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.
Doubled this to have extra to freeze for school lunches for my teenage son who just had his wisdom teeth taken out last week. It is SO good! Perfect for today’s rainy and cool fall day. I used yellow and green zucchini for my 4 cups seasonal veggies.
I’m glad it was a hit for everyone! Thank you for sharing, Lori.
I have made this minestrone soup so many times. It is my go to recipe. Everyone loves it and so filling and healthy. Thanks Kate for all the great recipes.
I made this for the first time last month, and I’ve made it three other times since. I use half a small can of tomato paste because I love the flavor and freeze the rest for the next pot. I also like to add garbanzo beans. They add even more variety and protein without making the soup too thin! Great recipe. The lemon juice is essential.
I bought fun halloween shape pasta I found at Aldi’s and can’t wait to put them in this soup.
This is one great minestrone soup recipe. Delicious. I’ve been looking for a recipe like this to make minestrone.
It was a very easy recipe to follow and it tasted very good once it was done thank you I shared it with my neighbor and I’m going to bring some to my sisters tomorrow and I froze the rest because it made a lot
I made this recipe when the weather turned cooler. I made my own vegetable stock, throwing in a Parmesan cheese rind for added flavor. I removed the rind before adding the broth to the veggies. The red pepper flakes give it a nice kick. It was delicious. I’ve added the recipe to my regular rotation. Thank you!!!
You’re welcome, Peggy! I appreciate your review.
Nice recipe, but very salty and tomatoey. Next time I will omit the tomato paste and use only 1 can of chopped tomatoes. Otherwise, great mix of ingredients.
I’m sorry you didn’t love it as is. I appreciate you sharing and what you plan to do next time.
Absolutely delicious! I shared this recipe with my family and friends. So glad I found this one, it’s a keeper!
Great to hear, Kris!
This recipe, what a gift!!! I’ve made it so many times and it never ever ever disappoints! Easy, inexpensive, adaptable, and nutritious. Others have mentioned this and I highly recommend throwing a parmesan rind in your soup at the same time you add the stock/canned tomatoes. Don’t forget the lemon, parmesan, and EVOO at the end. 10/10 would recommend!
Looking forward to making this soup
Hi there,
Can I add as much veggies as I want? Like 2 cups zucchini and 2 cups potatoes?
Thanks,
Renee
Hi, you can add the amount of veggies (as noted) that you would like to use. If you use more, your texture will be thicker. I hope that helps! I love this recipe for seasonal vegetables or what I may have on hand.
Okay. thanks again!
Love this soup!
Great to hear, Paula!
This soup is in our rotation at least once or twice a month. It is D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S !!!
Thank you for sharing.
Much too tomato-ey for me, will use either fresh tomatoes or a smaller amount than a 28oz can! Also will use more garlic
Hi Marie, I’m sorry you didn’t love it as is. I appreciate your review.
Hi Marie-Cecile! The recipe is so “tweak-able.” I used a small can of tomato sauce instead of the tomato paste when sautéing the onions, celery, and carrots. I only had crushed tomatoes in my pantry so I used that instead of diced tomatoes. I used twice as many veggies, and some homemade chicken stock instead of veggie stock. I’ll likely add a little more water at the end when I add the beans and spinach. So far it’s smelling and tasting very yummy. I find it to be a very good basic recipe that one could tweak to one’s liking.
I made this soup for my bookclub and everyone loved it and asked me to share the recipe. In addition to zucchini and green beans, I also added leeks, Brussels sprouts, spinach (right at the end), and a couple more cloves of garlic than you suggested. I offered a generous amount of freshly grated Parmesan and chopped parsley for people to add. Delicious!!
Great to hear everyone enjoyed it, Robin! I appreciate your review.
I love Olive Garden’s minestrone soup, but this was even better! I used canned black beans too. Awesome.
Great to hear, Polly! I appreciate your review.
