Are you looking for the ultimate cozy and comforting meal in a bowl? A soup that is absolutely packed with wholesome, nourishing vegetables, beans, and pasta, and bursting with rich, savory, and authentic Italian flavor? This incredible, from-scratch, one-pot Minestrone Soup is that perfect dish. It’s a rustic, soul-warming, and completely satisfying classic that is a true celebration of beautiful vegetables.
This isn’t just a recipe; it’s a guide to your new favorite soup for all seasons. We’ll show you the simple secrets to building a deep, rich, and flavorful broth, and how to create the most incredible, hearty texture. This is a wonderfully versatile and budget-friendly meal that is perfect for a chilly evening, a healthy lunch, and is guaranteed to be a huge hit with the entire family.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Cozy & Healthy Soup
What makes this Minestrone Soup so spectacularly delicious is its incredible depth of flavor and its wonderfully thick and hearty texture. This is a true, rustic, Italian-style vegetable soup, and it’s a complete meal in a bowl. The flavor foundation is a classic Italian soffritto—a medley of onion, carrots, and celery, gently sautéed in olive oil. The soup is made incredibly substantial with the addition of creamy white beans and a hearty, small-shaped pasta, which is cooked directly in the savory tomato and vegetable broth. It’s a foolproof, crowd-pleasing, one-pot wonder that is as nourishing as it is delicious.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 50 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 6-8 |
The Essential Ingredients for This Italian Classic
This iconic dish uses a handful of simple, wholesome ingredients to create its signature rich and savory flavor.
- The Soffritto (The Italian Flavor Base): This is the non-negotiable foundation for any great minestrone. A classic soffritto is a simple, aromatic combination of finely chopped onion, carrots, and celery. When these are gently sautéed in olive oil, they release their natural sweetness and create an incredibly deep and savory flavor base for the entire soup.
- The Hearty Trio (Veggies, Beans & Pasta):
- The Beans: Two cans of creamy white beans, like cannellini beans (which are large and kidney-shaped) or kidney beans, add a wonderful, soft texture and a great boost of plant-based protein and fiber.
- The Pasta: A small pasta shape is a must for minestrone! Classic choices like small shells, elbow macaroni, or ditalini are perfect because they become wonderfully tender and are the perfect size for scooping up with every spoonful.
- The Savory Broth: A simple but flavorful base of vegetable broth and a can of diced tomatoes.
- The Aromatics: A classic, fragrant blend of fresh garlic, bay leaves, dried oregano, and dried thyme infuses the broth with a wonderful, authentic, and herbaceous aroma.
- The Fresh Finish: A final sprinkle of fresh, chopped parsley and some spicy red pepper flakes, along with an optional shaving of salty Parmesan cheese, adds a final burst of freshness and flavor that brings the whole dish to life.
Step-by-Step to the Best Minestrone Soup
This delicious, one-pot soup is incredibly simple to prepare.
Step 1: Build the Flavor Base
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat.
Add the 1 diced medium yellow onion, the 2 chopped medium carrots, the 2 thinly sliced celery ribs, the 1 teaspoon of sea salt, and several grinds of fresh black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften and become very fragrant.
Add the 3 grated garlic cloves, the 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, and the 1 teaspoon of dried thyme. Cook for 1 more minute, until the garlic is fragrant.
Step 2: Simmer the Soup
Step 1: Add the 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes, the 1 1/2 cups of cooked white beans, the 1 cup of chopped green beans, the 4 cups of vegetable broth, and the 2 bay leaves to the pot.
Step 2: Stir everything together, cover the pot, and let the soup simmer for 20 minutes. This allows all the delicious flavors to meld together.
Part 3: Cook the Pasta and Serve
Step 1: Stir the 3/4 cup of small pasta directly into the soup.
Pro Tip: Cooking the pasta directly in the soup is a brilliant trick! It not only saves you from washing an extra pot, but it also infuses the pasta with all the delicious flavors of the broth, and the starches from the pasta help to naturally thicken the soup to a perfect consistency.
Step 2: Let the soup continue to cook, uncovered, for about 10 more minutes, until the pasta is perfectly al dente and cooked through.
Step 3: Before serving, be sure to find and discard the bay leaves. Give the soup a final taste and season with any more salt and pepper if needed.
To serve, ladle the hot, hearty soup into warm bowls. Top each serving with a generous sprinkle of fresh parsley, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and some freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if you desire.
The Best Classic Minestrone Soup (Easy One-Pot Recipe!)
