Description
This Easy Minestrone Soup is a hearty and comforting Italian classic loaded with fresh vegetables, beans, and tender pasta. Perfect for a nutritious lunch or dinner, this flavorful soup combines diced tomatoes, cannellini and kidney beans, zucchini, carrots, celery, and spinach in a savory vegetable broth topped with grated parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
Scale
Base
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 3 medium celery ribs, diced
- 4 medium carrots, diced
- 3 medium zucchini, diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
Soup Components
- 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (15 ounce) can white cannellini beans, undrained
- 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, undrained
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
Pasta and Garnish
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni or shell pasta
- 1 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Heat butter and oil: In a large 6-quart soup pot over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons salted butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil until hot.
- Sauté onion: Add 1 medium diced white onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent.
- Add vegetables: Stir in 3 diced celery ribs, 4 diced carrots, and 3 diced zucchini. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables start to soften. Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant.
- Add liquids and beans: Pour in 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice, 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce, 1 (15 ounce) can white cannellini beans with liquid, 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans with liquid, and 6 cups vegetable broth. Stir in 1 tablespoon dried basil and 1 tablespoon dried oregano. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
- Add pasta and cook: Add 8 ounces elbow macaroni or shell pasta. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes until pasta is tender.
- Add spinach: Stir in 1 cup roughly chopped baby spinach during the last 2 minutes of cooking to wilt.
- Season and serve: Taste and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper as desired. Serve the soup hot, garnished with 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese if using.
Notes
- For a vegan version, omit the butter and parmesan cheese or substitute with vegan alternatives.
- Use gluten-free pasta to make this soup gluten free.
- Fresh herbs can be used instead of dried basil and oregano if available.
- Adding a squeeze of lemon juice before serving brightens the flavors.
- This soup keeps well refrigerated for up to 3 days and freezes well for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg
