Classic Italian Minestrone Soup
This article may contain affiliate links, please read our disclosure policy.
Thick, chunky, and oh-so-delicious, this Italian Minestrone soup is a hearty vegetarian meal that you’ll make over and over. It’s loaded with nourishing veggies and protein-rich beans. It’s a well-rounded dish that’s easy to make, yummy to eat, and makes even better leftovers.
Love this? Try this Tuscan Farro Soup and this Pumpkin Soup!
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love It
I think I told you before that my nonna wasn’t a great cook. I know, right? I am probably the only Italian with a granma that cannot cook!
But her minestrone was always top-notch. She used to tell me stories about how her own grandad used to cook minestrone on the fireplace many years ago, and it was the best one she had ever had.
So, I tried to recreate her favorite recipe (minus the fire).
This Italian vegetable soup is packed with lots of nourishing veggies and fresh herbs. Beans make it crunchy and filling. And a sprinkle of Parmesan is the perfect (optional!) finishing touch.
Throw in a slice of crusty bread to mop this up, and you’ll have a tasty meal that you can’t wait to repeat all week long!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Extra virgin olive oil: To fry up the veggies and add healthy fats to the soup base.
- Onion, garlic, carrots, and celery: The classic savory and sweet base to many Italian recipes. I used red onions as I find them sweeter, but you can use white or yellow, or even shallots.
- Green beans, cauliflower florets, potatoes, frozen peas, and leek: This combination of veggies adds texture, richness, and an amazing vitamin profile to this Italian minestrone soup.
- Greens: Any variation of kale, spinach, Swiss chard, or beet greens will work here.
- Borlotti beans: You can also substitute these for red kidney beans, white beans, or something similar!
- Diced tomatoes: To add acidity that balances the soup.
- Pumpkin: I always use chopped pumpkin or butternut squash for this recipe as they are sweet and fresh.
- Bay leaves: Add a subtle, aromatic depth to the soup.
- Fresh parsley and rosemary: For brightness and an authentic, herby flavor.
- Small pasta and parmesan (optional): You can throw in orzo or ditalini to make this soup more filling and grated parmesan for more texture and a hint of nutty cheesiness.
How To Make Authentic Italian Minestrone Soup
Step-by-step overview. Full ingredients and instructions are in the recipe card below.
Create the Italian soffritto: Make the aromatic base by heating olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the carrots, red onion, garlic, and celery and cook until they soften (photo 1).
Add the veggies: Stir in green beans, potatoes, pumpkin, leek, and cauliflower. Cook for about 5 minutes and stir occasionally (photo 2).
Create the broth: Pour in the crushed tomatoes and enough water to cover the vegetables (photos 3 and 4). Add in the borlotti beans, rosemary, bay leaves, salt, and pepper (photo 5).
Simmer the soup: Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for around 30 minutes.
Add the rest of the veggies: Add the frozen peas and greens in the last 10 minutes of cooking (photo 6). If you’re using pasta, add it in here and wait until the pasta is tender and the greens have wilted.
Finish things up and serve: Remove the bay leaves and rosemary sprig before adjusting the seasoning with salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh chopped parsley and serve the soup hot with a sprinkle of parmesan (if using) and a drizzle of olive oil!
Notes and Tips
- Cut all veggies roughly the same size: There’s nothing worse than a mix of mushy and overly-crunchy veggies. By cutting your vegetables to roughly the same size, you’ll get an even cook that creates a pleasant texture across the whole soup.
- Water is all you need: Some recipes mention using chicken broth or vegetable broth to whip up an Italian minestrone soup. We just use water in Italy, as the veggies add more than enough flavor to the soup!
- Try to use seasonal veggies: We enjoy vegetarian minestrone in Italy all year round, but we tend to switch out the veggies for whatever is in season.
- In summer, we’ll opt for zucchini and bell peppers. During wintertime, root veggies and kale will find their way into the pot. If you’re cooking this soup during fall, Tuscan kale, pumpkin, Swiss chard, and spinach should be your picks. For spring, try peas, asparagus, and zucchini flowers!
- Love thick soups? For a thicker soup, you can mash some of the beans before adding them to the pot (this should give you extra texture!). Alternatively, blend about a third of the soup using a standard blender or an immersion blender for a creamier texture.
- Add a Parmesan rind: Totally optional, but this is what my grandma used to do. If you have any Parmesan rind lying around, just add it to your minestrone. It will infuse it with a cheesy taste, and you can eat it as it will become soft and gooey when cooked.
Using dry beans
I honestly prefer using canned beans as it’s quicker and easier. But if you want to make an original Minestrone with dried beans, you totally can.
Just soak ⅔ of a cup of dried beans for 12 hours and cook them up for 40-50 minutes. You can then add them to the soup as normal.
Serving Suggestions
- Serving this with a slice of crusty bread is my all-time favorite.
- Otherwise, why not try a simple lettuce salad for a lighter meal?
- You could also serve a smaller portion of this soup as an appetizer before your main course.
How to Store
Allow the soup to cool completely before storing it. Then, you can either store it in the fridge or freezer.
- In the fridge: You can store this Italian Minestrone soup in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
- In the freezer: This soup freezes incredibly well. Just portion it into freezer-safe containers and it’ll stay delicious for up to 2-3 months!
- Reheating: If you’ve frozen this soup, thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating. You can then reheat it gently over low heat, adding a bit of water or broth if the soup has thickened in the fridge.
If you try this Italian minestrone soup recipe, please leave a comment and a rating and let me know how much you liked it!
Classic Italian Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 carrots - cut into cubes
- 1 red onion - peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic - minced
- 2 celery stalks
- 2 green beans - cut into ½ inch cubes
- 2 medium potatoes - peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
- 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes - (400g)
- 1 15 oz can borlotti beans - drained and rinsed (240g drained)
- 1 cup pumpkin - cut into ½ inch cubes
- ½ leak - cut into rinds
- 2 cups cauliflower florets
- ½ cup frozen peas
- 2 cups greens - spinach, kale, Swiss chard, beet greens etc.
- 1 stig fresh rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cups water - note 1
- fresh chopped parsley - handful
- sea salt
- black pepper
Optional
- 6 ounces small pasta - ditalini, orzo
- grated parmesan - optional for serving
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add carrots, red onion, garlic, and celery. Cook until they start to soften.
- Stir in green beans, potatoes, pumpkin, leek, and cauliflower. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes and enough water to cover the vegetables. Add borlotti beans, rosemary, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Add the frozen peas and greens in the last 10 minutes of cooking. If using pasta, add it to the pot as well. Cook until the greens are wilted and the pasta is cooked through.
- Remove bay leaves and rosemary sprig. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh chopped parsley. Serve hot with a sprinkle of grated parmesan (if desired), a drizzle of olive oil, and some crustry bread.
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe? Tag @gatheringdreams on Instagram. I want to see it!
