Classic Minestrone Soup
Warm up with this vegetarian minestrone soup! This classic minestrone soup recipe is healthy, easy to make, and tastes incredible. It's vegan, too, if you don't top it with cheese.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
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Finally! It’s about time this blog offered a traditional minestrone soup recipe. Minestrone is a hearty Italian vegetable soup made with tomato-y broth and pasta or rice. I’ve been working hard on this recipe and I’m so excited to share it with you.
Minestrone was traditionally made to use up leftover vegetables, so feel free to use any seasonal vegetables and greens you have on hand. I used potatoes and spinach for the soup you see here, and it was absolutely delicious.
I listed some alternatives in the recipe, including yellow squash, zucchini, butternut squash, green beans or peas. That means that you can make seasonal minestrone on cool days from fall through spring!
I used canned beans here instead of cooking my own, which cuts the cooking time down to a reasonable weeknight level. The remaining ingredients are basic pantry items, including canned tomatoes, pasta, basic spices and onions.
Why is this the best minestrone soup?
- This hearty minestrone is easy to make and totally worth the effort.
- The recipe calls for seasonal vegetables and affordable pantry ingredients.
- The soup packs great for lunch, and tastes even better the next day.
- It freezes and defrosts well, too.
- This homemade minestrone is infinitely better than the Olive Garden or store-bought varieties!
I adapted this recipe from the lentil minestrone in my cookbook, which was based on my lentil soup. For this classic minestrone, I omitted the lentils, added white beans, upped the tomato paste, and reserved the final tablespoon of olive oil to mix in at the end.
Please let me know how you like this soup in the comments! I always love reading your feedback and I’m eager to hear which veggies you use in your soup.
If you’re looking for more soup recipes, definitely check out the two mentioned above, and I have even more soups here.
Watch how to make Minestrone Soup
Classic Minestrone Soup
Warm up with this vegetarian minestrone soup! This classic minestrone soup recipe is healthy, easy to make, and tastes incredible. It’s vegan, too, if you don’t top it with cheese. Recipe yields 6 bowls or 8 cups of soup.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 medium ribs celery, chopped
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 cups chopped seasonal vegetables (potatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, butternut squash, green beans or peas all work)
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, with their liquid (or 2 small 15-ounce cans)
- 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 bay leaves
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup whole grain orecchiette, elbow or small shell pasta
- 1 can (15 ounces) Great Northern beans or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked beans
- 2 cups baby spinach, chopped kale or chopped collard greens
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnishing (optional)
Instructions
- Warm 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, tomato paste and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables have softened and the onions are turning translucent, about 7 to 10 minutes.
- Add the seasonal vegetables, garlic, oregano and thyme. Cook until fragrant while stirring frequently, about 2 minutes.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes and their juices, broth and water. Add the salt, bay leaves and red pepper flakes. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper.
- Raise heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, then partially cover the pot with the lid, leaving about a 1” gap for steam to escape. Reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer.
- Cook for 15 minutes, then remove the lid and add the pasta, beans and greens. Continue simmering, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until the the pasta is cooked al dente and the greens are tender.
- Remove the pot from the heat, then remove the bay leaves. Stir in the lemon juice and remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Taste and season with more salt (I usually add about ¼ teaspoon more) and pepper until the flavors really sing. Garnish bowls of soup with grated Parmesan, if you’d like.
Notes
Make it dairy free/vegan: Don’t garnish with Parmesan, or use homemade vegan Parmesan.
Make it gluten free: Substitute your favorite sturdy gluten-free noodle. I used DeLallo’s Whole-Grain Rice Shells and they worked great.
Parmesan note: Most Parmesans are not technically vegetarian (they contain animal rennet), but Whole Foods 365 and BelGioioso brands offer vegetarian Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Also, how much tomato paste? Recipe and ingredients don’t specify this either
Hi Elizabeth, it is all listed in the ingredients list in the recipe card. 1/4 cup right after parsley.
I’ve made this soup several times and I love it!! The flavour is perfect.
That’s great to hear, Sarah!
Would you recommend freezing this soup? Looking for postpartum meal prep ideas :)
You can freeze this soup, but I would recommend omitting the pasta until you are ready to serve.
Have made this several times now and has been a big success every time!
Excellent recipe, thanks for sharing!
Such flavorful soup! :)
I have made this recipe a couple of times and it is absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing.
I was short on time and could not simmer as long as needed. I also did not have bay leaf, pasta or spinach. The flavor was delicious!! I can only imagine how much better it would be with everything!!!
Made this tonight. Really good. Added a can of kidney beans and a parmesan rind which is absolutely necessary in a minestrone recipe. Kale is the green of choice. Also fresh basil makes an excellent garnish. If you find the soup gets too thick simply add a cup of water as needed. Served with crusty Italian bread and you will be in heaven.
