Description
This Easy Minestrone Soup is a hearty, comforting Italian classic packed with fresh vegetables, beans, and pasta in a flavorful tomato broth. Perfect for a nutritious and filling meal that comes together quickly on the stovetop.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 3 medium celery ribs, diced
- 4 medium carrots, diced
- 3 medium zucchini, diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped
Liquids and Canned Goods
- 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (15 ounce) can white cannellini beans, undrained
- 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, undrained
- 6 cups vegetable broth
Other Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni or shell pasta
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, to garnish
Instructions
- Heat fats and sauté onion: Heat 2 tablespoons salted butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large 6-quart soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced white onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it starts to soften.
- Add diced vegetables: Add diced celery, carrots, and zucchini to the pot. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften. Stir in 1 tablespoon minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
- Add tomatoes, beans, broth, and herbs: Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juice, tomato sauce, cannellini beans, kidney beans, vegetable broth, dried basil, and dried oregano. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
- Cook pasta in soup: Add the elbow macaroni or shell pasta to the boiling soup. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer at a low boil for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the pasta is tender.
- Add spinach and season: During the last 2 minutes of cooking, stir in the chopped baby spinach. Season the soup with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Serve: Ladle the hot minestrone soup into bowls and garnish each serving with 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- For a vegan version, omit the butter and parmesan cheese, and use a plant-based alternative.
- You can substitute any short pasta shape if elbow macaroni or shells are unavailable.
- Use low-sodium vegetable broth to control salt levels.
- Adding fresh herbs instead of dried will brighten the flavor.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated gently.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 12 mg
