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.
Sorry if this was in the comments and I missed it.
I don’t have any Tomato Paste in the house, can I substitute 1/4 cup of Ketchup for the 1/4 cup of Paste? Would there be much of a taste difference do you think?
thanks and looking forward to dinner on a cold winter day!
Hi! I recommend this best as written. I don’t think ketchup would be a great alternative. Sorry!
Very funny taste. The broth tastes strange and not hearty like a tomato base. Maybe it’s the vegetable broth? Maybe chicken broth would taste better? Anyway, this is my first time making it and I doubled it. Now I’m going to have to find a way to jazz it up cause I don’t want to waste all of it. I added butter and I’ll add cheese and more salt. The recipe doesn’t call for nearly enough salt. Maybe if it’s your first time making it, start small to see if you like it.
I’m sorry you didn’t love this, Kim. I appreciate your feedback and review.
Delicious! The technique of adding tomato paste early on really added a nice depth of flavor. I used half the amount of diced tomatoes, and finished with a splash of balsamic vinegar and tablespoon of nutritional yeast. This is a keeper!
Wonderful! Thank you for trying it and letting me know your thoughts, Jennifer.
This was actually my first time trying out this website.
I added green beans and zucchini.
It smells and tastes delicious!
Ok, I am not a vegetarian, but your website and cookbook is my go-to for recipes. They are SO good, don’t need meat, although sometimes I do add it. My mom and Nana were GREAT Italian cooks, but I left home early and never learned, so am playing catch up. Thanks for the great content!
I love to hear that, Patricia! Thank you for your comment.
This minestrone soup is delicious!! It is super easy and I had all of the ingredients in my pantry, spice cupboard and fridge!! I’ll be making this soup again!!
I love to hear that, Heidi! Thank you for your review.
I made this soup tonight. It was delicious! Thank you for a great recipe that was easy to follow and very tasty!!
Great to hear, Joann!
We so enjoyed the soup. Great flavor. Perfect for a cold damp night. Added savoy cabbage , zucchini, carrots, celery, potatoes. Followed the rest of the recipe. Yummy. Thanks so much.
Great to hear, Liz!
Kids loved it! I was partial to adding zucchini, potato and broccoli florets. I also have cooked the pasta separately since half of my fam loves it and the other half just wants the vegetables.
Perfect for a rainy cold day or any time! I’m making it again this week.
Plan to make this today but wonder about the addition of water; doesn’t that water down the flavor? I’m thinking of using more veggie broth or even beef broth to sub for the water but would like your thoughts.
I don’t find it waters it down. I hope you try it!
Best soup recipe! Perfect meal for a cold winter day! I left out the pasta and loved it!
This recipe is one of my favorites! It tastes extraordinarily good, easy to make bigger batches and freeze, allows for a wild range of replacements and it’s packed with nutrients and flavors. Also a good option when there is a surplus of veggies needing to be used.
Amongst my usual variations, I occasionally add some capsicums along with the carrots / celery/ onions, replace celery stalks with silverbeet stalks (when using silverbeet as a green) adding a bit of celery seeds to still get the celery taste and adding some small bits of textured soy protein.
I tried and I loved it! I didn’t have all the herbs (I used thyme and rosemary). Sunshine taste in the cold winter is always welcome!
Thank you for your review, Steph!
The flavor of this soup is amazing! The soup had a nice kick to it and loved everything about it. Added to my favorites :)
That’s great, Amanda!
I LOVE this recipe! I used (1) 15oz can fire roasted tomatoes and (1) 15oz can diced tomatoes and subbed a pound of cooked ground sausage for the noodles. Out standing! Thanks for a great recipe.
I’ve made this countless times and feel compelled to comment after all this time. This soup is perfect, as are all of the soups I’ve tried from C+K. I use russet potatoes, zucchini, and green beans as my veggies and it never fails to be delicious. I definitely add more veggies than the recipe calls for because I prefer a very chunky soup (sorry for that word y’all).
This freezes great – the one thing I do that’s notable, because I always end up having to freeze some, is cook the pasta separately so that it doesn’t expand in the liquid and get mushy. The pasta definitely doesn’t have as much flavor as if you cooked it in the liquid of the soup, but with only two of us at home, freezing is a must, and this is the best way.
I’m excited you tried another one, Lyndsay! I appreciate your comment and how you freeze this.
Made this today as it’s cold and snowy . Perfect meatless meal. My husband is a soup aficionado . He loved it !!! Good flavor . So simple to make . Thanks for posting this recipe .
Made this for dinner tonight and my husband loved it! It was so flavorful and came together quickly. Will definitely become my go to soup recipe.
I love this recipe. I can’t count how many times I have made and tweaked it based on what we have on hand. I have gifted it to new parents, my family and friends. We aren’t vegan so we do add a pecorino romano rind. I double the beans and only use 2 tablespoons of tomato paste. Tonights soup have lots of fresh dill, parsley and fresh bay leaves and rice cooked in it. Vegetables include cauliflower and kale and it’s delicious. Thanks so much for this recipe.
and kale.
I’m so glad you have enjoyed it so many times, Nancy! I appreciate your review.
My go-to minestrone recipe. Love it.
love it delicious recipe me and my family enjoy
Wonderful to hear, Miley!
Hi Kate!
I just made this for the first time it was delicious with potatoes and green beans added in.
How long can it be frozen for? When I defrost, would you recommend just putting in the fridge the night before then heating it in the microwave?
Thanks so much,
Sasha
Hi! I would suggest freezing without the noodles. Freezer items usually last for 3-6 months before they start to degrade. I recommend letting it thaw in the refrigerator.