Hi Kate, I’m so excited to try this – my gran would make minestrone soup most Sundays and I sadly never got the recipe before she passed away. It’s Sunday and it’s currently simmering away in the pan and smells just like my gran. Thank you for sharing!
I hope it reminds you of your gran! Thank you for your review, Susan.
Made this for dinner tonight. Delicious! The tomato paste really gives it depth of flavor. Used yellow squash, zucchini and a Yukon gold potato. This will be going into regular dinner rotation.
I love the herbs & spices but most of all the splash of lemon juice brightens it up & makes it so delish! I added a bit more red pepper so it’s got a little kick too! I juiced my carrots, added a big can of Cento tomatoes & generously added my olive oil. Nothing like a good hot bowl of Minestrone:) along with a ciabatta roll & butter:) Yummy
I have to say I always loved minestrone soup but haven’t made it in years. This recipe sure hit the spot! I doubled the recipe and now have soup for days and days which is great bc with a kid in sports we have limited time. The house smells so wonderful. Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
That’s great to hear, Diana! I appreciate your review.
This is my 3rd minestrone recipe. I’m done looking. I’ll be using this one. Merci beaucoup!!
Hooray! I’m glad you love it.
This soup is delicious & is definitely going into the rotation at our house. I did have an issue with the pasta sticking to the bottom of the Dutch oven, but it still turned out great. Maybe I’ll cook the pasta separately next time and add it in when we reheat the soup.
This recipe is absolutely perfect!! Tastes just like the minestrone I grew up with my mom making. I use potatoes as the seasonal vegetable and do not alter anything. It’s perfect!!!
My first time making Minestrone and my first time using my new Dutch oven and it did not disappoint! The only problem I encountered was when I went to retrieve the bay leaves and only found one. Poor other soul is lost at sea. I used potato + green beans + peas for my veggies. Perfection!
I made this before without the lemon. Well, that was a mistake. The lemon brightens everything and really makes the flavors pop.I added some red wine. It’s really great! Thanks for being my go to for everything vegetarian.
So yummy! I made it as written-but added more veggies and the cheese rind. I needed to add a bit more liquid do to the extra veggies.
I do not think I have found a Cookie and Kate recipe I have not liked.
Thank you Kate!
Sounds delicious, Nancy!
I get rave reviews every time I make this recipe. It’s my husband’s favorite meatless meal.
If I decrease the pasta to 1/2 cup dry, do I need to reduce the liquid?
Hooray! You can reduce the liquid if you prefer, but the pasta will still absorb some so it’s up to you on how much liquid you like in your soup.
I used celeriac instead of celery and supplanted tomatoes with passata an added a couple of ice cube size limps of basil pesto. Fabulous
Made the soup this evening. Delicious! The recipe was very easy to follow too. Adding the lemon at the end really made this soup shine. Thank you for the recipe, Kate!
You’re welcome, Pinky! I appreciate your review.
I cannot tell you how much I LOVE this recipe! I will never make another minestrone recipe again. Thanks!!
Okay you’re probably going to laugh or think I’m dumb. I made this soup last night and everything was great until it came time to add the lemon juice. Well, I didn’t have lemon juice, but I had lemon extract…. Which is apparently A LOT stronger… I put in like just over a teaspoon of lemon extract and completely ruined my entire soup! It was SO lemony!! I feel so dumb, I should have known better! So I tried to cancel out the lemon by adding baking soda and it didn’t work.. so I made new broth and drained the veggies out and put it in the new broth. But at that point the soup was just ruined and not even close to minestrone anymore.. so I’m going to re do the entire thing today. I’m so mad about the lemon I’m contemplating even using lemon juice at this point LOL. But it was so good before I messed it up!!
Oh no! I hope you were able to enjoy your second batch.
I’ve never used lemon juice in my soups, with the exception of one time. I used it in a suggested recipe on the back of a bag of beans…As much as I love lemon, and it’s just my opinion, I think the lemon juice ruined the entire dish.
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy it. You can omit it next time.
