Minestrone Vegetable Soup (Printable)

Classic Italian soup with vegetables, beans, and pasta in a rich broth. Perfect comfort food for any season.

# What You Need:

→ 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 & Pasta

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

→ Broth & 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

# How-To Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until vegetables are 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 mixture to a boil.
04 - Reduce heat, cover pot, and simmer for 20 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
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 according to preference.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with fresh parsley and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes even better on day two or three when the flavors have time to get to know each other in your fridge.
  • You can raid whatever vegetables are lurking in your kitchen and it somehow always comes together beautifully.
  • One pot means minimal cleanup, maximum comfort, and actually having time to sit down and eat.
02 -
  • Add the pasta near the end, or it'll soak up every drop of broth and you'll end up with something closer to risotto than soup.
  • Taste the broth before you add your salt; many broths are already seasoned, and oversalting is far easier than fixing it.
03 -
  • If you have a Parmesan rind sitting in your cheese drawer, toss it into the simmering broth for umami depth that nobody will be able to name but everyone will taste.
  • Don't skip the fresh parsley at the end; that chlorophyll brightness is what lifts the whole bowl from heavy to balanced.
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