This minestrone soup recipe is a delicious version of the classic Italian vegetable soup. Serve it with crusty bread for an easy vegetarian meal!
Today, I have two goals: to bake a batch of Christmas cookies and to make a pot of minestrone soup. To me, the two go hand-in-hand. After I spend an afternoon baking (and eating!) something sweet, I want nothing more than a warming, nourishing pot of soup for dinner at night.
I love this minestrone soup recipe in particular because it’s so satisfying, but still light and fresh. Onions, carrots, and celery add depth of flavor to its herb-flecked tomato broth, and starchy beans and pasta make it nice and thick. I toss in green beans for texture, and, as a final finishing touch, I top it off with fresh parsley and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. It’s super easy and flavorful, and all you need is crusty bread to make it a meal. Cookies for dessert are optional, but highly recommended.
Minestrone Soup Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this minestrone soup recipe:
- Onion, carrot, and celery – These vegetables create the aromatic base of the soup, known as a soffritto in Italian. You’ll sauté them in olive oil before adding the other ingredients.
- Garlic – It adds additional depth of flavor to the soup. You’ll stir it in after cooking the onions, carrots, and celery so that it doesn’t burn.
- Diced tomatoes – For sweet, tangy flavor.
- Green beans – They add vibrant color and crisp-tender texture to the soup.
- White or kidney beans – Navy beans, cannellini beans, and red kidney beans all work great!
- Vegetable broth – Use store-bought, or make your own.
- Bay leaves, oregano, and thyme – My easy version of a homemade Italian seasoning! These dried herbs add so much complexity to this simple minestrone soup.
- Small pasta – Think elbows, little shells, orecchiette, or ditalini. I like to cook it right in the soup so that it releases its starches into the broth.
- Fresh parsley – For garnish! Fresh basil would be excellent here too.
- Red pepper flakes – Optional, for heat.
- And Parmesan cheese – This salty, umami garnish takes the soup over the top.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Variations
If you don’t have these exact ingredients on hand, don’t worry. As Alice Waters writes in The Art of Simple Food, minestrone soup is endlessly customizable. Part of the beauty of this recipe is that you can change it up to use what’s in season or what you have on hand. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Substitute chopped fennel for the celery.
- Replace the green beans with diced zucchini or yellow squash, or use a mix of all three.
- In the summer, use diced fresh Roma tomatoes instead of canned ones.
- Stir in fresh greens, like spinach or kale, near the end of the cooking time.
- No pasta? Swap in a quick-cooking grain like pearled farro or barley.
- Instead of using canned beans, cook your own! Then, use the aromatic cooking liquid in place of some or all of the vegetable broth in this soup.
Let me know what variations you try!
Minestrone Soup Serving Suggestions
This recipe is best right after it’s made, as the pasta absorbs the broth as it sits in the leftover soup. If you want to make it ahead of time, I recommend cooking the pasta separately and stirring it into the soup as you’re ready to eat. Alternatively, you can skip the pasta and add an extra cup of beans to the soup. Prepared this way, the soup will keep well for up to four days in the fridge.
When you’re ready to eat, top each bowl with a sprinkle of parsley, red pepper flakes, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. If you’re vegan, feel free to skip the cheese, or garnish your bowl with a scoop of vegan pesto instead. (Non-vegans take note: regular pesto is also a great topping for minestrone soup!).
Serve the soup with good crusty bread and call it a day, or round out the meal with a side salad. This arugula salad, this beet salad, and this pear salad would all be fantastic with this minestrone soup. Enjoy!
More Favorite Soup Recipes
If you love this minestrone soup, try one of these delicious soup recipes next:
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Tortellini Soup
- Cabbage Soup
- Many-Veggie Vegetable Soup
- Best Lentil Soup
- Instant Pot Lentil Soup
- Tomato Basil Soup
- Or any of these 33 Best Soup Recipes!
Minestrone Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1½ cups cooked white beans or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup chopped green beans
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¾ cup small pasta, elbows, shells, orecchiette
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- Red pepper flakes
- Grated Parmesan cheese, optional, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, salt, and several grinds of black pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the garlic, tomatoes, beans, green beans, broth, bay leaves, oregano, and thyme. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Stir in the pasta and cook, uncovered, for 10 more minutes, until the pasta is cooked through.
- Season to taste and serve with parsley, red pepper flakes, and parmesan, if desired.
Really tasty!
Do you recommend cooking pasta separately so it doesn’t overcook?
Hi Stephanie, we cook it right in the soup for ease, but you could cook it separately if you prefer!
Loved it added a Parmesan cheese rind and one can of tomato paste to add extra flavor
Hi Pam, so glad you loved it! Those add-ins would be delicious.
delicious. 5 star.. didn”t have celery so i used fennel
So glad you loved it!
