Minestrone Soup Recipe (2025)

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This minestrone soup recipe is loaded with vegetables, beans, and pasta in a delicious tomato broth. This classic soup is nourishing, easy to make, and makes amazing leftovers!

Love restaurant-style Italian soups? Try this Chicken Gnocchi Soup, Zuppa Toscana, or my Pasta e Fagioli recipe.

Minestrone Soup Recipe (1)

Why you’ll love it

Minestrone is a really tasty Italian vegetable soup that usually has pasta, beans, and a tomato-based broth. I think of it as the ultimate vegetable soup! You’ve maybe tried Olive Garden minestrone soup, but I’m here to convince you that my version is so much better.

It’s one of those soups you can make on a lazy Sunday in chilly weather, and you’ll actually look forward to eating it for the rest of the week. It’s also easy to make with everyday, wholesome ingredients. There’s nothing complicated about it!

What you’ll need

  • Olive oil and butter – for sautéing
  • Onion, celery, and carrots, and garlic – this is a classic savory base for soups
  • Zucchini and fresh green beans – for veggie goodness
  • Canned tomatoes – to give the broth a thick and rich quality
  • Broth – use either chicken or vegetable for more savory flavor
  • Italian seasoning – a wonderful blend of dried herbs like rosemary and thyme that comes in one jar
  • Cannellini and red kidney beans – for added protein
  • Pasta – I used elbow macaroni, but any pasta variety that’s fairly small like ditalini will work
  • Basil – optional, but it adds a burst of freshness and flavor
  • Parmesan – use lots and lots of freshly grated parmesan
Minestrone Soup Recipe (2)

Tools for this recipe

Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!

How to make minestrone soup

This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

Minestrone Soup Recipe (3)

Prep your veggies. Sauté the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic until softened. Add in the crushed tomatoes, broth, zucchini, beans, and seasoning. Bring the soup to a boil, and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Minestrone Soup Recipe (4)

Stir in the macaroni, and cook until the pasta and veggies are tender. Season the soup with salt & pepper as needed. Stir in the basil if using, and top each bowl with plenty of freshly grated parmesan cheese!

Pro tip

If you happen to have a parmesan rind, throw it into the pot while cooking the soup to infuse extra flavor! It really makes a difference. Sometimes if you ask at the cheese counter, they’ll give you an extra rind if your parmesan block didn’t come with one. Don’t forget to take it out of the soup when it’s ready, though.

Substitutions and variations

  • If you want to add a non-vegetarian twist to this soup, try sautéing some bacon or pancetta with the veggies at the beginning. It’ll be incredible!
  • You could include other vegetables like cabbage or peas. Feel free to add/swap veggies based on personal preference, what’s in season, and what’s in your fridge.
  • If you want it to be extra hearty, go ahead and throw in a potato as well.
  • You can swap the crushed tomatoes for diced tomatoes, but I like the thickness and body that the crushed tomatoes give to the soup. If going the more traditional route and using diced tomatoes, I would probably add a tablespoon of tomato paste to the soup as well at the end of step 1.
  • Want to make it in your pressure cooker instead? Try this Easy Instant Pot Minestrone Soup Recipe.

What to serve with minestrone

  • A slice of crusty bread like sourdough or French bread would be perfect.
  • You could serve this soup as an appetizer before your main course.
  • Or make it a soup and salad kind of dinner! Try a side salad with Italian Dressing, homemade Creamy Balsamic Dressing, or go all-out with Caesar Salad and homemade Garlic Parmesan Croutons.

Leftovers and storage

  • Minestrone soup will keep for about 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
  • The pasta will soak up the broth the longer you leave it, so you may need to add some more chicken or vegetable broth when reheating leftovers.
  • If you’re planning on freezing the bulk of the soup, I suggest adding cooked pasta when you’ve thawed it instead.

