An Easy Classic Minestrone Soup Recipe

Minestrone is a hearty Italian soup recipe, usually filled with some variation of pasta, kidney beans, vegetables, and tomatoes. I’d never made minestrone soup at home before, until my mom made a pot of it for me when I was sick. I begged for the recipe, and she obliged, even throwing in a few of her secrets for the BEST minestrone ever. You’ll find them below (thanks, Mom!). This soup is rich, flavorful, and filling, almost a meal on its own.

As soon as fall rolls around, I could eat soup for every meal. I usually turn to old favorites, like homemade chicken soup and creamy potato leek soup, or tortilla soup if I’m craving a little spice. Lately, I’ve been all about Italian classics, from Zuppa Toscana and lemon chicken orzo soup to this veggie-and-pasta-packed homemade minestrone.

Why Make This Homemade Minestrone Soup Recipe

• Delicious veggies. This easy minestrone recipe is a great way to hide vegetables in plain sight, even for picky eaters! They meld with the pasta and beans, and it always turns out super delicious.
• Full of flavor. The rich tomato-based broth is simply seasoned, but perfectly so. All you need are a few pantry herbs and spices.
• Ready in 40 minutes. Have a warm, cozy bowl of minestrone on the table in less than an hour.
• Refrigerator-friendly. In more ways than one! I love using soup recipes to clean out extra veggies in the crisper drawer. This Italian vegetable soup also reheats well and keeps in the fridge for a few days.

Minestrone vs. Vegetable Soup

Minestrone is a type of hearty Italian vegetable soup. The main difference is that minestrone soup is bulked up with beans, pasta, or sometimes rice.

What You’ll Need to Make Minestrone Soup

Scroll down to the recipe card for the exact ingredient amounts.

• Stock – Some minestrone recipes use beef broth as a base. However, I like to use vegetable stock to keep this recipe 100% vegetarian. You can use vegetable, beef, or chicken stock.
• Cooking wine – This doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Choose a dry white wine that you enjoy drinking; it’ll add depth of flavor to the soup. Wine is optional, though, and you could always replace it with more stock if needed.
• Onions and garlic – Essential aromatics. Any white or yellow onion will work. I recommend freshly minced garlic, but if you don’t have it, substitute 1 tablespoon of jarred garlic or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder per clove.
• Vegetables – I love a good vegetable-filled soup. For this recipe, I add carrots, zucchini, squash, and cabbage, all chopped.
• Canned fire-roasted tomatoes – Regular canned tomatoes will also work; I just prefer the smokier flavor.
• Beans – I like to use a combination of kidney beans and white beans. Beans add protein and a nice depth of flavor. Be sure to drain and rinse canned beans well.
• Herbs – Italian herbs like oregano, thyme, basil, and red pepper flakes. I use dry herbs in this recipe to infuse the flavors into the broth while the soup cooks. However, you could also use fresh herbs, just double the amounts and add them at the end of the cooking process. You’ll get the most out of the fresh herbs’ flavor this way.
• Pasta – My favorites are tiny pasta, like ditalini pasta, small elbow noodles, or shells.

How to Make Classic Minestrone Soup

1. Sauté the onions and garlic. Start by heating a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, and then immediately add the onions. Sauté until they’re slightly browned, about 5-6 minutes, then add the garlic.
2. Deglaze the pot. Pour in the white cooking wine to deglaze the pot, scraping the brown bits off the bottom.
3. Add vegetables. Next, add the carrots, zucchini, squash, and cabbage. Sauté for 6-8 minutes, until the veggies are tender.
4. Build the soup. Then, you’ll stir in basil, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Add the fire-roasted tomatoes, water, and vegetable stock.
5. Cook. Bring the whole pot to a boil, and then simmer for 15 minutes so the flavors can mingle. Lastly, add the pasta, kidney beans, and white beans. Let the soup cook for 10 more minutes, or until the pasta is done. Serve with shredded parmesan cheese on top.

Variations

The very best part about this hearty vegetable soup is that you can add any vegetables you have leftover in the fridge, among other easy variations. Here are a few ideas:

• Veggies: Add peas, celery, parsnips, potatoes, or leeks.
• Greens: Stir in and wilt baby spinach or chopped kale at the end of cooking.
• Legumes: Instead of kidney beans, try black beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), or lentils. Drain and rinse them if they’re canned.
• Protein: While it’s not traditional in minestrone soup recipes, go ahead and add leftover cooked shredded chicken to the soup for an extra filling bowlful.

Tips for the Best Minestrone Soup

• Cook the pasta in the soup. I cook the pasta in the soup instead of separately, because I like a thicker minestrone soup. However, if you want a lighter, brothier soup, I’d recommend cooking your pasta in a separate pot until al dente, then adding it to your minestrone soup at the end.
• Deglaze the pan. Don’t let all those brown bits go to waste. Deglazing the pan after cooking the onions adds so much flavor to your soup!
• Sweat all the vegetables. I used to add the vegetables to the soup in stages. My mom taught me her trick of sweating the vegetables together, and it’s such a game-changer in terms of overall flavor! I highly recommend cooking all the vegetables down at once.
• Top with Parmesan cheese. Finish this minestrone soup in true Italian fashion and top it with freshly grated Parmesan.

Storage and Freezing

• Refrigerate. Store this minestrone soup for up to 3-4 days in the fridge. The pasta becomes a bit softer with time, but the flavors are still great.
• Reheat. Warm up the soup on the stove or reheat individual servings in the microwave.
• Freeze. You can freeze this soup, with a disclaimer: The pasta tends to turn mushy after it’s thawed. If you are making this soup specifically to freeze it, I recommend making the soup without the pasta. Freeze the soup in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw and reheat in a soup pot over the stove, and add freshly cooked pasta before serving.

More Homemade Soup Recipes to Enjoy

• Crock Pot Corn and Potato Chowder
• 30-Minute Beef Chili
• Vegetable Thai Noodle Soup
• Crock Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup