Classic Minestrone Soup
Warm up with this vegetarian minestrone soup! This classic minestrone soup recipe is healthy, easy to make, and tastes incredible. It's vegan, too, if you don't top it with cheese.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
Finally! It’s about time this blog offered a traditional minestrone soup recipe. Minestrone is a hearty Italian vegetable soup made with tomato-y broth and pasta or rice. I’ve been working hard on this recipe and I’m so excited to share it with you.
Minestrone was traditionally made to use up leftover vegetables, so feel free to use any seasonal vegetables and greens you have on hand. I used potatoes and spinach for the soup you see here, and it was absolutely delicious.
I listed some alternatives in the recipe, including yellow squash, zucchini, butternut squash, green beans or peas. That means that you can make seasonal minestrone on cool days from fall through spring!
I used canned beans here instead of cooking my own, which cuts the cooking time down to a reasonable weeknight level. The remaining ingredients are basic pantry items, including canned tomatoes, pasta, basic spices and onions.
Why is this the best minestrone soup?
- This hearty minestrone is easy to make and totally worth the effort.
- The recipe calls for seasonal vegetables and affordable pantry ingredients.
- The soup packs great for lunch, and tastes even better the next day.
- It freezes and defrosts well, too.
- This homemade minestrone is infinitely better than the Olive Garden or store-bought varieties!
I adapted this recipe from the lentil minestrone in my cookbook, which was based on my lentil soup. For this classic minestrone, I omitted the lentils, added white beans, upped the tomato paste, and reserved the final tablespoon of olive oil to mix in at the end.
Please let me know how you like this soup in the comments! I always love reading your feedback and I’m eager to hear which veggies you use in your soup.
If you’re looking for more soup recipes, definitely check out the two mentioned above, and I have even more soups here.
Watch how to make Minestrone Soup
Classic Minestrone Soup
Warm up with this vegetarian minestrone soup! This classic minestrone soup recipe is healthy, easy to make, and tastes incredible. It’s vegan, too, if you don’t top it with cheese. Recipe yields 6 bowls or 8 cups of soup.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 medium ribs celery, chopped
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 cups chopped seasonal vegetables (potatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, butternut squash, green beans or peas all work)
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, with their liquid (or 2 small 15-ounce cans)
- 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 bay leaves
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup whole grain orecchiette, elbow or small shell pasta
- 1 can (15 ounces) Great Northern beans or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked beans
- 2 cups baby spinach, chopped kale or chopped collard greens
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnishing (optional)
Instructions
- Warm 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, tomato paste and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables have softened and the onions are turning translucent, about 7 to 10 minutes.
- Add the seasonal vegetables, garlic, oregano and thyme. Cook until fragrant while stirring frequently, about 2 minutes.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes and their juices, broth and water. Add the salt, bay leaves and red pepper flakes. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper.
- Raise heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, then partially cover the pot with the lid, leaving about a 1” gap for steam to escape. Reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer.
- Cook for 15 minutes, then remove the lid and add the pasta, beans and greens. Continue simmering, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until the the pasta is cooked al dente and the greens are tender.
- Remove the pot from the heat, then remove the bay leaves. Stir in the lemon juice and remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Taste and season with more salt (I usually add about ¼ teaspoon more) and pepper until the flavors really sing. Garnish bowls of soup with grated Parmesan, if you’d like.
Notes
Make it dairy free/vegan: Don’t garnish with Parmesan, or use homemade vegan Parmesan.
Make it gluten free: Substitute your favorite sturdy gluten-free noodle. I used DeLallo’s Whole-Grain Rice Shells and they worked great.
Parmesan note: Most Parmesans are not technically vegetarian (they contain animal rennet), but Whole Foods 365 and BelGioioso brands offer vegetarian Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I put root vegetables what your normally use for a stew and butter beans macaroni pasta in my recipe x yummy
This soup is the best soup I’ve ever made or tasted. It’s so easy and so tasty. My husband said ‘this is really nice’, which is amazing as he doesn’t usually say anything about any meals he just eats them!
Hooray! That’s great to hear he loved it, Sonia. I appreciate you taking the time to review.
Just made this today. Very easy recipe to follow and extremely tasty. Just what we needed on a cold, wintry Minnesota day!
Just made this today. I did let mine sit several hours before adding the pasta, kale and cannellini beans. I also added a pound of mild Italian sausage (which I added with the broth). Fabulous soup and I’ll use this recipe often! Thank you for sharing it!
I just made the minestrone soup today. It is amazing. And so easy to make. I used kale instead of spinach because I like kale. Thank you for such a great recipe.
This is just divine! It’s in my weekly rotation now. I make it whole 30 (sans pasta and beans) and it’s still so flavorful and special. Love the addition of lemon and olive oil at the end it really makes everything work together so well!
I love it! Thank you for sharing, Ana.
This was amazing! I used sweet potato, green beans, acorn squash and poblano peppers with mushroom broth. I also used 3 cans of beans-navy, red,
and chickpeas. I did have to add a little extra water because of this. It was definitely time consuming chopping everything up, but so worth it! Very comforting on a chilly day as well.
Absolutely loved it. Can’t believe a lot of vegetables tasted so good. First time making minestrone and will be on the menu every week from now on. Thank you.
I’m delighted you loved it, Julie!
My hubby loves my soups. I make a great French onion soup, using the leftover bones from a prime rib. I also make a great chicken soup. He also loves minestrone soup, but I have never attempted to try it . this recipe looks so simple and quick to make. I’m going to give it a shot. Thank you so much for sharing we shall See how it turns out.
would you be so kind to share your onion soup using a prime rib bone, it sounded good.T hanks
Great soup! Super easy and delicious. Actually was even better next day. I want to keep a pot of it in the fridge at all times. Lol. I spiced it up a little bit with some cayenne pepper and served with hot sauce.
Made this several times and love it! Reheats great as well. I’m trying out freezing half with but the pasta (only the 2 of us so a full recipe makes a lot). Hopefully it will do well from frozen too.
Hi Kate,
I make my minestrone almost the same way as you do except I always add the rind from the parmigiano reggiano I always save + a can of chickpeas. The rind adds a tremendous amount of flavor!
Love your recipes!
Lana
We loved this soup. Used less salt and olive oil because of our diet, but otherwise followed the recipe. Made a second batch after finishing the first. Thanks!
How much less salt did you leave out? My mom can’t consume a lot of salt.
Oh my goodness. This is quite literally the best soup recipe I’ve used in my life. Perfect for a cold Michigan evening. Will definitely be making again. Thank you!
I’m delighted you love it! Thank you for your review, Alana.
This is a great minestrone soup! I made it today and it’s perfect. I love the base of this soup and it’s a flexible base to which it is easy to add different vegetables. I added a leek with the onions, carrots and celery and instead of vegetarian broth I used 6 cups of water and added a couple of parmesan rinds. I don’t love a lot of carbs in my soup so I skipped the potatoes and pasta and just used beans. Love it!
Great recipe, thank you! – easy to follow and packed with flavour. I’m usually not a fan of minestrone however, this will be a winter staple.
I also left out the pasta and added more beans x
That’s great! Thank you for sharing, GV.
What a fantastic recipe! We love this soup, and we’ll have it again for dinner tonight (with ciabattina). We’re on a modified low FODMAP diet, so I used only the green parts of green onions and garlic-infused olive oil. But I followed the recipe exactly for the rest. Used zucchini and yellow squash for my vegs., but can see that any seasonal veg. would work equally well. Thank you so much!
This recipe makes the best minestrone soup. Thanks for all work that went into making our week day night amazing!
Hi!
This recipe looks delicious and I really want to make it but the only thing I am missing is the vegetable broth. Is there a way I can substitute that, or make a vegetable broth? Thanks!
Hi! I haven’t tried it with this recipes, but I know some who have replaced with water in the past. You will likely need to adjust seasonings.
I make vegetable broth. When you’re chopping your veggies put all the (clean) ends in a pot of water and let it slow boil for an hour or more
i’ve made this probably four times now. this soup is so addictive and delicious, i totally recommend. i add a /bunch/ of veggies, so if you are like me and love using 4-6 cups of vegetables, make sure to add a bunch of extra broth!
I have to say the Minestrone soup was absolutely delicious and all my family loved it. It was so easy to make and really healthy for the family. I liked the way you added lemon juice at the end as that gave loads of flavour to the vegetables.
I will definitely make this again and I have sent the recipe to all my family and friends.
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I’m happy you loved it, Harriet! Thank you for your review.
I made your chili last week for dinners and this for dinners this week! Thank you for posting such easy and accessible recipes, as a grad student I don’t have a lot of time (or $$$ lol) to make healthy, filling meals but your blog always makes this easy for me :)
This worked in my 3qt IP, halfed the recipe and used soaked uncooked red beans, pressured cooked 14 mins and did a release after 15 and added some cooked macaroni. Even yummier on a rainy day!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It is easy and delicious! It is also hearty enough to serve for meatless Monday. Everyone loved it!
You’re welcome, Becky! Thank you for my review.
Excellent! Like so many of your recipes. My husband and I loved it! Mad it just as you said, maybe a little extra chili flakes. Great on a rainy day and can’t wait to have it for lunch the next few days.
This is the best minestrone soup ever! I used Chicken stock instead of vegetable stock. I used more garlic and the herbs than what you called for. Also, added Parmesan into the soup instead of just putting it into the bowls. It gave it the savory saltiness I needed without adding more salt. So healthy and absolutely delicious! Thank you!
Wonderful, Rhonda! Thank you for your review.
I have made this soup many times. We have enjoyed it very much. I do use dried black beans, which I cook separately, as well as ditalini, which I also cook separately and add both at the end. I use kale or spinach depending what I have on hand.
Thank you so much for this!! It came to me at just the right time! The snow came earlier than predicted and I really just wanted wine and to stay home for the night –so I shuffled through the fridge and pantry for all the veggies past their prime. Chopped them up –and this made the best minestrone dinner on a cold night. My vegetarian daughter is beyond happy. I served with some slightly stale bread that turned into the perfect garlicky grilled cheese. Sincerely grateful. I will make this a regular tradition when I want to use up veggies.
That’s great! Thank you for sharing, Kelly.
Made your soup with green beans, potatoes and zuchinni. We also subbed homemade duck broth since we had it for the veggie stock and it was out of this world!
I love, love, LOVE this recipe! So versatile and SO tasty no matter what veggies I put in!
I’m curious if there’s a way I could make this in the crockpot?
I’m delighted you love it, Tristen! Sorry to disappoint, but I don’t thing you will save much time in a crock pot as I highly recommend following the steps to get the best flavor.
I once read that whatever Minestrone soup recipe you use, first fry up some pepperoni before adding veggies. This brings a depth of flavour that it so lovely and works well with the nature of this soup.
Just made this one today–another total win from Cookie and Kate!
Ours had gluten-free pasta which I cooked too long, but taste was still perfection. Used all organic ingredients and the Spouse, who is in chemo-recovery, said, “I can feel this healing me….”
So from the bottom of my heart, Kate, THANK YOU.
Also from your cookbook this week: burrito bowls, summer salsa (canned tomatoes), and granola–all are delish. Your butternut / chickpea stew is next–perfect for this upcoming cold weather. I so appreciate all the extra info you offer: gluten-free, dairy-free, etc. Will go to amazon and rate your cookbook–thanks again!
That’s great, Cindy! Thank you for your review.
This is one of my favourite soupes I’ve made yet!
