This Minestrone Soup is one of my favorite ways to get a healthy meal on the table! It is absolutely loaded with vegetables (which, I’ll be honest, I don’t get a lot of otherwise!). I’ve come up with a few other recipes for our favorite comfort foods that load up the veggies—Healthier One-Pot Skillet Lasagna, Healthier Slow Cooker Hamburger Helper, BBQ Chili Cheese Biscuit Casserole, One-Pot Turkey Chili Mac and Cheese—but this Easy Minestrone Soup may just be one of my favorites! This soup is packed with vegetables, pasta, two types of beans, and so much delicious flavor. It’s a well-rounded, vegetarian meal that’s made in just one pot!
What is Minestrone Soup?
Minestrone Soup is an Italian soup that’s made with vegetables, beans, and pasta or rice. It’s hearty, healthy, and can be easily customized to your liking!
Ingredients needed for Minestrone Soup:
This vegetarian minestrone soup is loaded with good-for-you ingredients!
Oil: I use canola oil to sauté the veggies before adding the other ingredients. Onion, Celery, and Carrot: our classic soup flavor base. Tomato Paste: this creates a thicker broth and adds a richness and body to the soup. Minced Garlic: use freshly minced for the best garlicky flavor. Seasonings: you’ll need salt, dried parsley, dried oregano, dried basil, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes! Spinach: I recommend using fresh spinach in this recipe. You can use frozen, but you will need to add it sooner so it can cook all the way through. Chicken Broth: I use low sodium chicken broth so I can control the saltiness of the soup. To make vegetarian use vegetable broth. Canned Tomatoes: look for low sodium canned, diced tomatoes. You’ll need one 28 ounce can. Beans: I use a both red and white canned kidney beans. Be sure to drain and rinse the beans before adding them to the soup. Pasta: no need to cook first. The pasta cooks directly in the soup! Parmesan: you can’t go wrong with a garnish of salty shredded parmesan.
How to make Minestrone Soup
This Minestrone Soup Recipe is the perfect one-pot meal—and it takes just 15 minutes to prep!
How to make crockpot Minestrone Soup
Soup is one of my favorite things to cook in the crockpot, and crockpot minestrone soup is no exception! This recipe is right up there with all of the best crockpot soups and makes a great alternative to the stovetop version when you’re looking for something you can prep further in advance.
Tips and tricks:
Cut the veggies evenly. The rule of thumb is to cut the veggies around the same size so they cook evenly. Use low sodium ingredients. I use low sodium broth and canned tomatoes with no salt added so I can control the saltiness of the soup. To keep the pasta al dente, you can cook it separately and add it when you serve it. This isn’t necessary but does help preserve the texture of the noodles! Drain and rinse the beans before adding them to the soup!
Variations
While I love this minestrone soup recipe as-is, it’s also super customizable! Feel free to play around with ingredients!
Add more veggies. You can really add in whatever veggies you like! Try frozen corn or green beans, broccoli, butternut squash, kale, zucchini, etc. Add meat. This soup is already pretty hearty, but you can take it up a notch by cooking Italian sausage, ground turkey, or ground beef right along with the celery, carrot, and onion. If you’re not using pre-seasoned meat like Italian sausage you may want to adjust the seasonings. Make it gluten-free. Simply swap the regular pasta out for gluten-free. For the best results, cook gluten-free noodles separately and add them when you serve. They tend to be softer! Make it creamy. You can make this soup richer and creamier by adding a splash of heavy cream or half-and-half after cooking.
Serving suggestions
Minestrone soup is a well-rounded meal as-is. However, it’s also versatile enough to be served next to your favorite side dishes or proteins. Try it with garlic bread, roasted green beans, or even baked chicken breast!
More vegetable soup recipes you’ll love
Instant Pot Vegetable Soup
Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Soup (with hidden veggies!)
Easy Chicken Vegetable Soup
Crockpot Vegetable Beef Soup Recipe (full of flavor!)
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