine
PS You seem wonderful. I’m sure I did something wrong, but now I’m wondering how to save it. I’ve reviewed instructions and ingredients, and I think I followed everything correctly but maybe should have pulled it off a little earlier?
Kate
Hi Justine! I’m sorry it didn’t turn out well for you. What type of pasta did you use and how much? As it cools, the pasta can soak up some of the liquid. You can always add a little more liquid if you like more it more soupy.
Sabrina
Thank U for your recipe. Made a nourishing meal. Omitted the thyme and beans though.
Kate
You’re welcome, Sabrina!
Sarah Jonas
Oh My GOD, this looks healthy. I would love to eat it every day. Thanks for the recipe
Kate
You’re welcome, Sarah!
Lakshika
As a very amateur cook this seemed intimidating at first but ended up tasting delicious, and really filling. Perfect in cold winter weather.
Kate
Thanks for sharing!
Matthews
It’s very good thank you but I had to guess the amount(Iuse grams and my,Icouldn’t find the switch from cup to gram).
Kate
Hi Matthews! I just provide US measurements for now. I’m happy you were able to make this work.
Kate McDonough
Discovered this recipe and it is now a weekly meal in our house, though we add meat. It is such a good way to use the last of a variety of veggies and it’s a hearty yet nutritious soup that you feel great after eating. Highly recommend.
Kate
I’m happy you liked it!
karen
I made the soup but it won’t let me pin the recipe. I’ll rate it when I can save the recipe.
karen
OK. After the fifth try, it pinned. The end product is delicious. Followed the recipe except for the spinach because I used it for last night’s dinner and didn’t feel like running to the store. Will definitely make it again and use the spinach/kale but it’s good even without it. It’s 90 degrees outside but I had veggies to use up and I never get tired of a good bowl of soup! My first minestrone attempt so thanks for a great recipe!
Kate
I’m sorry you are having issues! Do you have a Pinterest plug-in? You can always head over to Pinterest, head to Cookie and Kate recipes. You should be able to save it from there.
Jessica
I rarely ever leave comments anywhere, but I felt compelled to leave one for this recipe. WOW! This soup is PHENOMENAL. Truly the best soup I have EVER made. I made it for my husband and I. It has been a heaven-send. I followed the directions to a T and it came out perfectly. The spices are sensational. This is some soup with some serious healing power. We HIGHLY recommend this recipe. I’m adding it to my recipe arsenal, for sure. Thanks, Kate!!! 10/10!!!
Kate
I’m so glad to hear you loved it, Jessica! I appreciate your review.
Ev
I love minestrone soup and this one is a winner! It was perfect for a could winter’s day in Australia. For the veg component I added a small swede, parsnip and turnip to the carrots, celery etc. DElicious! Thanks!
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Ev! I appreciate your review.
Amy Callaway
Holy cow this soup is awesome. I didn’t use Parmesan cheese, it doesn’t need it, there is so much flavor. I don’t know if it is the tomato paste or lemon juice that make it better than the rest but this will be my Go To recipe! I cannot wait to try it with some crusty bread.
Kate
Crusty bread is a must! Thanks for your review, Amy.
Tabatha
great recipe thank you!!!
Kate
You’re welcome, Tabatha!
Michelle Vincent
This soup is AMAZING…. Thank you for the recipe. I will definitely make this again & again. (I substituted a couple of YL Vitality EO for some of the ingredients, like oregano)
Kate
You’re welcome! I’m glad you loved it, Michelle!
Autumn
Thanks Kate! Delicious! I added two garden tomatoes that were getting too soft and half a lime since I didn’t have a lemon. Tasted great!
Kate
You’re welcome, Autumn!
Allie
Decided to try your recipe after making the lentil soup (which is now my favorite lentil soup recipe!). This was SUPER tasty! I added fresh parsley at the end like one of the other comments recommended. Also, I used orzo, but I wish I had used a larger pasta like the ones you recommended. So good! Thank you for sharing your recipes! Can’t wait to try another one! :)
Kate
I love that! I bet parsley is really nice here, too!
Debra Melyan
Made this soup today for the first time and it was awesome! Great recipe! Thank you…
Kate
You’re welcome, Debra!
Lydia
Oh, man. This soup is delicious. When I made it, I added a Parmesan rind I had in the fridge for a little extra flavor. :) So good.
