A Classic That Never Lets You Down
You really can’t go wrong with a big pot of minestrone simmering on the stove. ♡
It’s been a lifelong favorite of mine — the soup I always ordered at our neighborhood Italian restaurant growing up. Back then, I was mostly in it for the tiny pasta and an overly generous shake (or three) of Parmesan from that classic red-topped shaker on the table. But now that I’ve learned to appreciate all those hearty veggies and beans, I love it even more.
It’s the ultimate clean-out-the-fridge soup — hearty, colorful, and endlessly flexible. Each batch tastes a little different depending on what’s in the fridge, which is exactly how minestrone should be. But one thing’s for sure: it’s always cozy, always nourishing, and always hits the spot on a chilly night.
Recipe Tips
The full recipe is included below, but here are a few helpful pointers to help this minestrone recipe turn out just right:
- Use what you have. Minestrone is famously flexible! Swap in whatever veggies you have in the fridge — green beans, peas, cabbage, or bell peppers all work beautifully.
- Don’t skip caramelizing the tomato paste. Cooking it for a few minutes deepens its flavor and gives the broth that rich, slow-simmered taste.
- Add the pasta at the end. It only needs about 8–10 minutes to cook, and adding it too early can make it over-soft and soak up too much broth.
- Include the Parmesan rind. It’s an old Italian trick that adds a subtle, savory depth to the soup as it simmers.
- Season at the end. The broth intensifies as it reduces, so hold off on final salting until the very end for the best balance.
- Make it ahead. This soup tastes even better the next day as the flavors meld — just store the pasta separately if you plan to reheat.
Recipe Variations
This minestrone is meant to be personalized! Here are a few fun ways to make it your own:
- Swap the greens. Use kale, Swiss chard, or even baby arugula instead of spinach.
- Change up the beans. Try chickpeas, navy beans, or lentils for a different texture.
- Add more veggies. Stir in diced bell peppers, cabbage, or green beans for extra color and crunch.
- Make it meaty. Add browned Italian sausage, pancetta, or shredded rotisserie chicken if you’d like more protein.
- Try a different pasta. Any small shape works — orzo, elbows, or mini shells are all delicious.
- Make it gluten-free. Use gluten-free pasta or rice, or omit the pasta entirely and serve the soup with a side of gluten-free bread.
FAQ
Yes! Add everything to a large Crock-Pot and cook on low for 6–8 hours or high for 3–4 hours. Stir in pasta and greens near the end. For Instant Pot, cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, then quick-release and stir in pasta and greens using sauté mode.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Heads up — the pasta will continue to absorb broth as it sits, so you’ll probably need to add a splash of extra stock before reheating.
Yes! For best texture, freeze it without the pasta (it tends to get mushy once thawed). Add freshly cooked pasta when reheating.
You can skip it or stir in an extra few tablespoons of grated Parmesan or nutritional yeast at the end for a similar umami flavor.
Minestrone Soup
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
Description
This cozy homemade minestrone soup is packed with fresh vegetables, beans, pasta, and a flavorful tomato broth. It’s easy to make, very customizable, and perfect for weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 small zucchini, diced
- 1 medium russet potato, peeled and diced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 Parmesan rind (plus extra grated Parmesan for serving)
- 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup small pasta (such as ditalini or mini shells)
- 2 cups chopped fresh spinach or kale
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
- chopped fresh basil or parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Sauté the vegetables. Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery and sauté for 6–7 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more, stirring frequently.
- Caramelize the tomato paste. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring often, until it darkens slightly and becomes fragrant. This step deepens the broth’s flavor.
- Build the soup base. Stir in zucchini, potato, oregano, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Add the diced tomatoes (with juices), stock, and Parmesan rind. Stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Simmer. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the broth has rich, layered flavor.
- Add beans and pasta. Stir in the kidney beans, cannellini beans, and pasta. Simmer for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente.
- Finish the soup. Stir in the spinach until wilted. Remove and discard the Parmesan rind. Add lemon juice and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with grated Parmesan and fresh basil or parsley. Serve warm with crusty bread.
I made TWO of your soups this weekend. French Onion on Saturday and this Minestrone on Sunday. They were both super delicious but this Minestrone was the clear winner of the two. It was a snow day for us yesterday and my daughter, who typically doesn’t choose leftovers, picked the leftovers of the Minestrone for dinner last night. That is a HUGE WIN for both of us!! Thanks for the continued great content, your site is a big “go to” in our house!!
This soup is DELICIOUS!!!!! I love ALL your recipes. Everything I have made of yours has been incredible!
I grew up going to DeFazio’s too!! Did you like the pickled beets in their salads? My go-to was the cheese manicotti – yumm!! And of course had to get an Andes mint at the front before we left. Great place!
Getting ready to try this recipe for the first time this week. It looks delicious!
Yes, yes, yes, and YES! Love it! :)
What a small world! I pinned this Minestrone Soup receipe several months ago and now that the cool weather of fall is approaching, I opened this receipe to make for company coming over later this week. As I read the introduction, I was in complete and utter shock that you used to go to DeFazios, as I worked there as a waitress all thru my college years. I still go back every year for my birthday, as it is hands down the best Italian food in Wichita!! Even after working there for 4 years and eating there every night, I still crave the food on a weekly basis!! I can’t wait to make this soup and share the story with our friends who will partake in the deliciousness!
Such a small world!!! My parents’ office is now just down the street from DeFazio’s, and we go there often. I bet our paths crossed many times without us even knowing it! :)
I made this tonight and it was delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks Jess, so glad you liked it!
I, too, have a similar experience with minestrone soup. It makes me smile everytime I think about it. Thanks for sharing! I cannot wait to try it!
The best minestone soup I’ve had! I made this soup last night. The only change I made was to double it as my husband and I eat a ton of soup! I also purchased low sodium or salt free products and as many fat free options as possible. It was incredible! My only complaint is with my husband… who forgot to put it in the refrigerator before he went to bed last night so it sat out over night!! I am making another batch this evening though. :)
Just a note about this recipe:
kale and pasta take a lot longer than 10 minutes at the end to cook.
Put it in the soup when everything else goes in at that 20 minute mark.
The last 10 minutes should be the beans which do not need cooking at all.
Great soup overall.
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Your photos of the soup are beautiful. So often we think of winter food as lacking the same vibrant colors of spring or summer produce, but that’s clearly not the case for this recipe. I’ve added it to my must-make list of winter recipes. Thank you for sharing.