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Minestrone soup is a healthy soup recipe with beans, pasta, vegetables that simmers in a tomato sauce vegetable broth base.
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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. 
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Keyword minestrone soup, minestrone soup recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 8 people (1.5 cups)
Calories 195kcal
Author Jessica

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 1/2 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 1/2 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: 195kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 1518mg | Potassium: 645mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 3522IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 3mg