Minestrone Vegetable Soup (Printable)

Classic Italian soup loaded with fresh vegetables, creamy cannellini beans, and tender pasta in a flavorful herb-infused broth.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
07 - 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
08 - 1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
09 - 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, with juices
10 - 4 cups vegetable broth
11 - 2 cups water

→ Beans & Pasta

12 - 1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
13 - 3/4 cup small pasta (ditalini or elbow macaroni)

→ Seasonings & Herbs

14 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
15 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
16 - 1 bay leaf
17 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
18 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
19 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (optional)

→ Garnish

20 - Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, sauté for 2–3 minutes until fragrant and translucent.
02 - Add carrots, celery, zucchini, potato, and green beans. Sauté for 5–6 minutes until slightly softened.
03 - Stir in diced tomatoes with juices, vegetable broth, and water. Add dried oregano, dried basil, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
04 - Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
05 - Add cannellini beans and pasta. Continue to simmer, uncovered, for 10–12 minutes, or until pasta and vegetables are tender.
06 - Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in fresh parsley and basil. Adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - Ladle into bowls and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Its one of those rare soups that actually tastes better the next day when all those flavors have had time to really become friends
  • You can adapt this based on whatever vegetables are looking sad in your fridge which means less waste and more satisfaction
02 -
  • I once added the pasta too early and ended up with more of a stew than a soup because those little shapes kept drinking up all the liquid
  • Adding the fresh herbs at the very last moment is exactly what keeps this soup tasting bright instead of heavy and cooked down
03 -
  • Chop all your vegetables to roughly the same size so they cook evenly and every spoonful has a perfect balance of everything
  • Wait until the very end to add salt because the Parmesan and some canned ingredients bring their own saltiness to the party
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