Minestrone soup is a healthy soup recipe full of fresh veggies like tomatoes, celery, carrots, onion, zucchini, beans, and spinach in a perfectly & richly seasoned tomato sauce vegetable broth base.
MINESTRONE SOUP
This minestrone soup recipe has been a reader favorite for years! A hearty, filling soup that cooks in one pot on the stove top and it's so healthy with all the fresh vegetables. I can almost always get my kids to eat vegetables if they are cut up small, softened, and hidden in soup. So this recipe for minestrone soup is a perfect way to get your kids to eat some veggies while still being delicious for the adults too.
Also be sure to try my recipe for instant pot minestrone soup too! Dump everything into the Instant Pot and let it cook.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE MINESTRONE SOUP
- Butter & Olive Oil - I love the combination of both butter and olive oil for softening the vegetables but feel free to use all olive oil if you prefer.
- White Onion - I have always used a white onion for this recipe but any onion will work like a yellow onion or even a sweet Vidalia onion.
- Carrots
- Celery
- Zucchini
- Petite Diced Tomatoes
- Tomato Sauce
- Kidney Beans - I use light kidney beans but dark kidney beans will also work.
- Vegetable Broth
- Basil, Parsley, Oregano, Salt, Black Pepper
- Spinach
- Small Shell Pasta
HELPFUL TIPS & HINTS FOR MINESTRONE SOUP RECIPE
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How long will minestrone soup last in the fridge?
- Since minestrone soup does not have any meat in it, it can last in the fridge for 3-4 days. The longer it sits in the fridge the more the pasta will soak up all the sauce, which also means the pasta will get soft and almost soggy-like the longer it it's in the fridge. We always have leftovers when I make this for dinner and I still love eating the leftovers for lunch for 2-3 days after. Delicious!
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Do I have to use kidney beans in this soup?
- The answer is no you do not have to use kidney beans. I would use beans as that is what minestrone soup is (a hearty bean and vegetable soup). Feel free to substitute with white navy beans, white cannellini beans, or even garbanzo beans. I like using light red kidney beans so that's what I have made this soup with for years.
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My soup is too thick...
- This can happen. The longer it sits on the stove top simmering, the thicker it will become. Especially once you add the pasta which will soak up that broth pretty quickly. If you prefer a thinner soup then go ahead and use 4 cans of vegetable broth instead of 3 cans (which the recipe calls for).
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How do I reheat leftovers?
- I reheat leftovers in the microwave but you can also use the stove top. You may want to add some additional water when reheating leftovers as the pasta tends to soak up any broth.
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The vegetables are crunchy. What did I do wrong?
- This is an easy fix. First, be sure that you cut the vegetable really small. I like to also use baby carrots in this recipe because they are easier to cut and slice thinly. Or just make sure you simmer the vegetables longer in the butter and olive oil. My kids won't eat crunchy vegetables so I always make sure they are really softened before adding all the other stuff into the soup pot. And again, cutting the vegetables really small and very thinly will help a lot too.
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How do I serve minestrone soup?
- We love to sprinkle some freshly grated parmesan cheese over the top of each serving. Keep in mind that parmesan cheese is salty so you probably won't want to add additional salt (other than what's called for in the recipe). I also always serve some buttery one hour rolls or I will just buy some crusty frozen rolls and heat them up. Dipping some bread in that hearty, flavorful broth is one of the best parts about eating soup, right?!
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Can I use a different pasta in this soup recipe?
- For best results use small shell pasta. Once you add the pasta into the soup it will soak up a lot of the broth and if you use a larger pasta I am afraid it may soak up too much of the broth. Small shell pasta is easily found in any grocery store. This recipe has been tested, and has proven results with hundreds of readers who have made it, with the small shell pasta.
TRY THESE OTHER SOUP RECIPES
Pasta Fagioli Soup - This is my copycat version of the famous restaurant soup! Full of beans, vegetables, seasonings, and the secret ingredient of pasta sauce. Trust me, it's so delicious and adds tons of flavor.
