Minestrone Soup Recipe

This vegetarian Minestrone Soup recipe is packed full of fresh, seasonal vegetables, such as green beans, zucchini, and kale. It’s healthy, easy to make, and simmered to perfection in a delicious tomato broth. You’ll instantly fall in love with classic Italian vegetable soup, which goes nicely with a side salad or garlic bread.  

I used to go crazy for the endless soup, salad, and breadsticks at Olive Garden. Since the closest Olive Garden is over two hours away from me, I was determined to learn how to make the best pot of minestrone soup at home.  

What is Minestrone soup?

Minestrone is a thick Italian vegetable soup. It’s a popular soup to make in the winter using seasonal vegetables such as onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, cabbage, zucchini, green beans, winter squash, legumes, and tomatoes.

It often contains pasta or rice, which helps to thicken up the soup. The soup is typically made without meat, but there are no rules, and you can make it with many different ingredients.  

Minestrone is Sam’s (my husband) favorite soup, so we make it on repeat all year round using whatever vegetables we have on hand. I like to call it my “clean-out-the-fridge” soup because it’s perfect for using up almost any hearty vegetable.

Minestrone soup recipe ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this fabulous minestrone soup:

Onions, carrots, and celery: The combination of onions, carrots, and celery is known as ‘soffritto’ in Italian, which provides the essential flavor base of this soup.

Garlic: While garlic is not required in minestrone, I love adding fresh garlic to this soup because it creates a nice flavor profile, and it supports healthy immune function.

Tomatoes: I prefer to use whole peeled tomatoes for this recipe because they break down nicely in the soup and create a smooth consistency.

Beans: White kidney beans are my favorite to use in minestrone soup, but red kidney beans, navy beans, or chickpeas all work great.

Green beans: I like to use fresh or frozen green beans for this recipe for the best flavor and texture. I don’t recommend using canned green beans as they become too mushy in this soup.

My mom always brings me a bunch of green beans that she grows in her garden every summer. But during the winter months, I usually use frozen.

Seasonal veggies: You can use whatever hearty vegetables you have on hand. In the summer months, I like to use zucchini, green beans, kale, and fresh tomatoes. In the winter, I like to use butternut squash, green cabbage, potatoes, or broccoli.

Herbs: I like to use basil, oregano, bay leaves, and parsley in this soup. You can use any mix of Italian herbs that you wish.

Fresh herbs always add a bright flavor to minestrone, but dried herbs work just as well. Other options include rosemary or thyme.

Small pasta: Examples include baby shells, elbow macaroni, ditalini, orecchiette, or wagon wheels. You can use any type of small pasta you wish.

Red pepper flakes: I like to add just a pinch of red pepper flakes to give this soup a nice kick. Leave them out if you don’t like heat.

Parmesan cheese: A sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese goes nicely with this soup. Use dairy-free parmesan cheese to keep it vegan.

Substitution suggestions and variations

This is a very easy recipe because you can add or subtract whatever ingredients you have on hand.

• Use baby spinach instead of kale.
• Use red kidney beans or navy beans instead of white kidney beans.
• Don’t have zucchini? Leave it out or use another seasonal vegetable you have.
• Sensitive to garlic and onions? Leave it out or use leeks instead.
• Use fresh Roma tomatoes in the summer instead of canned.
• Use farro or barley instead of pasta.
• Use sweet potatoes instead of yellow potatoes.
• Cook your own beans instead of using canned.

How to serve and store leftover minestrone soup

I like to serve minestrone soup with side salad or garlic bread. Below are some more delicious side dishes you can try:

• Crusty bread, perfect for dipping into your bowl of soup
• Breadsticks (this is how Olive Garden likes to serve it)
• Caesar salad
• Italian chopped salad
• Bruschetta
• Grilled cheese sandwich
• Crostini
• Focaccia bread
• Caprese salad
• Roasted vegetables
• Pasta

Storing minestrone soup: Wait for the soup to cool down to room temperature and store it in airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

To enjoy leftovers, simply reheat the soup on the stovetop until it comes to a boil.

How to avoid mushy pasta noodles: The pasta will continue to absorb the broth in the leftover soup. If you are planning on making this soup ahead of time, I recommend cooking the pasta separately.

When you’re ready to eat, stir the cooked pasta into the soup and enjoy. It’s annoying, but it’s better than eating overcooked noodles.

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