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Full of hearty beans, tender veggies, al dente pasta, and a savory tomato broth, this Minestrone soup is a great comfort meal on any night.
One of those classics that everyone should know how to make, Minestrone is a delicious and filling soup perfect for any night of the week. This vegetarian meal is packed with bean based protein, making it filling and good for you! You’ll love the flavors of the herbs and vegetables, it is earthy and special, making this soup a must make.
What is Minestrone?
Minestrone is a thick soup of Italian origin. It is always made with vegetables, but can be made with meat as well. There is not exact, set recipe for Minestrone, the recipe varies from region to region, and person to person. However, typical ingredients include celery, carrots, beans, stock (typically vegetable), tomatoes, and parmesan cheese.
Variations
If you want to keep the soup vegetarian but add more flavor, simmer with a parmesan rind. This enriches the soup with a delicious flavor. You can also add a splash of red wine for a different, richer, more acidic flavor. If you want to add more vegetables, try chopped green beans, baby spinach, diced tomatoes, kale, potatoes, and/or yellow squash.
When considering meat, you can easily add different meats to this soup. You could incorporate ground beef, ground turkey, pancetta, or bacon. You could also use a chicken or beef broth for a different flavor.
What to Serve with Minestrone
When serving up bowls of soup, consider what you like. I love crusty bread with my soup, a baguette or French bread taste great dipped in the soup. Make the bread a little heartier by turning it into garlic bread or cheesy bread. Take it a step further and serve pizza with this soup. Try a grilled cheese sandwich!
How to Make Minestrone
- To begin, heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onions, carrot, and celery. Cook until veggies are soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and stir to coat the veggies. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste turns a darker red color.
- Add zucchini and peas and cook until peas are thawed.
- Add broth, bay leaves, beans, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for at least 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Add pasta, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until pasta is cooked al dente.
- Add parsley, stir and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
The two soups are certainly similar, but not the same. The main difference is vegetables. Pasta fagioli doesn’t have as many vegetables in it as minestrone, it is mostly broth, beans, pasta, and tomato, whereas minestrone is broth, beans, loads of veggies, and pasta.
Minestrone has a strong tomato flavor with hints of herbs.
These can vary from person to person, but the main, base ingredients of minestrone are stock, tomato paste, pasta, beans, and vegetables.
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More Soup Recipes
Minestrone
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 2 celery ribs diced
- 2 carrots diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 zucchini cubed
- 1 cup frozen sweet peas
- 4 cups vegetable broth plus more for thinning if needed
- 2 bay leaves
- 14 ounces white beans rinsed and drained
- 14 ounces kidney beans rinsed and drained
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 1 cup small shells pasta
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrot, and celery. Cook until veggies are soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and stir to coat the veggies. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste turns a darker red color.
- Add zucchini and peas and cook until peas are thawed.
- Add broth, bay leaves, beans, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for at least 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Add pasta, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until pasta is cooked al dente. Add parsley, stir and serve.
Notes
- If too much of the broth is absorbed when cooking the pasta, you may need to add more vegetable broth. Depending on how much broth you add, you may also want to add more oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper.
- You can use any small pasta shape you like! Ditalini, wagon wheels, and orecchiette all work great!
- Serve with a green salad and some breadsticks for a delicious meal!
It’s
My husband‘s favorite soup thank you for the recipe
Delicious!!!!!!!
This looks so tasty and I haven’t
made this in a long time! Thanks for the recipe