Other cozy soups to try

  • Sausage and Vegetable Soup
  • Tuscan Chicken Soup with White Beans and Pasta
  • Italian Wedding Soup
  • Creamy Chicken Lasagna Soup
  • Sausage Gnocchi Soup
Minestrone Soup Recipe (5)

Leave me a star rating and review below if you made this hearty minestrone soup recipe! As always, tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram so I can see your creations. 🙂

Minestrone Soup Recipe (6)

4.92 from 46 votes

Minestrone Soup

By Natasha Bull

This minestrone soup recipe is loaded with vegetables, beans, and pasta in a delicious tomato broth. This classic soup is nourishing, easy to make, and makes amazing leftovers!

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 40 minutes mins

Total: 55 minutes mins

Servings: 6

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Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 2 sticks celery chopped
  • 3 medium carrots peeled & sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 4 cups chicken broth or veggie broth
  • 1 small zucchini chopped
  • 1 cup fresh green beans chopped
  • 1 (14 ounce) can red kidney beans drained
  • 1 (14 ounce) can white kidney (cannellini) beans drained
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 3/4 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Fresh basil optional, to taste
  • Freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste

Instructions

  • Add the oil, butter, onion, celery, carrots, and garlic to a large soup pot. Sauté for 7-10 minutes.

  • Stir in the crushed tomatoes, broth, zucchini, green beans, red kidney beans, white kidney beans, and Italian seasoning. Increase the heat to high, and bring it to a boil.

  • Once the soup is boiling, reduce the heat so it's simmering and cover the pot with the lid slightly open and cook for 10 minutes.

  • Stir in the pasta. Continue simmering the soup (I leave the lid off) for another 15-20 minutes or until the pasta and veggies are tender. Stir occasionally to stop the pasta from sticking to the bottom.

  • Before serving, season to taste with salt & pepper (I am generous with both), stir in the basil (if using), and serve each bowl with some parmesan cheese grated/shaved over top. This minestrone is fairly thick. If you find it too thick, add a splash more broth to thin it out (especially leftovers).

Notes

  • The pasta will soak up the broth the longer you leave it. You may need to add more chicken/veg broth to leftovers. If you’re freezing the bulk of this soup or planning on having lots of leftovers, I recommend cooking the pasta separately and adding it in when you reheat it.
  • I recommend chopping the vegetables quite small (see the ingredients photo in the blog post) so they cook properly in the timeframes I suggest in the recipe.
  • Want to make this soup in your Instant Pot? Check out that version here.

Nutrition

Calories: 299kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 5mg, Sodium: 974mg, Potassium: 1272mg, Fiber: 12g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 5670IU, Vitamin C: 33mg, Calcium: 160mg, Iron: 6mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.

Leave a star rating and comment below!

This recipe was originally published on January 29, 2020. It’s been tweaked to be even easier, tastier, and has new photos!

Healthy Pasta Recipes Soups Vegetarian

Minestrone Soup Recipe (7)

Hi! I’m Natasha.

Salt & Lavender is a recipe blog with a focus on delicious comfort food using everyday ingredients. Beat the weekday grind with hundreds of easy-to-follow and hassle-free recipes!

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Minestrone Soup Recipe (2025)

FAQs

What is the thickening agent for minestrone? ›

The secret ingredients for the minestrone soup broth are bacon, parmesan and Worcestershire sauce, and a touch of tomato paste which thickens the broth nicely as well has driving home the tomato flavour.

What is Olive Garden minestrone soup made of? ›

Ingredients- 2 Tbs olive oil; 1 onion diced (1 cup); 1 celery diced; 1 carrot, peeled & diced; 1 zucchini, chopped; 2 tsp minced garlic; 14 oz can diced tomato; 32 oz vegetable stock; 1 bay leaf; 1 1/2 Tbs Italian seasoning; 2 Tbs tomato paste; 15 oz canned small white beans, rinsed drained; 15 oz canned kidney beans ...

What is the secret ingredient in soup? ›

It may sound a bit strange and unusual for some, but vinegar is a common ingredient in some soup recipes, and there is a good reason for it. If you think about it, vinegar is really a flavor-enhancer (umami). That's why it is so often used in cooking, sauces, and salad dressings. The same is true with soups.

How do you make canned minestrone taste better? ›

Fresh lemon juice: this is best to add at the end of cooking, otherwise the lemon flavor can become bitter. Cooking Vinegars: such as balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, or even apple cider vinegar. Hot sauce: helps to add both acid and heat, so you're getting even more bang for your buck.