A classic and hearty recipe for a vegetarian Minestrone Soup. This one-pot meal starts with a flavorful base of sautéed onion, carrots, and celery. A rich broth is then built with canned tomatoes, vegetable stock, and herbs like oregano and thyme. The soup is packed with white beans and green beans, and a small pasta shape is cooked directly in the simmering soup at the end. The dish is finished with fresh parsley and optional red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups cooked white beans or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup chopped green beans
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¾ cup small pasta (e.g., elbows, shells, orecchiette)
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- Red pepper flakes, for serving
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the grated garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Add the diced tomatoes, beans, green beans, vegetable broth, bay leaves, oregano, and thyme to the pot.
- Cover the pot and bring the soup to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- Stir in the uncooked pasta and continue to cook, uncovered, for 10 more minutes, or until the pasta is cooked through.
- Remove the bay leaves. Season the soup with more salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve the soup warm, garnished with fresh parsley, red pepper flakes, and Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
- This is a hearty, one-pot vegetarian soup that is a complete meal in itself.
- Cooking the pasta directly in the soup broth is a key technique that helps to thicken the soup and infuses the pasta with flavor.
- The base recipe is vegan; adding the optional Parmesan cheese makes it vegetarian.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
A hearty soup like this one is the perfect make-ahead meal, as the flavors actually become even deeper and more delicious on the second day!
- Make-Ahead: You can prepare the entire soup a day or two in advance and store it in the refrigerator.
- Storage: Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freezing: This soup freezes beautifully! Let it cool completely, then portion it into freezer-safe containers or bags. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheating: As the recipe notes, the soup will thicken considerably in the refrigerator as the pasta absorbs the broth. When you are reheating it, simply add an extra splash of vegetable broth or water until it has reached your desired consistency.
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Creative Recipe Variations (Make it Your Own!)
The true beauty of a minestrone is that it is a “use what you have” soup! Feel free to customize it with your favorite seasonal vegetables.
- For a Summer Minestrone: Add about 1 cup of chopped zucchini or yellow squash, and 1 cup of fresh corn kernels along with the pasta during the last 10 minutes of cooking. A large swirl of basil pesto at the end is also fantastic.
- For a Winter Minestrone: Add about 1 to 2 cups of peeled and cubed butternut squash or potatoes to the soup along with the broth and let them simmer until tender. You can also stir in a few large handfuls of hearty, chopped kale along with the pasta.
- Make it a Meaty Minestrone: For a non-vegetarian version, you can brown about 1/2 pound of crumbled Italian sausage or some crispy, diced pancetta in the pot before you add the soffritto.
Enjoy The Ultimate Cozy One-Pot Meal!
You’ve just created a truly special soup that is a perfect harmony of hearty, wholesome, and delicious flavors. This classic Minestrone Soup is a testament to the power of a simple, one-pot meal to bring comfort and joy. It’s a rewarding and deeply satisfying dish that is sure to become a new family favorite for all the chilly days of the year.
We hope you enjoy every last, warm, and delicious bite!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves a good, hearty soup!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute secret to a truly flavorful minestrone soup?
The number one, non-negotiable secret is to build a proper soffritto. Gently sautéing your finely chopped onion, carrots, and celery in olive oil for at least 8-10 minutes, as the recipe directs, is the key that coaxes out all their natural sweetness and creates an incredibly deep and savory flavor foundation for the entire soup.
Q2: How do I keep my pasta from getting too mushy in the soup leftovers?
Because the pasta is cooked directly in the soup, it will naturally continue to soften and absorb the delicious broth as the soup sits in the refrigerator. The soup will still be absolutely delicious, just very thick! If you strongly prefer your pasta to be al dente, you can cook it separately and simply add it to each individual bowl as you serve the soup.
Q3: Can I make this soup ahead of time?
Yes, this is an absolutely perfect make-ahead soup! The flavors will actually be even better on the second or third day after they have had time to meld. Simply let it cool completely, store it in the refrigerator, and then gently reheat it on the stovetop.
Q4: Can I freeze this soup?
Yes, this is a fantastic freezer meal! For the best texture, it is a great idea to make the soup base completely (without the pasta), let it cool, and freeze it. When you are ready to eat, you can thaw the soup base, bring it to a simmer on the stovetop, and then cook your fresh pasta directly in the soup.
Q5: Can I use dry beans instead of canned beans?
You can, but you will need to plan ahead. You will need to soak about 1 cup of dry white or kidney beans overnight. Drain them and then add them to the pot along with the broth at the beginning. You will likely need to increase the initial simmering time significantly (to about 1 to 1 1/2 hours) to ensure that the dry beans are completely tender before you add the pasta.