Another 5-star review. It’s fantastic and even better the next day. I used malfada noodles (gluten free) and home canned tomatoes. The soup improved when I added 1/4 tsp baking soda to neutralize the acid. SO good!
I’m so glad you loved the recipe, Becky!
I followed the recipe basically , but did substitute with the things I had on hand . I used regular petite diced tomatoes and a can of Rotel tomatoes because I didn’t have pepper flakes . I used garlic powder instead of cloves , I added about a 1/4 c of kale because I didn’t have fresh parsley . Pinto beans instead of kidney beans . It was still a very good soup . You never know what you may have on hand so it’s good to know you don’t have to be exact. Thanks for the recipe .
Hi Karen, I’m glad to hear the recipe was so flexible for you!
That sounds like a good soup you made, and being adaptable in the kitchen is perhaps the most important cooking skill to have! But if you didn’t make the recipe that the author provided, then why only rate it 4 stars?
Made this today. I used Zucchini instead of green beans. I used light red kidney beans and Ditalini pasta. I added a few splashes of Worcestershire. When done cooking I added a few handfuls of baby spinach. Topped my bowl with fresh grated Parmesan. Just what I was hoping for.
I’m so glad you loved it!
What are the nutritional values for this recipe. I do not see them posted anywhere?
Hi Kim, we don’t calculate nutrition facts for our recipes unfortunately, but you could use an online nutrition calculator to get an estimate.
Wow!!! Amazing soup. I added frozen Fire roasted sweet corn. For beans I 1/4 can of navy beans and light red kidney beans. Added more pasta to make it more hearty and added water. Delicious!!! The shredded parmesan cheese made it over the top!
I’m glad you loved it!
I have a question. Can I use green lentil pasta instead of regular pasta?
yep!
I had guests over after church….I needed a meal I could make ahead and reheat and still taste fresh and delicious. I chose this minestrone soup, your focaccia and your lemon bars and a tossed salad. My husband is kinda picky….but he said the soup (actually everything, but review for soup) soup was “outstanding” he said it was a really tasty soup and he hoped I’d make it again soon. That sort of compliment is not ones he hands out frequently. I printed the recipes, I’ll put them together as a successful make ahead meal in my recipe binder.
Hi Kathy, aww, I’m so glad everyone loved the recipes so much! Sounds like you put together such a nice menu.
Thanks for sharing this recipe! Full of flavor and color. My husband really appreciates having a low sodium option as most store-bought soups are loaded with sodium. Delicious andeasy to make!
There’s something about minestrone soup that always feels like a hug in a bowl. I love how every spoonful is packed with warmth and comfort, from the savory broth to the tender vegetables and perfectly cooked pasta. The blend of flavors—rich tomatoes, earthy beans, and a dash of herbs—feels so satisfying, like the ingredients were made to come together. Whenever I need something to lift my spirits, I find myself reaching for a bowl of minestrone. It’s simple, wholesome, and always hits the spot, whether it’s a chilly day or just one of those moments when I want a taste of home.
I have made this 3 times in the past week. It is easy and delicious! Very hearty. Thank you for your hard work!
-I made it with chicken broth.
-I added some tomato paste to the carrot/celery/onion mixture and let it brown up for a few minutes before adding the broth.
-I added a whole can of white beans and a whole can of kidney beans (drained)for more protein.
-I used drained canned green beans as that’s all I had.
I made it both as written and with my changes and it was delicious either way! Thanks again!
I’m so glad you loved the recipe, Emily!
Absolutely delicious! I added zucchini and swapped for tortellini- kids loved it!
So glad it was a hit, Elizabeth!
Thanks for reminding me of how easy this soup is to make! I added mixed vegetables and 2/3 cup of ditilini dried pasta
This is The. Best. Minestrone! I’ve made it a few times & it never fails! ? I have a soup exchange coming up & am wondering if it’ll freeze well?
Hi Rachel, I’m so glad you love the recipe! You can freeze it, but I would probably wait to add the pasta until you’re thawing/reheating it. If you add it before freezing it will soak up a lot of the broth.
Loved this recipe – will definitely make again. Forgot to add the Parmesan at the end but will not make that mistake again, that is the only umami experience missing. Added it to the left overs next day! The meat eaters in my house didn’t miss the meat – yay!
So glad you loved it, Gia!
Absolutely perfect! Exactly what I was looking for when I searched for a Minestrone Soup recipe. Healthy and delicious! It made for a perfect dinner on a busy night and an even better lunch the next day.
Hi Andrea, I’m so glad you loved it!
Can I add meat to the recipe?
In my opinion you certainly could – personally I don’t think it needs it