Traditional Minestrone Soup Recipe

An overhead image of a bowl of minestrone soup.

Traditional Minestrone Soup Recipe

This traditional minestrone soup recipe comes together in about 35 minutes and is packed with vegetables, beans, and pasta for a cozy, satisfying meal.

Course Main, Main Course, Main dish, Soup

Cuisine American, Italian

Diet Low Fat

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings servings

Calories 133kcal

Author Jessy Freimann

Equipment

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 cup onion diced
½ cup celery diced
1 cup carrots diced
2 cloves garlic minced
2 quarts chicken broth
16 ounces diced tomatoes canned
1 cup zucchini diced- about 1 medium
2 cups savoy cabbage shredded
14.5 ounces cannellini beans canned and drained
½ cup frozen lima beans
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
1 bay leaf
1 Parmasan rind
⅓ cup small shell pasta
1-2 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Romano cheese

Instructions

Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat and and sauté onions, garlic, carrots and celery with a sprinkle of salt and pepper for a 3-5 minutes or until they soften.
Stir in broth, diced tomatoes, zucchini, cabbage, cannellini beans, lima beans, basil, oregano, sugar, bay leaf and Parmesan rind. Bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
Add pasta and let it cook for 5 minutes until or until the pasta is cooked. Add balsamic vinegar and some salt and pepper to taste.
Parmesan rind and bay leaf. Serve immediately with Romano cheese.

Video

Notes

Sauté the base well. Letting the onions, carrots, and celery soften properly builds a deeper flavor from the start.
This soup is very forgiving. Swap vegetables based on what’s in your fridge, and it will still turn out great.
Add pasta last. This keeps it from getting too soft, especially if you plan on leftovers. You can also cook it separately and add a handful to each bowl when serving.
Don’t skip the vinegar. It might seem small, but it adds a subtle brightness that brings everything together.
Let it sit before serving. Even 10-15 minutes helps the flavors settle and deepen.
Ingredients to prep ahead- Chop all vegetables in advance and store them in the fridge so everything is ready to go.
Leftovers and storage- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Add a splash of broth when reheating if it thickens. You can also freeze it for up to 2-3 months.

Nutrition