Minestrone Vegetable Soup (Printable Version)

Hearty Italian soup with seasonal vegetables, beans, pasta, and fresh herbs

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
07 - 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
08 - 1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
09 - 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes with juices
10 - 4 cups vegetable broth
11 - 2 cups water

→ Beans & Pasta

12 - 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
13 - 3/4 cup small pasta such as ditalini or elbow macaroni

→ Seasonings & Herbs

14 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
15 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
16 - 1 bay leaf
17 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
18 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
19 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, optional

→ Garnish

20 - Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional

# Method:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant and translucent.
02 - Add carrots, celery, zucchini, potato, and green beans. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes until slightly softened.
03 - Stir in diced tomatoes with juices, vegetable broth, and water. Add dried oregano, dried basil, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
04 - Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
05 - Add cannellini beans and pasta. Continue to simmer uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes until pasta and vegetables are tender.
06 - Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in fresh parsley and basil. Adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - Ladle into bowls and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour and tastes even better the next day when the flavors deepen and mingle.
  • You can throw in whatever vegetables you have lying around, making it a practical solution to the half-full crisper drawer dilemma.
  • One pot means one pot to wash, which might sound small until you're standing at the sink on a weeknight.
02 -
  • Don't add the pasta until the last twelve minutes, or it will absorb so much liquid that you'll end up with something closer to risotto than soup.
  • The vegetables release water as they cook, so the broth-to-vegetable ratio means your soup actually gets thinner as time goes on, which is exactly right.
03 -
  • Toast your pasta in a dry skillet for a minute before adding it to the soup if you want it to stay more al dente and less likely to turn mushy.
  • Keep the heat at a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil—aggressive heat breaks down the vegetables too quickly and turns the soup cloudy.
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