Made this a few days ago exactly as written, with potatoes & zucchini for the seasonal veggies, and spinach for the greens. Restaurant-quality winner! It felt so comforting and nourishing on a cold day. Thank you!
Great to hear, Elva! I appreciate your review.
This is a wonderful soup, and very adaptable depending on what’s on hand in any season. Mine ended up being on the thick side, so now when I make it I use 1/2 the pasta. Thank you for this terrific keeper!
You’re welcome, Lynette! I appreciate your review.
I grew up Italian and this soup is fabulous, absolutely! I added asparagus and some mushrooms for a savory broth. Great recipe!!
I’m excited you agree, Richard!
This is a fantastic recipe! We make it all the time! Often I cook the pasta Seperate and we add to individual bowls. Thanks
You’re welcome, Kristin! I appreciate your comment and review.
Excellent! I added a cup of diced pancetta and a cup of cooked Anasazi beans.
Marvelous! Sorry for the vegans! It’s a keeper according to all who
Tried it! Thank you!!
You’re welcome, M! I’ excited you enjoyed it.
I really do not care for cooked tomatoes, can I puree them or omit them?
You could try it. I do recommend this recipe best as written. I hope you enjoy it, Traci!
Excellent. Tasted so fresh.
Thank you for letting me know you loved it, Matt!
Made it exactly as recipe is written. I used potatoes and baby spinach with a can of the reat northern beans-one of my favorite. I’ll be putting this soup in rotation during the winter months. Loved it and it makes plenty. Thank you.
Great to hear, Paula!
I always make my noodles separate and then add, already cooked pasta, per bowl… helps to keep things from being mushy. Also added 2 Tbsp store bought pesto to the recipe instead of the additional olive oil it was delicious!
Thank you for sharing, Mo!
Delicious and easy to make. I added meat, sautéed it before the veggies. Served it with a freshly baked loaf of sourdough bread.
WOW! I made this soup a sick buddy last night using tiny yukon potatoes, BTB seasoned veggie base for broth, and a minor mountain of kale – she said it tastes like LOVE! Thank you!
I make this soup often, changing up the veggies. Today it’s potatoes, zucchini, green peas. I have used yellow squash, green beans, etc – but I always use potatoes. I also add a rind of parmesan when cooking. It’s a delicious soup and feeds a ton of folks because it’s so filling. Thanks for a great recipe – I also shared it with my Foodies group.
Can you recommend a good vegetable stock, please?
I have been using Kettle Brand recently and find it has good flavor.
Incredibly delicious and loved by the family. I was hoping to recreate the locally famous minestrone at Benetti’s in Coos Bay, OR. It did not disappoint, and dredging garlic bread in the nutritious bath took me back to my teen years. Thank you, Kate and little Cookie!
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it, Andrew! I appreciate your review.
I made this soup today and it was so, so delicious!!!!! I did put extra vegetables, the only thing I didn’t add was butternut squash, otherwise I followed the recipe. I also didn’t add the lemon juice. What a great meal!!! Thank you!!!
You’re welcome, Julie! Thank you for your review.
I hate soup but LOVE this recipe. I’ve made it a couple of times and it always hits the spot. Thanks so much!
I made this minestrone recipe and it was delicious! I went heavy on the veggies and no beans (my man added beans to his portion later) and we appreciate the note to add pepper generously. We’ve been eating it up and I can’t wait to make more soon!
Love to hear that, Mindy! Thank you for sharing.
I love this minestrone. It is one of my go-to recipes when I’m sick, when it’s cold out, when I have extra famer’s market bounty…. whenever I want something warm and yummy.
Love to hear that, Sarah! Thank you for your review.
Too much tomato and olive oil. Left out beans since we are not a fan of them. Once adjustments were made it turned out pretty good. Will use recipe again as a guide and adjust to my families taste accordingly.
Good morning Kate. Thank you for all the great recipes you share with us. I am getting ready to make your minestroni soup, which I have made multiple times, but wanted to use dried beans, not canned. I thought that you had a section on your website about cooking dried beans? After numerous searches on your website, have not been able to locate that recipe. Would really appreciate your help.
Thank you, and look forward to your response.
Cheryl
Hi Cheryl! I have my How to Cook Black Beans (From Scratch!). Is this the one you are looking for?
Thank you, that’s what I was looking for.
So simple, delicious, nutritious and inexpensive!
Perfect recipe. I added lentils and barley for the protein
Yummy! I just used your Minestrone Soup recipe today and it’s easy and delicious!
Great to hear you enjoyed it, Sharon!
I made Cookie and Kate Classic Minestrone Soup recipe yesterday and I am so happy that I did. What a fantastic recipe,it’s definitely a keeper. I’ve had Minestrone soup in restaurants many times and have only made it one other time. This recipe is spot on, even better than I remember. The only thing that I did differently is add a heaping tablespoon of basil pesto to the soup at the end. BOOM…the soup was devoured! Thank you so much for this recipe..I will be looking for more of your wonderful recipes in the future.
I’m happy you made it too! Thank you for sharing your experience, Tamar.
This is fantastic! I’ve made it twice already this week. Was paying way too much buying minestrone at the prepared food section at the grocery store. Glad I gave this recipe a try.
I’m glad you tried it too, Alison! I appreciate your review.
I’m making this for a second time this week, I love it so much! Even my extremely picky 6 year old (she mostly lives on carbs and carrots) loved it, which might make her open to even more recipes… thank you!!
Hooray! That’s a win. I’m excited it was a hit.
Any special instructions if I make it in a crockpot ?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say. Sorry!
This was absolutely the best soup I have ever made! It was so good that I did not put lemon juice in or pasta. It seemed perfect the way it was. Could it have been even better? I honestly dont know how. Thank you!