Hearty Italian Vegetable Minestrone (Print Version)

Classic Italian soup packed with vegetables, pasta, and beans in a savory tomato broth.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 large onion, diced
03 - 2 celery stalks, diced
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
07 - 1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
08 - 1 cup baby spinach or chopped kale

→ Base & Liquids

09 - 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
10 - 6 cups vegetable broth
11 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste

→ Pasta & Beans

12 - 3/4 cup small pasta such as ditalini or elbow
13 - 1 can (15 oz) cannellini or kidney beans, drained and rinsed

→ Herbs & Seasonings

14 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
15 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
16 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
17 - 1 bay leaf
18 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
19 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley plus more for garnish

# How To Make:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in garlic, zucchini, and green beans. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
03 - Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, vegetable broth, oregano, basil, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
04 - Add pasta and beans. Cook for 10 minutes or until pasta is al dente.
05 - Stir in spinach or kale and parsley. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until greens are wilted.
06 - Remove bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls, garnish with extra parsley, and serve hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Every spoonful tells a story of balance - the slight acidity of tomatoes dancing with the earthiness of beans and the sweetness of slowly sautéed vegetables.
  • This is the kind of meal that improves with time, making your future self thank your past self when you pull leftovers from the fridge after a long day.
02 -
  • Adding the pasta directly to the soup pot makes for a convenient one-pot meal, but I learned that the pasta continues absorbing liquid even after cooking, potentially turning your leftovers into more of a stew than a soup.
  • The hardest lesson was that patience truly matters - rushing the initial vegetable sauté stage robs the soup of its foundational flavor, so give those aromatics their full 5 minutes to soften and release their essential oils.
03 -
  • For the most flexible leftovers, cook the pasta separately and add it to individual bowls when serving rather than directly to the soup pot - this prevents it from absorbing too much liquid and becoming mushy.
  • The secret to exceptional minestrone is a parmesan rind simmered in the broth (just remove before serving) - it adds a depth of umami flavor that transforms an ordinary vegetable soup into something people will remember.
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