AMAZING!!!! So so good. I added the rind of a parm wheel to my soup while it was simmering and it just balances the spice from the red pepper flakes so well! 10/10 Will be making again
My soup is VERY hearty- it’s borderline soup and just a pasta dish. Shd I add more broth? I didn’t want to mess with its seasoning. I used fresh tomatoes vs can. It’s good regardless but my elderly father loves soup.
You can if you like. The noodles can soak up some moisture if you added too many or larger type of noodle.
Delicious soup I’ve made it three times n it’s so good. Thank you for sharing
Absolute best!! Never disappoints. Make this every 2 weeks!
Love how flexible this is.
Great to hear, CC!
Can you add lentils to it.
I have a version with lentils in my cookbook! You will need slight modifications :)
I used vegetables and herbs fresh from my garden and made a double batch. I made 16 jars and pressure cooked them and gave them away as gifts. Everyone gave the soup rave reviews. I will definitely be making this every year.
Fabulous taste. Recommend.
Excellent. Used what veggies I had, usual suspects plus turnip, sweet potato, and snap pea pods. Gluten free brown rice shells cooked for 13 minutes at the very end. Yummy! One pot easy. Oh and a goat cheese garnish gave it a nice creaminess.
Thank you for this recipe
Great Recipe lovely soup.
Great to hear you enjoyed it, Anne!
Looks amazing!! Is it possible to substitute fresh tomatoes instead of canned? Thanks!
You can try it, but the flavor will vary. You may need to make other flavor adjustments (more salt, etc). Let me know if you try it!
The best minestrone recipe ever!
Happy to hear you loved it, Carmel!
Made this and one cup of pasta was too much and absorbed most of the soup. It’s also wanting in flavor.
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t love it, Celine.
This soup is amazing, and I dont usually eat soup! I do switch up the canned diced tomatoes for one can of fire roasted diced and one can of diced with green chilis for extra flavor and heat. I also add vegan hot italian sausage and cook/keep the noodles seperate so they do not get soggy. Delicious
This recipe is quite delicious.
But I think the author needs to specify that the carrots need to be chopped finely for a soffrito so that they can cook nicely in the time period. Otherwise a perfectly written recipe that turned out well.
Will cook again.
Great to hear, Nejat!
Love this soup. It’s become a regular for us. I make it exactly as the recipe says. I often pair it with a grilled cheese sandwich ( sourdough bread, sharp white cheddar cheese). I Made this for company the other night. They loved it; asked for the recipe.
That’s great to hear, Shelly!
Best. Minestrone. Soup. Ever. No question. And so simple to make. I double/triple the recipe to make a big batch so I can share it with family members who always give it rave reviews. Every time.
What is the nutritional value?
Hi Darlene, the nutritional information is below the notes section of the recipe.
Hi.
Can’t wait to try recipe. What type of beans you add? Kidney or pinto?
Also will this soup freeze well??
Thanks
I would suggest a white bean. This should freeze well if you don’t add the pasta until you are ready to serve. I hope you love it!
I love your website. I use your recipes all the time! You are my default for black bean soup, minestrone soup, granola. Love the hummus and tahini recipes. There are so many more. I tell my friends to check you out. Keep up the good work and THANK YOU!!!
Great to hear, April! Thank you for your comment and review.
Has become a staple, even for a beginner like me, thank you so much for this!
You’re welcome, Mara!
Made this with the veggies I had on hand and it was perfection for dinner on a rainy, gray evening!
Thank you for sharing, Tish!
My kids aren’t big on soups but they wolfed this down and went back for more. Thank you so much, can’t wait to make it again
Great to hear, Remi! I appreciate your review.
Great soup, we really loved it. It was quite flavorful.
Loved this recipe! Probably the best minestrone recipe I’ve tried. I did make a few minor adjustments, including a couple that took it away from being vegan. I used fresh oregano and thyme instead of dried, homemade chicken stock instead of veggie, threw in a few of my reserved Parmesan cheese rinds before the simmer and didn’t add the pasta. Instead, I prepared the pasta separately and offered it as an addition as it was plated. Served it up with copious amounts of homemade rustic Italian bread. Delicious! Thank you. I’m saving this to my favourites.
That’s great to hear, Kate!
I used your cookbook version and it was delicious! I had only broccoli and frozen peas so added those for the last simmer so would not be mushy. I cooked farfalle – bowtie pasta separately since I would be freezing the extra. The lentils added a nice thickness – a nice stick to your bones dish! I put the pasta in the bottom of the bowl with a sprinkle of Parmesan then the soup!
Thank you for sharing, Fran!