This Minestrone Soup is inspired by the version I had at Olive Garden a few weeks ago. It's loaded with fresh vegetables, fiber, and, of course, it's easy to make. Perfect for a chilly winter night, but also light enough for a hot summer day.
Looking for more easy soup recipes? Try my Hamburger Soup or Chicken Noodle Soup next!
About This Recipe
This minestrone soup recipe is probably one of the healthiest recipes on my blog. It's loaded with fresh vegetables and tons of fiber. Lately, my wife and I have been trying to add more fiber to our diet wherever we can. In fact, yesterday, we even stirred some psyllium husk into our leftover clam chowder. I also read that a single bowl of minestrone can contain almost a half day's worth of fiber.
So if you're looking for a healthy dish for the new year - or really any time - try a bowl of this minestrone! It's incredibly easy to make with only 3 steps. Basically, all you do is just saute the vegetables for a bit, then add the beans and broth, then finally add the pasta during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
A simple one-pot meal! Though I'm glossing over the part where you have to get out a cutting board and knife to chop your veggies. But other than that, it's just one pot. Hurray for fewer dishes!
Key Ingredients
Olive oil: For sauteeing the vegetables. Olive oil is my choice of oil in this recipe because we don't require high heat, and it has lots of monounsaturated fats and antioxidants.
Vegetables: You'll need onions, garlic, celery, carrots, green beans, and zucchini. Aside from the garlic, which is minced, these should all be cut into a small dice.
Vegetable broth: I actually used chicken broth here because I'm an omnivore, but feel free to use veggie broth if you're vegetarian.
Crushed tomatoes: I love crushed tomatoes in this recipe (instead of diced tomatoes), because it gives the soup a heartier, thicker texture.
Canned beans: Any combination of red and white beans in fine. I used dark red kidney beans and white navy beans.
Seasonings: Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
Pasta: Any type of small pasta, like shells or macaroni, will work. Truthfully, I don't know what kind of pasta I'm using here. It's from the Barilla brand, though.
Instructions
STEP 1: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion, garlic, celery, and carrots for 7-8 minutes until softened.
STEP 2: Add the broth, tomatoes, red beans, white beans, green beans, zucchini, and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook and cook for 15 minutes.
STEP 3: Stir in the pasta and cook for 8-10 more minutes until the pasta is al dente. Season with salt and pepper, then ladle into bowls and add freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 ribs celery (chopped)
- 2 medium carrots (peeled and sliced)
- 4 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans (drained)
- 1 (15-ounce) can white beans (drained)
- 1 cup chopped green beans
- 1 medium zucchini (chopped)
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¾ cup small pasta (elbow, shells, etc.)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion, garlic, celery, and carrots for 7-8 minutes until softened.
- Add the broth, tomatoes, red beans, white beans, green beans, zucchini, Italian seasoning, and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook and cook for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the pasta and cook for 8-10 more minutes until the pasta is al dente. Season with salt and pepper, then ladle into bowls and add freshly grated parmesan cheese.
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