First time making minestrone, perfect for this 20 degree weather, warmed us right up! Full of flavor and yummy goodness, kids and hubby loved it! Thanks for the recipes!
You’re welcome, Jules! Thank you for trying this soup and letting me know what you think. Stay warm!
Made this tonight and it was delicious! Plenty of leftovers but next time I’ll make a double batch and freeze extra. Thank you for the delicious recipe. I used zucchini for my veggies and elbow pasta – wouldn’t change a thing.
Perfect soup for a cold snowy day in Chicago! I used what I had on hand, sweet potato, peas and rainbow chard, along with Northern beans. My husband and daughter added shredded chicken to their’s. Perfection!
My go-to minestrone recipe! Easily customizable.
This was really good. I modified it a little to accommodate a diet I am on; no cheese and used gluten free pasta. It was amazing and I had enough to freeze for next weeks lunches. I forgot to add the lemon juice! Next time.
Love this soup! So filling and delicious. My boyfriend love it!
Was delicious great flavor will make it again.thank you
You’re welcome, Maureen! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
This was hands down the most delicious, hearty, amazing minestrone I have ever had! This is a major complement from someone who grew up with a Sicilian mother and grandmother.
Filling, delicious with so many different flavor notes coming through as well as delicious textures.
Thank you so much!
Can I make this in a crock pot?
Hi Kathy, I haven’t tried it. If you do, I still recommend to cook the vegetables as indicated for best flavor. Also, don’t add the noodles until the end of cooking so they aren’t mushy.
I’m just echoing every other comment on this page but wow, this was really, really good! This is the third C+K soup recipe I have tried and all have been incredible. Thank you for making real food so approachable and delicious!
You’re welcome, Alyssa! I’m glad you loved it.
We needed a bit more salt than mentioned but this soup is incredible-even my 5 year old who thought he was going to have to force it down ended up loving it.
Yummy is all I can say, on a cold winter night with no salt crackers. thanks.
This soup was so good. I doubled the recipe and used butternut squash and fresh green beans for my added veggies. I highly recommend this combo. I’ll absolutely make this again – great recipe!
This soup is so delicious! I made it exactly as written, but sometimes I use barley instead of the pasta for something different. I love that you can change the veggies depending what vegetables are in season. You will love this soup, and once you’ve tried it, you will make it all the time. Thank you for all your yummy recipes.
You’re welcome, Katie! I’m excited you enjoyed this soup.
I am so glad this was the soup I decided to try last night. It was delicious and maybe even better today for lunch. I used russet potatoes and realized midway through that I didn’t have greens to stir in (and no lemon, but fresh lime to sub) and it was SO good. I was afraid it was going to be a little thin tasting with all the liquid, but once the pasta was added it all worked perfectly. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Jamie! I’m delighted you enjoyed it.
Easy recipe to follow, and super tasty! Love that it’s a great base that you can play with based on what’s in season. Personally i don’t add much salt to my cooking, and this is delish without adding :)
I’m excited you enjoyed it! Thank you for your review.
Kate,
I love Minestrone Soup and I made yours soup recipe and it was delicious! I made it for my Sunday brunch with my son and wife and they both liked it. I will be checking out your other recipes.
Great to hear, Kara!
Best minestrone recipe ever!! I used a mix of veggie and chicken stock which was what I had on hand, and added some sliced then sauteed chicken sausage. Otherwise I didn’t change anything. This recipe goes in my favorites file. Thank you!
I’m glad you love it, Kristine! Thank you for your review.
I made it with butternut squash and really enjoyed it. When I ate leftovers I added crushed fermented Calabrian chili peppers and it took it to the next level. Thank you!
Love this soup, it has become a favourite and I especially like the fact that it is made with whatever produce available so it changes every time you make it. Thanks for sharing this great recipe.
You’re welcome, David! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
This is the tastiest minestrone soup I’ve ever made. Thank you so much for the recipe
You’re welcome, Janet!