Thick, hearty and comforting, Italian minestrone soup is a delicious combination of vegetables, beans and pasta. This is the dish you want to warm up with on a chilly day. Ever so versatile, you can make this classic Italian soup with a variety of vegetables you have on hand.

What is minestrone?
Minestrone is a classic hearty Italian soup which combines vegetables, beans and pasta or rice, although it can also be grain free. The word minestrone is derived from the Italian word minestra which means soup.
Minestrone is perfect made with fresh, seasonal ingredients. In fact, my mother exclusively prepared her minestrone at the end of summer when fresh zucchini, green beans, tomatoes and greens were plentiful in my father's garden.
Large batches (without the pasta added) were then frozen for my family to enjoy during the winter months. Without a doubt, minestrone is a healthy, economical and easy to make one-pot meal!
Minestrone can be prepared any time of year with just about whichever vegetables are sitting in your fridge and pantry right now.
Why is this this best minestrone recipe?
- It's a one pot meal (one of my favorite reasons)!
- Minestrone can be endlessly varied depending on which vegetables you have on hand. See my Recipe Notes below with a list of substitutions.
- Make a large batch and freeze for another meal.
- It tastes even better the next day when the texture thickens and the flavors have further mingled.
Ingredient list
- Onion
- Carrots
- Celery
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Canned whole tomatoes: or diced tomatoes
- Potato
- Canned white kidney beans: or red kidney beans if you prefer. Canned beans are convenient, however you may also use dry beans that require soaking overnight.
- Aromatics: bay leaves; thyme; and/or rosemary
- Water or chicken broth, if you prefer
- Parmigiano cheese rind: to flavor your broth
- Green beans
- Zucchini
- Pasta: any small shaped pasta such as elbow macaroni; ditalini; or small shells work well
- Spinach: or other greens such as swiss chard or escarole
- Freshly chopped parsley: for garnishing
- Grated Parmigiano cheese: for serving
The following are step by step instructions with images to guide you through this recipe. Please scroll to the end of this post for the detailed printable recipe card.
Step by Step Instructions
- Begin by washing, peeling and chopping all the vegetables. Dice vegetables roughly the same size to ensure even cooking time.
- Prepare your soffrito: in a large pot, heat olive oil and sauté onion, carrots and celery until soft, 7-8 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes, breaking them up into small pieces with a wooden spoon.
- Add the cubed potato and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
- Pour in water (or chicken broth); beans; aromatics and Parmigiano rind. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook covered for 20 minutes.
- Uncover and stir in the green beans and zucchini. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add the pasta of your choice and cook, loosely covered, until al dente or according to the package instructions.
- In the last 5 minutes of cooking stir in the spinach.
- When done, remove and discard the bay leaves and Parmigiano rind. Drizzle a little extra olive oil over the top. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve hot with grated Parmigiano cheese at the table.
Recipe Notes
-Other vegetables can be substituted or added include yellow squash; butternut squash; sweet potatoes; green peas; swiss chard; escarole or cabbage.
-If fresh green beans are not available, substitute frozen green beans.
-Substitute 2 fresh, ripe tomatoes instead of canned tomatoes.
-Use red kidney beans instead of white beans.
-Add ½ cup of rice instead of pasta in the last 20 minutes of cooking or omit for a grain free minestrone.
-If you want to use dry beans instead of canned: soak ½ cup dry white beans in water overnight. Add to your pot in step #4 and cook until tender before adding the remaining ingredients.
-Yes it can however it is traditionally made with water. The use of aromatics and a Parmigiano cheese rind add lots of flavor to this soup.
-Since I use water, I add a pinch of salt at each step. However if using chicken broth that has salt in it, be mindful of extra salt that you add to your soup.
-Taste and adjust seasoning according to taste.
-I prefer adding my pasta directly in the pot along with the vegetables. This is ideal if you are serving your minestrone immediately.
-However, if you plan to freeze your minestrone or serve it the following day, cook the pasta separately and stir into the minestrone before serving. This is to prevent the pasta from becoming overcooked and mushy.
-If you cook your pasta separately, reduce the amount of water or broth added to the soup to 5 cups.
-Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 5 days.
-Freeze minestrone before adding the pasta. Let cool and freeze in batches in freezer safe containers for up to 6 months.
-Slowly defrost in a pot. Cook pasta separately and then stir into the minestrone.
Have you tried this recipe?
Let me know how much you enjoyed it by rating it in the recipe card below!
*****
More delicious soup recipes for you to check out!
- Escarole and Meatball Soup
- Italian Chicory, Cheese and Egg Soup
- White Bean and Potato Soup
- Swiss Chard and White Bean Stew
- Broccoli and Potato Soup with Pasta
- Italian Lentils with Rice
- Pasta with Peas and Potatoes
- Pastina Soup with Tiny Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 medium carrots peeled and diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 3 tbsp. olive oil plus extra for drizzling at the end of cooking
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 cups canned whole tomatoes or diced tomatoes
- 1 large potato peeled and cubed
- 540 ml can of white kidney beans or red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 6 cups water or chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp. freshy thyme
- Parmigiano cheese rind optional but strongly recommended!
- 1 cup green beans cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium zucchini diced
- 1 cup small pasta elbow macaroni; small shells or ditalini
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- fresh chopped parsley for garnishing
- grated Parmigiano cheese for serving
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Begin by washing, peeling and chopping all the vegetables. Dice vegetables roughly the same size to ensure even cooking time.