How to make minestrone soup Gordon Ramsay? ›

Method:
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the onions, carrots, celery and some seasoning. ...
  2. Add the thyme, bay leaf and bacon. ...
  3. Tip in the borlotti beans and cherry tomatoes, then pour in the chicken stock or water to cover. ...
  4. Add the spaghetti and cook for 10 minutes.
Nov 6, 2023

What gives vegetable soup that depth of flavor? ›

Dried herbs and seasonings: homemade seasoned salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and dried bay leaves lend flavor to the soup.

Why is minestrone soup so good? ›

Thanks to its detoxifying properties, minestrone stimulates the purification of the liver and the entire body. “It provides minerals such as magnesium and potassium, which help drain and remove excess fluid responsible for fluid retention and swelling,” according to the nutritionist.

What's in Campbell's minestrone soup? ›

This classic Italian soup is loaded with carrots, potatoes, celery, tomatoes, kidney beans, green beans and zucchini with shell-shaped pasta and spices.

What's the difference between minestrone and minestrone? ›

Minestra is often confused with minestrone. They both have similar ingredients and require the same preparation, however minestrone is solely a vegetable soup, meatless and thicker than minestra. Minestra is vegetable-based but often meat is added if available.

Why put vinegar in soup? ›

Vinegar, much like salt, is a flavor enhancer — it not only imparts its own taste and acidity to a soup, but in small quantities, it helps to bring out the brightness of other ingredients as well.

Which vinegar is best for soup? ›

Cider vinegar

It works just as well uncooked, such as in vinaigrettes or pickles, as it does cooked. Try it in barbecue sauces or glazes. Use it to create a pan sauce — the vinegar will help lift off the flavorful browned bits — or add brightness to a soup or stew at the end of cooking.

What gives soup more flavor? ›

"Ground paprika, turmeric, nutmeg, ground ginger, and other powdered spices add a touch of color and spiciness to broths," she says. As a general rule, use fresh herbs at or near the end of cooking and dried herbs and spices early on. This helps you get the flavors you're looking for in the right balance.

Why is my minestrone soup bland? ›

Not Adding Acid

If a soup is tasting bland in the bowl, consider adding acid rather than salt. A squeeze of lemon or lime, or a dash of yogurt or sour cream can add brightness to the bowl.

Does minestrone taste better the next day? ›

We also suggest serving with a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil and plenty of grated cheese. Pecorino or parmesan both work well. Maximize flavor. As with any of our soup recipes, the flavor of this minestrone soup will be better on the second day.

Why does Campbell's soup taste different? ›

The new recipe uses natural sea salt to enhance the soup's flavor while relying on the same tomatoes for their trademark color. Extensive research and taste tests across the country found their customers liked the new recipe's taste and appearance.

How to thicken up minestrone soup? ›

6 ways to thicken soup:
  1. Blend all or part of it. If you've made a broth with chunks of vegetable in it, such as minestrone soup, then pour the soup through a sieve. ...
  2. Add cream or yogurt. ...
  3. Add flour or cornflour. ...
  4. Use a butter and flour paste. ...
  5. Blend in bread. ...
  6. Add lentils or rice.

What starch-based thickening agent is used when preparing the minestrone? ›

Alternatively, mix a thickening agent like arrowroot powder with cold water and stir it into the soup when it's almost done cooking. Cornstarch will do the trick, too.

What ingredient is used as a thickening agent? ›

Refined starches are popular as thickening agents because they are lighter than a roux, neutral-flavored, and swell quickly when added to hot liquids. Refined starches, including arrowroot, cornstarch, potato starch, and rice flour, are also preferred alternatives for gluten-intolerant diets.

What are the two main thickening agents in soup? ›

cooking sauce or soup. Arrowroot starch thickens very quickly and it is unnecessary to bring the mixture to a boil for it to work. Cornstarch, on the other hand, requires heating the mix- ture to a boil to fully thicken the mixture and to avoid any “starchy” taste or texture in the fin- ished product.

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