Cream Cheese Chicken Soup - Probably one one of my very favorite soup recipes. Uses leftover chicken and it cooks up in one pot with a cream cheese chicken broth base.
Slow Cooker Chicken Wild Rice Soup - Rich, creamy soup with wild rice, vegetables, and shredded chicken that cooks all together in the slow cooker.
The Best Soup Recipes - This is the ultimate collection of all my best soup recipes.
Vegetable Soup - This vegetable soup just might change your mind about vegetable soups 🙂
Minestrone Soup
This really is the best Minestrone Soup! A hearty soup with a vegetable broth tomato base and then loaded with fresh vegetables, beans, and tender small shell pasta. It simmers in one pot on the stove top for a delicious and healthy dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 white onion finely chopped
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- 1 cup sliced celery
- 1 cup peeled & chopped zucchini about 1 zucchini
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 can (28 oz) petite diced tomatoes undrained
- 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans drained & rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
- 3 cans (14.75 oz each) vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup chopped spinach leaves about 2 small handfuls
- 1 ½ cups small shell pasta
Instructions
- Melt butter and olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, and ½ teaspoon salt. Let cook for 8-10 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally.
- Add the diced tomatoes, beans, tomato sauce, vegetable broth, basil, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir together and let come to a low boil. Once boiling, turn down the heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes.
- Turn heat back up to medium and add the chopped spinach and dry pasta. Let cook until pasta is done, about 10 minutes.* Stir the soup frequently to make sure the pasta is not sticking to the bottom of the pan
- Serve with a sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese on top. Leftovers will keep in a covered contaner in the fridge for 3-4 days. You will probably want to add additional water when reheating leftovers.
Video
Notes
SOUP TOO THICK? If you want a thinner soup then use 4 cans of vegetable broth instead of 3. I love a soup that is not super brothy so I use 3 cans. The soup does thicken up once you add the pasta and after it sits (after cooking) so leftovers will not have much broth. Add water or additional broth when reheating.
OREGANO TIP : Dried oregano can be overpowering and almost "spicy" in flavor. Not heat wise but it has a kick of flavor to it. Cut down the dried oregano to ½ teaspoon if you are more sensitive to that.
VEGETABLE TIP : Cut and chop the veggies really small and all the same size to ensure that they will soften in time. I love to use baby carrots because there is no need to peel them and they are already small so all you have to do is slice them very thinly. For the celery stalk I cut each stalk into 3 thinner & longer pieces and then I chop them small.
DON'T LIKE KIDNEY BEANS? Feel free to substitute with any bean you prefer. Other great choices are garbanzo beans, white cannellini beans, or navy beans. I prefer to use light red kidney beans when I make this recipe.
This recipe has been updated with new pictures and more helpful information in the post in February 2021. Recipe is the same.
Nutrition
Calories: 195kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 6gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 1518mgPotassium: 645mgFiber: 5gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 3522IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 72mgIron: 3mg
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I LOVE minestrone soup! The recipe I usually use also has garbanzo beans in it and I love the flavor and texture they add, you should throw some of those in sometime! I've never tried spinach in it, I'll have to try that, but my kids might give the same reaction as yours... 🙂
Hey Katie 🙂 I've never tried garbanzo beans. That's one of the reasons I love minestrone soup is how versatile it is. Change out beans, swap or leave out some veggies.
How many people does this feed?
It makes quite a bit. I would guess it would feed 8 people a good size portion each.
Thanks for the great recipe; it's delicious!
You're very welcome! So glad you enjoy it. Such a comforting soup 🙂
Absolutely the best ever! And so healthy. My family loves it so much I made two pots of it!
Thank you so much for your review! So glad your family loved it!
This was delicious! Definitely a top ten for sure! I used Kale instead of spinach and added a second can of beans. This will be a weekly rotation for fall and winter meals! Thanks so much!
