Description
This easy minestrone soup is a hearty and comforting Italian classic loaded with vegetables, beans, pasta, and flavorful herbs. Perfect for a nutritious and filling meal, it's simple to make on the stovetop and topped with grated parmesan cheese for a savory finish.
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
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
Pantry Staples and Pasta
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni or shell pasta
Finishing Touches
- 1 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional, to garnish)
Instructions
- Heat fats: Heat 2 tablespoons salted butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large 6-quart soup pot over medium heat until melted and shimmering.
- Sauté onions: Add diced onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to soften and become translucent.
- Cook vegetables: Add diced celery, carrots, and zucchini to the pot. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more, stirring to combine.
- Add liquids and beans: Stir in diced tomatoes with their juice, tomato sauce, cannellini beans with their liquid, kidney beans with their liquid, vegetable broth, dried basil, and dried oregano. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
- Cook pasta: 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 but not mushy.
- Add spinach: Stir in the baby spinach during the last 2 minutes of cooking to wilt it into the soup.
- Season and serve: Season the soup with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve hot, garnished with grated parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- You can substitute kale or chard for spinach if desired.
- For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free pasta or omit pasta and add more beans or vegetables.
- Add a splash of red wine with the tomatoes for extra depth of flavor.
- This soup stores well and tastes even better the next day after flavors meld.
- Use low-sodium vegetable broth and adjust salt accordingly for a lower salt option.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