- In a large pot, heat olive oil and sauté onion, carrots and celery until soft, 7-8 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minutes. Add a pinch of salt.
- Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes, breaking them up into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Add the cubed potato and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in a pinch of salt.
- Pour in water (or chicken broth); beans; aromatics and Parmigiano rind. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook covered for 20 minutes.
- Uncover and stir in green beans; zucchini and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add the pasta of your choice and cook, loosely covered, until al dente or according to the package instructions. In the last 5 minutes of cooking stir in the spinach.
- When done, remove and discard the bay leaves and Parmigiano rind. Adjust seasoning, if needed.
- Drizzle a little extra olive oil over the top. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve hot with grated Parmigiano cheese at the table.
Notes
-If fresh green beans are not available, substitute frozen green beans.
-Substitute 2 fresh, ripe tomatoes instead of canned tomatoes.
-Use red kidney beans instead of white beans.
-Add ½ cup of rice instead of pasta in the last 20 minutes of cooking or omit for a grain free minestrone.
-If you want to use dry beans instead of canned: soak ½ cup dry white beans in water overnight. Add to your pot in step #4 and cook until tender before adding the remaining ingredients. Can minestrone be made with chicken broth instead of water? -Yes it can however it is traditionally made with water. The use of aromatics and a Parmigiano cheese rind add lots of flavor to this soup.
-Since I use water, I add a pinch of salt at each step. However if using chicken broth that has salt in it, be mindful of extra salt that you add to your soup.
-Taste and adjust seasoning according to taste. Should the pasta be cooked separately? -I prefer adding my pasta directly in the pot along with the vegetables. This is ideal if you are serving your minestrone immediately. However, if you plan to freeze your minestrone or serve it the following day, cook the pasta separately and stir into the minestrone before serving. This is to prevent the pasta from becoming overcooked and mushy. -If you cook your pasta separately, reduce the amount of water or broth added to the soup to 5 cups. How long does minestrone soup keep for? -Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 5 days. Can minestrone be frozen? -Freeze minestrone before adding the pasta. Let cool and freeze in batches in freezer safe containers for up to 6 months.
-Slowly defrost in a pot. Cook pasta separately and then stir into the minestrone. Please note that the nutritional information provided is approximate and may vary according to exact ingredients used and portion size.
NANCIE ANGELOZZI
Nadia, I just made the Pasta and Ricotta, threw in peas, this is fantastic!
I'm gonna need more ink for our printer! ALL your recipes look soooo good. PLEASE tell me you have a cook book !
Nadia
Hello Nancie, I'm so glad you enjoyed this pasta, thank you for your lovely comment! I don't have a cookbook at the moment, but hopefully one day!
Anna Bucciarelli
What am I missing here?? I am confused by Nancie Angerlozzi's comment - she talks about pasta with ricotta while we are discussing minestrone - Please help me to understand Nadia. (Loved your recipe for this wonderful soup - I would not change a thing, you have it down to pure perfection!)
Nadia
Hi Anna, I'm assuming perhaps she posted her comment under the wrong recipe? And thank you for your compliment on my minestrone recipe!
sue
I have been making this soup for a couple year, and it is the BEST minestrone recipe I have ever made! If you follow the instructions exactly, you will come out with perfect soup and not soggy vegetables. The flavor is complex, yet it feels rustic and comforting. When bringing soup to a sick friend, this is the recipe I make. When I'm hungry for a delicious, nourishing soup, this is the recipe I make. THANK YOU Nadia!
Nadia
Hi Sue, thank you for your lovely comment, it is very much appreciated! This soup is a staple at our house, especially on a cold winter night. In fact I'm making it again tonight! Grazie mille!
Allana
What step do you put the spinach in?
Nadia
Hi Allana, it’s in step #6. Stir in the spinach in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Hope this helps!
Johan van Drimmelen
Recipe ingrediants and proceedure as indicated above please !!
Josephine Gee
Hi Nadia,
Great recipe! Loved every last drop… tastes so fresh and keeps like a charm.
(I did add some pancetta at the start as I had some on hand)
Josephine Gee
Duncan, BC, Canada
Nadia
Thank you Josephine so glad you enjoyed it. And I'm sure pancetta adds another layer of delicious flavor to this soup. Thanks for your comment!
Mareed.
Hi Nadia. Am making this tonite and so glad I found an authentic recipe that uses Parmesan rinds (I never throw out until after I add them to a soup!). What a difference they make. A good glass of Brunello wine will be consumed with the soup! 🙂
Nadia
Hello Maree, I use Parmesan rinds in most soup recipes. They add so much flavor and it's a great way to use them. Hope you enjoyed the minestrone!
Anna Bucciarelli
Lovely recope Nadia. Interesting how many variations there are for minestrone. This one is basic and one could add or subtract whatever veggies preferred (add a bunch of baby spinach to glorify an already good and hearty soup. In recent years I have been virtually living a vegetarian diet, not by choice, it just happened, with soups being number one for both lunch and supper and I have even been known to slurp up some for a late breakfast. Thanks again Nadia.
Nadia
Hello Anna, thank you! There are endless variations for sure. I'm sharing my mom's recipe here but it can definitely change depending on what you have on hand and it's always delicious! Like you, I think I prefer more of a vegetarian diet as well. I've always said I prefer my side dishes to the main meat dish! Thanks again for your comment Anna!