Minestrone Vegetable Soup (Printable Version)

Hearty Italian soup loaded with fresh vegetables, creamy beans, and pasta in a fragrant herb broth.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes with juices
10 - 4 cups vegetable broth
11 - 2 cups water

→ Beans & Pasta

12 - 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
13 - 3/4 cup small pasta, such as 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

→ Garnish

20 - Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

# How to Prepare:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic, sautéing for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant and translucent.
02 - Add diced carrots, celery, zucchini, potato, and green beans to the pot. Sauté for 5 to 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 the mixture to a boil.
04 - Reduce heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 15 minutes.
05 - Add drained cannellini beans and small pasta to the pot. Continue simmering uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes until pasta and vegetables are tender.
06 - Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in fresh parsley and basil. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours cooking when you actually finished in under an hour, which feels like stealing.
  • Every vegetable softens into the broth in its own time, creating layers of flavor that somehow work together perfectly.
  • This is the soup that uses up random vegetables lurking in your crisper drawer without making you feel wasteful.
  • One batch feeds half your week and tastes even better the next day.
02 -
  • Don't let the pasta cook in the pot for more than the time it says, or it'll go from tender to mushy without warning—set a timer and stay close.
  • Fresh herbs added at the end make an enormous difference; if you skip them or add them too early, the soup loses its brightness and tastes one-dimensional.
  • Taste before serving because every vegetable and broth is slightly different, and you might need more salt or pepper than the recipe suggests.
03 -
  • Taste and adjust seasoning right before serving—salt brings out all the vegetable flavors and makes the difference between good soup and soup you'll think about for days.
  • Keep the heat moderate while simmering so the vegetables soften gently instead of breaking down into mush; rushing with high heat ruins the whole experience.
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