Kate
I’m glad yo hear it! Thank you for your comment, Lydia.
whisperingsage
.My mother used to make this. And thanks for The heads up on varying the vegetables. She was a frugal lifestyle woman from the WWII days and never grew out Of it. I appreciated that all my life. She passed on great skills.
Kate
Thank you for sharing!
Werner Steyn
Fantastic, thank you for a delicious recipe on a cold day in Cape Town, SA.
Kate
You’re welcome! Thanks for your review, Werner.
Pine
Enjoyed it to the full a few minutes ago, Kathryne – it’s going straight into my Goto file……brilliant recipe!!
Kate
Love to hear that, Pine! Thank you for your review.
Jana
Was delicious! I used navy beans instead since that is what I had, and I added some kidney beans as well. Thanks!
Kate
You’re welcome, Jana!
Kate
I made this recipe tonight to share with my son. We loved it! We used kale and I love the added heat from the pepper flakes. Thanks for sharing!
Kate
You’re welcome!
Sunil Dogra
Thanks for sharing classic minestone soup recipe. Looks so delicious and perfect for parties!
Kate
You’re welcome!
Claudia Marieb
I felt this had too tomato paste and tomatoes – it was more like a spaghetti sauce than a soup. Even with the broth and water. Half the amount of diced tomatoes and it is perfect.
Kate
Sorry you didn’t love it, Claudia.
Yovanina
Gracias por compartir tus recetas hice la sopa de minestrone y quedo espectacular mis esposo decia guardame para mañana, nos encanto!
Kate
You’re welcome! Thank you for your review, Yovanina!
Sharon Markovitz
made the soup last week – outstanding. I cooked for 22 people and really appreciated your scale feature.
Kate
Thank you for your feedback, Sharon! That’s a lot of soup. I’m glad it worked so well.
Cynthia L
First time making minestrone soup. I doubled this recipe and boy am I glad I did! The recipe was easy to follow. I used elbow pasta, cannellini beans, small red beans, green squash, green beans, spinach, potatoes, corn, and peas. Absolutely delicious and chock full of nutrients. My friends loved it. Works great as a freezer meal. The only thing I’d change is to add more broth because the pasta expands overnight, so it was more like a stew than a soup. I’ll definitely use this recipe again. Thanks so much, Kate.
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Cynthia! Thanks so much for your review. Thanks for sharing the freezer insight!
Naomi
My Family won’t eat what they call “chunky soup” : no matter how small I dice the veggies : they will refuse to eat it.
I made this recipe exactly as it was : with one exception : once it was ready : I put it in the blender and puréed it. Because I added pototoes as one of my vegetables combined with the small pasta it puréed lovely and thick. Very Smooth.
I served it topped with Shaved Parmesan and crusty bread.
It’s now a new family FAVOURITE. And I have been asked to make it again.
I didn’t tell them it was “Minestrone” I served it up as an “ITALIAN SOUP”
THANKYOU : IT WAS ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS
Kate
I’m happy you were able to make this work for your family!
Jenny
Absolute best minestrone recipe, hands down! Served it for dinner one night, then paired it with your Grilled Cheese recipe for lunch the next day to two teens boys who said it was the “best lunch ever”. Thank you!!
Maddy
So yummy! I’m not much of a recipe follower, so I love that this is easy to customize. I make it all the time to use up my starting to go bad produce. Romaine lettuce works just fine in it by the way! I also usually use black beans since I buy them already, and add a bunch of cayenne to make it kind of spicy
Cathryn
This was the best minestrone soup that I’ve tasted & super easy to make. I added a bit more veggies (that time of year from the garden) and also used a can of mixed beans as I wanted a bit of a variety. The result was delicious! (oh yeah, I added a bit of Tabasco to mine at the end as I usually do with most soups, but my husband had it as is and loved it) Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Jenny
I’ve made a zillion batches of minestrone and this is hands down the GOAT! PS- paired w/ your grilled cheese is pretty epic.
Savanna Lots-of-carbs
So thankful to have found this recipe! My boyfriend and I are vegetarian, and this is absolutely a new favorite. However, when making it, my boyfriend accidentally added DOUBLE the amount of noodles. After laughing with him (mostly at him), we assumed it would still be great. It is still DELICIOUS, but the noodles soaked up almost all of the broth leaving us with minestrone-flavored vegetable pasta. My thought is to even out what we have with more vegetable stock, diced tomatoes, etc., and freeze our leftover soup. However, the internet advises against freezing soup with noodles. Thoughts?