So good to hear! I love that you used kale. I've never thought of that but I think I'll do that when I make it next time. Thanks for coming back to let me know 🙂
What a great soup my whole family enjoyed it they want me to make more I've been looking for a good minestrone soup and I finally found it
Awesome. So happy to hear this!
Kids and spinach. Lots of kidlets like/love the baked cheesy melty spinach dip. If yours do, remind them it's the same green stuff that makes the dip so good.
😀
Good idea! Mine do love that dip so I will try that. It's weird how kids will eat something prepared one way but not another. Oh well, I just keep trying and hopefully eventually they'll learn to like it 🙂
I added garbanzo beans (we call them cece in Italian) because I like their texture in soups and only had large elbows on hand which worked well. Swapped kale for spinach. The broth was pretty tomato-y until I added some more stock. I got six 13-oz servings for the freezer and more for dinner. Thank you so much.
I love that you used garbanzo beans. I have swapped the beans for garbanzo as well in this recipe. This is recipe is so adaptable which makes it great because you can customize it to your liking. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Is the broth in the recipe a total of 15.75 oz, or is each can 15.75 oz?
Each can 🙂 I will clarify that in the recipe.
Yum! Made this and it was a hit. I used kidney beans plus another can of white cannelli beans. I will be trying kale next time. Soooo delicious! Thanks for sharing.
So glad you loved it Lauren! I interchange the beans all the time. So yummy! kale sounds like a delicious addition. Thanks for coming back to let me know 🙂
I was wondering if you have ever tried freezing the left overs? It's just my husband and myself so it would be way to much for us.
This does freeze really well. I put extras in Ziploc freezer bags. The recipe does make a lot, so if it's just two then you would definitely want to freeze it 🙂 Enjoy!
Loved this recipe! Going to freeze some, but noticed my noodles are already soaking up most of the liquid. What should I do when I thaw it to make it soupy again?
The hard part with freezing soup with noodles is that they absorb the liquid and will become mushy when reheated. When you do reheat your leftovers add more broth to the soup. When I know I’ll have leftovers of a soup I separate out the extra before adding noodles, that way I can freeze it without noodles.
This is delicious.
So good to hear. Thank you!!
I just made this for dinner and it was amazing! I made it with lentil pasta. Totally hit the spot!! Thanks 🙂
Awesome! So happy to hear you enjoyed this. Lentil pasta sounds delicious. Thanks for coming back to leave your comment and rating 🙂
I can't wait to try this recipe! As someone who is looking to have a healthy soup that is easy and tasty when counting calories, what is your serving size? I saw at the top that you have "serves 10" and then the calories per serving. Would you say each serving is about 1 cup? Thanks!
Yes, about 1 cup per serving. The nutrition facts and serving size are all relative as I am not a dietitian or anything like that, but it does give you an idea of calories, etc.
I made this the other day and it is delicious. I added some sweet Italian sausage to it and it was really good. My husband said it's the best minestrone soup he's ever had! Thanks for sharing!
I liked the idea of the sausage. I tripled this recipe, but then separated it into thirds, kept one as is, then added about a pound of cooked sausage to the second pot, about a pound of semi-shredded cooked chicken breast to the last pot. Liked them all and lots left for the freezer that way (I'm single.) Stored and labeled the leftovers in 24 oz stackable Glad-syle containers.
Has anyone tried this in the crockpot? I love throwing soup in the crockpot and letting it cook all day!
I’m going to try it in my slow cooker today!
This soup was very good! It says that It makes 10 servings..how big is each serving?
I am not a fan of adding servings (but the recipe card I use makes me...) because I just never know as everyone has different ideas about a serving. The recipe makes a lot of soup and I figure each serving is about 1.5 cups, give or take.
