Minestrone Vegetable Soup (Printable)

Hearty Italian soup brimming with vegetables, beans, pasta and aromatic herbs in a savory broth.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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 and Pasta

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

→ Broth and Seasonings

12 - 6 cups vegetable broth
13 - 2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs
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

# Directions:

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 3 minutes.
03 - Add diced tomatoes, drained cannellini beans, vegetable broth, dried Italian herbs, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil.
04 - Reduce heat to low, cover pot, 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 - Adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with fresh parsley, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes better each time you make it because you learn what your kitchen does best with these flavors.
  • Somehow this soup fills you up without feeling heavy, perfect for those nights when you want comfort without the crash afterward.
  • It's genuinely forgiving—slightly overcooked vegetables? The soup welcomes them. Pasta a bit too soft? Nobody notices once everything mingles together.
02 -
  • The pasta will continue absorbing liquid even after you stop cooking, so if you're making this ahead, cook the pasta just slightly under and add it to the hot broth right before serving.
  • A Parmesan rind simmered in the broth for the last ten minutes transforms everything—I learned this by accident and now I save rinds specifically for this soup.
03 -
  • If you're cooking for someone who's sick or tired or just had a hard day, this soup knows how to say things you might not have words for.
  • Serve with bread thick enough to actually hold soup, not the thin slices that dissolve into sadness.
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