Marie
I made a few changes just because I didn’t have the ingredient called
for. I used tomato sauce instead of paste, lime juice instead of lemon, I eliminated the pasta and added a can of kidney beans, chicken broth instead of vegetable broth since I wasn’t concerned about it being vegetarian. I used two zucchini and half pound green beans and spinach along with the vegetables specified and Parmesan.
It was fabulous! I also served it with French bread but I if I had time I would’ve made croutons
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Marie!
Christine Snyder
This was a perfect way to use up some garden produce. I used yellow zucchini, potatoes, kale, garlic and green beans from the garden. We added extra red pepper flakes, but followed the recipe otherwise. Excellent soup!
Jill
I made this from my Love Real Food cookbook. I didn’t have some of the ingredients (kale, white beans), so I added some I had on hand(fresh corn, bell pepper, black beans, flat leaf parsley). PERFECT minestrone! Will make this recipe again and again. I love that it makes enough to share! Double yum!
Linda Cardinal
We loved it , good thing because I doubled this recipe — mistake, I had to split it between two pots! It makes way more than 8 cups, maybe 16. I’m going to freeze some. Next time I think I’ll skip the tomato paste or use a tbsp rather than 1/4 cup. No need for parmesan imo, and I used a chipotle pepper in adobo sauce because I prefer it for heat.
Danielle
I love soups but this might just be my new favorite :) It made such a large pot that I froze half to enjoy after delivery of my baby, I know it will be so warm and comforting .
Penny
This is my new favourite soup recipe!! Thank you!
Astha Mehra
Amazing!! Just perfect
Kate
Thank you, Astha!
Elaine
Made this on a rainy Seattle day and it was delicious. My teen boys gobbled it down with crusty French bread. I had to add some water to the veggies with the tomato paste as the tomato paste was burning on medium heat. Next time I probably would saute the onions, celery and carrots in just the olive oil and then add the tomato paste with the seasonal vegetables.
Joan Shea
Would you add mushrooms a shiitake or white button?
I’m going to
Thank you for recipe
I’ll let you know how it cones out
I like how you wrote it with ingredients in order
Thank you
Kate
You can add what you like. Be sure to saute them first!
Martin
Such a thorough, well- ingediented/ seasoned soup/ stew. Thanks for this as I used it as a jump off base for what I had from this summer’s garden.
Trevor
My family loves this soup. It’s a little intimidating to see a recipe that tells you to use whatever is in season, but I’ve made it twice and great results both times. Thanks for sharing
Kate
I’m glad you liked it with different variety of vegetables!
Diane S Gordon
Whenever I can, I use fresh tomatoes – it makes a world of difference. In the late summer, they are so cheap! I throw them in the blender, seeds, skins included, and freeze them in quart sized bags to use all year for both minestrone and tomato sauce.
Kate
That sounds like a great idea, Diane!
Mitshua
Can u give me the idea to change the recipe to special dietary requirements
Kate
Hello, the dietary substitutions notes are below the recipe. I hope this helps!
Hayley
Minestrone is my favourite soup to order at restaurants but I’ve always been disappointed trying to make it at home. After attempting 5 different recipes over the years, this one finally is my favourite! There was so much flavour and texture from all the vegetables. I used ditalini pasta because I couldn’t find any of the other ones mentioned and ditalini is a traditional soup pasta anyways. I topped it with homemade vegan parmesan. It was so delicious on a cold (!!??!) summer night!
Kate
I’m happy this one meets your standards, Hayley! Thanks so much for your review.
Natalie
I’m looking forward to trying this. Could this be made in a slow cooker/crockpot? Thanks!
Kate
I haven’t tried it, but I believe other readers have with luck. I would recommend to still saute your vegetables.
Natalie
Thanks! I followed the recipe as is for my first time. It was delicious and really not that difficult. I may try the slow cooker sometime but I don’t think it’ll be necessary.
Kate
Great to hear, Natalie!
Emily Phillips
I made this soup for lunches this week and it is the best minestrone I’ve ever had!! SO delicious!!
Ellen
Very tasty !