This is great minestrone! I added a can of small white beans in place of the pasta! It's the second time I've made it! Perfect! Thank you
I'm a single 65 yr old man and have always loved all kinds of hearty soups. Minestrone is one of my favorites. I make big kettles of things and then freeze and stack the leftovers in 24 oz Glad storage containers. But I label and date each container on the side using masking tape. I rent rooms in my home and most of my renters like this kind of thing too, too. I provide them (and me!) with a good variety of soups, chili, stews etc so anyone can just pop a container in the microwave and 6-8 minutes later have a home-cooked meal! I just charge my renters what it costs to make these meals, basically under $2.00 each for most of them so I round it up to $2.00 and everyone is happy and I get "paid" a little for the shopping, prep and cleanup . I kept this minestrone soup recipe almost the same as posted but I used okra from my garden for half the zucchini and didn't add either of those until towards then end to keep them from getting soggy. I did have a can of garbonzo beans on hand so threw that in too. Just delicious! Thanks for good recipe! Pictures looked great too.
Hi Marty! What a wonderful idea because who doesn't love a home cooked meal. I bet your renters love it. So glad you enjoy this soup, it's one of my personal favorites. Thanks so much for coming back to leave your kind comment. Take care.
This soup was delicious! I used Classico basil and tomato sauce and as many fresh organic veggies I could find! Super delicious and very easy ?
Just wanted to say that this is one of my absolute favorite things to make. So yummy and comforting and I love that it’s a a healthier soup. It’s perfect for fall and cold winter nights.... but basically also anytime of year because it is so good! I think I’ll be cooking it for my family for many years to come 🙂
So happy to hear this! Thank you 🙂
This soup was absolutely delicious! It tasted better than anything Progresso or Cambells put in a can and labeled Minestrone.
I did make a few changes though: I halved the amounts of zucchini and pasta; and added a can of garbanzo beans, a potato, a handful of frozen string beans; and added my "go-to" soup spices: garlic powder, onion powder, coriander, smoked paprika, and cumin. My entire family loved it.
This soup will most definitely be made SEVERAL times this winter. Thanks for the recipe.
how much of each spice do you add?
thanks
2nd request, how much of each spice?
thanks
This is an amazing soup! The broth is full of flavor. The soup is versatile depending on what veggies need to be used up. Everyone loved it!! Definitely a keeper.
I love this recipe, and I “created” it as a recipe on my weight watcher’s app. I’m wondering how much a serving would be, size-wise. 1 serving equals 2 WW Points right now.
I typically plan on a serving size being about 1 1/2 cups - 2 cups of this soup.
Made this last night and my husband and kids loved it. My husband was still telling me today how good it was. The only thing I changed was I used a purple onion instead of white because that’s what I had in the house. Still tasted amazing. Thank you for this recipe ❤️.
wow! wouldn'the change a thing. Thank You.
Awesome! I love hearing this.
Just made this for supper and it turned out great. It was easy and I like all the ideas on here for changing it up a little. Fall is here and this is a great recipe to add to the rotation.
Perfect! Thank you!
Thanks so much! So glad you loved it.
Why is the salt added twice? 1/2 tsp, followed by 1 tsp. Much easier to just add 1/5 tsp once.
This is a nice recipe. To make it a stronger tomato base, I added one small tin of tomato paste, approx 50gm
Also added 3 cloves of garlic.
I like to saute the garlic and onion in oil to make sure the garlic is cooked before adding to the mixture.
If you can't easily get broth, you can add 1 cube of stock-cube (to replace 1 tin of broth).
I replace capsicum instead of zucchini. Almost any kind of green leafy vegetable can be used as "spinnach".
Try adding 1-2 tbsp of flaxmeal. It adds healthy omega3s and gives the soup more body.
I use dried red kidney beans. A pressure cooker saves a lot of cooking time and fuel.
I add salt twice because as it cooks and you add more stuff, you need more flavoring (salt). Sure, go ahead and add it all once but I think it tastes best when you follow the recipe and add it twice 🙂 All your ideas are great! I will frequently use red kidney beans but not often because my kids notice them more, haha. Thanks for your comment.
