Hearty Italian Vegetable Minestrone (Printable)

Hearty Italian-style soup loaded with fresh vegetables, beans, and pasta in a savory herb-infused broth.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
04 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
07 - 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
08 - 1 cup green beans, chopped
09 - 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes

→ Legumes & Pasta

10 - 1 can (14 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
11 - 1 cup small pasta (ditalini or elbow macaroni)

→ Broth & Seasonings

12 - 6 cups vegetable broth
13 - 2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs (oregano, basil, thyme)
14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Finishing Touches

16 - 2 cups baby spinach or chopped kale
17 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
18 - Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
02 - Stir in minced garlic, diced zucchini, diced potato, and chopped green beans. Cook for an additional 3 minutes to develop flavors.
03 - Add diced tomatoes, drained cannellini beans, vegetable broth, dried Italian herbs, and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil.
04 - Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 20 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
05 - Stir in the small pasta and simmer uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes, or until pasta and vegetables are tender.
06 - Remove the bay leaf from the pot. Add spinach or kale and cook for 2 minutes until completely wilted.
07 - Adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste.
08 - Ladle soup into individual bowls, garnish with fresh chopped parsley, and optionally sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It fills your kitchen with that unmistakable Italian warmth—the kind that makes people linger at your table longer than they planned.
  • One pot, honest ingredients, and you end up with something that tastes like it simmered all day but only takes an hour.
  • It transforms whatever vegetables are lurking in your crisper drawer into something nobody can refuse.
02 -
  • Add the pasta near the end, not at the beginning—if you cook it too long it becomes mush and steals the show from the vegetables, which is the real star.
  • Rinsing your canned beans isn't optional; that starchy liquid will cloud your broth and make the whole thing taste flat and one-dimensional.
03 -
  • Taste as you go and season boldly at the end—minestrone needs salt and pepper to wake up, and it's easier to add more than take it away.
  • If you have a Parmesan rind hanging around, throw it in during the simmer and remove it before serving—this is an old Italian trick that costs nothing but adds serious depth.
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