Thank you!! From Canada
There is snow predicted here in the Cotswolds this afternoon and I was in search of a good soup recipe for lunch. This was so delicious and a wonderfully warming, nourishing, fridge-clear-out one-pot meal! I used sweet potatoes that had been sitting in the kitchen for a few weeks, a mix of kale, cavalo nero, and baby spinach, white beans — no pasta but added a crusty loaf of bread on the side. Also simmered it all with a large Parmesan rind for some extra umami. Don’t skip final seasoning (Maldon if you have it) and the squeeze of lemon and drizzle of olive oil at the end. So good!
I’m happy you loved it! Thank you for sharing.
Trying to find recipes that will help me get my daily quota of veggies–not a big fan. This soup was so good I went back for thirds. Thank you! The recipe is a keeper.
Oh, my gosh, I LOVE this soup! I ended up putting several more cups of liquid in – and therefore a few more dashes of thyme and oregano – but this is just perfect. It makes me so happy!
It’s super cold and my two teenagers and I just made this recipe. We are all wowed. It’s exactly what I was hoping and aiming for. Thanks for adding a much needed go-to to the shamefully lacking recipe repertoire of a single dad.
Excellent recipe, just what I needed for a weeknight dinner !!!
Thank you for sharing this.
Smitha
Molto delizioso!!!
This is a fabulous base recipe. I used zucchini and eggplant as my seasonal veggies and whatever small pasta I had in my pantry. I also put a leftover sliver of parmesean rind in the broth to add some extra flavor. I’ll be making this recipe every time I need to use up leftover veggies!
This is the vegetarian minestrone soup recipe I’ve been waiting for! So yummy! I made some adjustments based on ingredients I had to use up (haricot vert, leeks, and leftover ravioli) The base of the recipe remained the same. I will keep this in my soup recipes arsenal!
I loved this soup! It’s such a great clean-out-the-fridge vegan soup. I doubled it and used green beans, zucchini, peas, and corn in addition to the celery and carrots. The only thing I would change is that I would only use petit diced tomatoes rather than regular diced. The lemon juice at the end really finishes it off. Definitely a 5/5 star recipe.
Thank you, Laura!
Just delish! I made it as written, but I didn’t have any small pasta on hand. Instead, I added frozen cheese tortellini. It was so good, and filling enough for my teenage boys (a rare feat for a soup!). Thanks for a great recipe!
Excellent recipe! I used fresh zucchini and frozen green beans. Next time I will keep the pasta separate and add when we are ready to eat.
Excellent recipe, very easy. I used zucchini for the veg and added italian sausage and parmesan cheese rine. So easy and very delicious.
Had some left over herbs and chickpeas from a falafel recipe…used them up with this minestrone recipe, very tasty, nice and filling on a cold WI day!
Thank you for sharing, Michelle!
I have a few pounds (well… a lot but that’s not the point) to lose and looked up what I can eat if I am starving. Minestrone was a choice.
This minestrone recipe lives up to the high ratings. Perfect exactly as written. I think the secret ingredient is the red pepper flakes. For my seasonal veggies I used green beens and asparagus. Oh, and I used two different beans: cannelli and black beans.
Make it and enjoy a guilt free meal or snack.
Absolutely delicious! Made this for my daughter, home from college. Had a nice bowl with some crusty bread. Yum!
when i searched for a new minestrone recipe to try, yours popped up first and i am so happy it did! your recipe was simple to follow and the end result was just delicious! my new favorite soup that i will be making again soon! thank you for sharing!
I’m happy it did too, Maryann! Thank you for reporting back.
Made it last night and it turned out very well. I would definitely make it again. It was completely cleaned nothing left over. Thanks for the recipe!
Your recipes are the best! I don’t have tomato paste nor canned tomatoes but have a LOT of fresh tomatoes at home. Any recommendations on how I can substitute?
Hi Rudri, I prefer canned for this for the taste they provide. I haven’t tried it with fresh, sorry!
This recipe is great! I’ve made this recipe and the one in the cookbook (with lentils) probably 10 times. If you switch out the vegetables it’s easy to make it feel “new” each time.