I made this soup to meal prep for the week, and it is so yummy! And definitely perfect for the cooler weather. I added chopped mushrooms and cooked Italian sausage to my soup, and I can't get enough. Plus the heartiness of the soup makes me so excited to eat for lunch. Thank you for the recipe!
I love the idea of mushrooms and sausage. Yum! And thank YOU for making it and coming back to comment.
I made this today!! So yummy!!! I doubled it so I could share with my daughter. I put an extra can of white beans and added garlic ( I can't make soup without, LOL) I love how thick and yummy this recipe is! It is going to be one of my go-to recipes for soup!!! Thank you!!!
So happy to hear this! And yes to the garlic! I agree, it's so good in anything 🙂
My family and I loved this soup. It is just perfect for those cold days. Thank you!
Best Minestrone soup I have ever made and tasted!!! Super easy recipe and my whole family loved it! Thanks for sharing!!
I’m not crazy about vegetable broth. Which would you sub with chicken or beef broth?
This soup was absolutely delicious! Perfect amount of seasonings and the broth was divine. I added a healthy pinch of red pepper flakes because red pepper flakes are ❤️❤️❤️ This will definitely be in my rotation now! What I like about this soup too is that it’s inexpensive to make so its good if you are feeding a crowd and on a budget. I used “basic” ingredients but if I used more high quality spices and broth it would’ve been better.,.but even with what I had it was amazing.
Great recipe! Made the as recipe states but added in a can of cannellini beans. Thanks for sharing!
This was fantastic! I will definitely make it again.
This was fantastic, thank you! Even my 4 year old loved it and asked me to make it again. I can't wait to make it later this summer with veggies fresh from the garden!
So fresh, easy and delicious! My favorite minestrone recipe to date! I used a large container of vegetable broth, and added one can of beef broth to get to 45 oz. I also put fresh basil leaves in when served. So yummy! Thank you!!
It's such a delicious soup! The pasta adds a unique flavor to it. I'd rather have it over vegetable soup for that alone.
Everyone loves this soup
I've made recipe after recipe for a soup like this trying to find the perfect one. I'm happy to say that search stops here! Your recipe is the best I've found, the most adaptable to taste and what's on hand. I just love it. Thank you!
I love hearing this! I am so glad you found this recipe. Thank you so much for your comment and rating. I really appreciate it!
Everyone loved it. Thank you!
I guess no more Olive Garden for us! At least not for Minestrone soup!
Yay! I love hearing this. So happy to hear you loved this minestrone soup. Thanks for your comment and rating.
I have made this twice now and I have found that it is much better if you cook the soup without the pasta in it. I let the soup simmer for about an hour and add about a half teaspoon of Italian seasoning and some extra salt to it. I cook the pasta separately and just add it to each portion when I reheat it. This way the soup doesn’t get reabsorbed into the pasta.
YUM Thanks for sharing this recipe. Perfect for a cold winter night days before Christmas! Really needed this comfort and comforting food in these crazy times. Wishing all a very Merry Christmas and healthy, safe, fun 2021! Peace & Love to all!
I love this!! I ended up adding green beans, some garlic powder, and chili powder to add some flare to it. I love how every bite has a different vegetable and full of flavor! Thank you for sharing.
I like this soup a lot ! I pretty much do everything you say, but I also use okra with the Zucchini. I also use cracked red pepper flakes, and some coriander for a bit of zip and flavour enhancement. I am making it tomorrow again, but my spinach was recalled due to Listeria, and I ran out of Kale. I may have to use some Classico Tomato Sauce also, with basil and garlic. I am eighty years old, and cook to keep my mind of the COVID. My wife encourages me.
Our local foodshelf has a recipe of the month program where we create meal kits containing all the ingredients necessary to fix the dish, as well as an attractive laminated recipe card! Your recipe is our February choiceafter our taste test! So 96 kits will begin going out on January 11! Thanks!
This is so awesome! Happy I could help in a small way. What great work you all are doing with the meal kits ♥️
Delicious! I added crumbled sweet Italian Sausage just before it was ready because my Mister is not a fan of meatless soup. He RAVED, so it’s a keeper.
Aaaaaamazing soup my kids n whole family luv it
Very tasty.
This was by far the best minestrone I’ve ever made! I have a family that feels a meal has to have meat in it to be complete so I did adjust the recipe slight by adding ground sweet Italian sausage in the pan first, then once removed, I added two pieces of bacon until cooked. Once the bacon was removed to cool, I sautéed the vegetables in the grease instead of butter. When the spinach went in, I added the sausage and chopped cooked bacon back in to heat through. While this wasn’t the healthiest way to enjoy this recipe, it was a delicious one. I will be using this recipe in my regular rotation. Thank you for sharing it!
Love this soup! It is my go to at least a couple of times a month. Since it has been hard finding pasta on the shelves, I added cheese tortellini! It was a delicious add in!
This has become my adult son's favorite meal. It's so healthy but it's comfort food, too. Because this is so easy to whip up a pot of soup, I make it often. Thank you!
I love it! Thanks so much for your feedback and comment. We love this soup so much at my house too.
I generally do this one in the crockpot, just because I don’t have a lot of time to cook after long hours at work, I put everything up to the pasta and set it on low for 6-8 hours, add the pasta and let cook another 30 minutes on low, and then add the spinach and stir until wilted. Great for family, office, or potlucks!
Thank you for sharing your crock pot method. So glad you were able to adapt it for your needs. Thanks for your comment!
Made this with 28 oz of crushed tomatoes because I did not have tomato sauce. Came out perfect, also used orzo. Delicious!
Love it! So glad it worked for you!
This is my go-to recipe for Minestrone! I have made it numerous times and last night we had it with my homemade sourdough loaf…the perfect pairing for this hearty soup. I will be trying your spaghetti sauce this week as well.
Love to hear that, thank you Heather! Now I’m craving sourdough!
Info please
i used dark red kidney beans, I did not find the light ones which was fine. However after making the recipe, the beans were still kind of crunchy. I bought them dry. Was I supposed to buy them a different way?
For this recipe the kidney beans should be canned. Let me know how you like it if you make it again!
This is my favorite soup! I don't use the oil or butter and just water sauté the veggies.
After the first 15-minute simmer, I separate out what I plan to eat and then add some spinach and pasta to that. I then cook for the remaining 10 or so minutes. I couldn't find small pasta shells so I use ditalini. Works great.
The rest of the soup is then separated into freezer containers. That way I can defrost whatever I want, reheat on the stove and then add the pasta and spinach accordingly! It works out great and the pasta doesn't soak up all the broth.
Thank you for your comment! It’s wonderful to read how people make the recipes their own.
I’m not a fan of minestrone, so I’ve never bothered to find a recipe before now, however, my sister loves minestrone and she uses your recipe and she was needing someone to make her some because she is currently sick and couldn’t make it herself. She gave me your recipe to make her some, neither one of us likes a strong basil or oregano presence so I cut it done to 1 tsp. basil, and 1/4 tsp. oregano, and didn’t have any parsley so I omitted that. Also, I replaced the vegetable broth with chicken broth because it’s what I had on hand. I also had to use cannellini beans because I didn’t have kidney beans. And OK, let me tell you it was super fantastic!!! And this coming from someone who doesn’t like minestrone! But I do now! But only if it’s YOUR recipe! Thank you so much for sharing it and making me a Believer!!
You’re a good sister making soup for her! I’m so glad to hear you liked it. Nothing better than homemade soup when you’re sick.
Hi there. This was my first time making minestrone. Made it just as written. My fiancé and I love it! So very flavorful! I will be making this forever! Thank you!
Thank you for your comment! I’m so glad you liked it!