Hearty Minestrone
A chunky, nourishing Italian vegetable soup that clears out the fridge and feeds the whole family.
Ingredients
Serves 6
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more to serve
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (15 oz) cannellini or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup ditalini, small elbow macaroni, or broken spaghetti
- 2 cups zucchini, diced (about 1 medium)
- 2 cups fresh or frozen spinach or kale
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 Parmesan rind (optional but highly recommended)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Fresh Parmesan and crusty bread to serve
Instructions
- 1Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots and cook for 8–10 minutes until softened and beginning to color. This soffritto base is the flavour foundation — don't rush it.
- 2Add garlic, oregano, and dried basil. Cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- 3Add diced tomatoes and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens slightly.
- 4Add beans, broth, water, and the Parmesan rind if using. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes.
- 5Add zucchini and pasta. Cook for the time listed on the pasta package (minus 1 minute). The pasta will finish cooking in the hot soup.
- 6Stir in the spinach and cook for 1–2 minutes until wilted. Remove the Parmesan rind. Season very generously with salt and pepper — minestrone needs more seasoning than you think.
- 7Serve in bowls with a drizzle of olive oil, a shower of freshly grated Parmesan, and crusty bread for dipping. This soup thickens as it sits — add broth when reheating.
Pro Tips
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Minestrone is a 'clear the fridge' soup — use whatever vegetables are about to turn. Green beans, diced potato, corn, peas, and bell pepper all work. The only rule is not to skip the soffritto (onion, carrot, celery base).
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Save your Parmesan rinds in a bag in the freezer. A single rind dropped into the soup for the last 20 minutes of cooking adds more depth than nearly any other trick.
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Cook the pasta separately if you're making this soup ahead — pasta left in soup overnight absorbs all the broth and turns to mush. Add freshly cooked pasta to each bowl when serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is minestrone soup vegan?
Yes — the base recipe is fully vegan as long as you skip the Parmesan rind and Parmesan garnish (or use a vegan alternative). Use vegetable broth and the soup is plant-based. For extra umami depth without Parmesan, add a tablespoon of white miso paste or nutritional yeast stirred in at the end.
What pasta should I use in minestrone?
Small pasta shapes work best — ditalini, small elbow macaroni, stelline, or broken spaghetti. They're the right size for a spoon and cook evenly in the broth. Avoid large shapes like penne or rigatoni — they're too big relative to the vegetables and make the soup awkward to eat.
How do I store and reheat minestrone?
Store the soup without pasta for up to 5 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. Cook fresh pasta when reheating. If you've already added pasta, just know it will be soft when reheated — add broth to restore the liquid and stir to loosen. Minestrone often tastes even better on day two as the flavors develop overnight.
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