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 made it exactly as written and it was absolutely delicious!! I used fresh zucchini from the garden and made a huge pot so I could share with a friend who wasn’t feeling good and they loved it too!! This is my new favorite soup. So good and so healthy. Thank you for sharing it!
I love to hear that, Eve! Thank you for your review.
Kate, I really like your site, and your recipes are excellent. This turned out very well, and is very tasty; your precision with the times is especially laudable, since it prevents the vegetables from overcooking. My only issue, as an Italian, is that the quantity of tomato is excessive in this; and while the result is tasty, this distances it somewhat from the traditional minestrone. Still, I’m giving this five stars because it’s very good.
That’s great to hear, Dario!
Recipe doesn’t say when the garlic goes in?
Hi Ursula, see step 2.
Hi Kate!
I’m excited to make this tonight! I will let you know how it goes! I’ve been looking for a minestrone soup recipe that I like for awhile!
Trish Kaplan
Newport Beach, Ca.
Hello,
My mom,who is going through chemotherapy, was craving for Minestrone soup , and while searching, I came across your recipe and gave it a try. I have never made Minestrone soup before; my mom loved it and asked me to share this recipe her. For my preference I omitted the potatoes and increased the broth measurement with salt and dried spices. It turned out delicious. Thank you for your recipe.
You’re welcome, Helina!
This Classic Minestrone soup was absolutely delicious – yes, we think it is the best we have tasted. Thank you Cookie and Kate, every best wish?
Made this tonight! Total yummyness. followed your recipe using my garden harvest of tomatoes, zucchini & yellow squash, collard greens & green beans. More like 3-4 cups veggies, used my own bone broth. I have plenty of time so cooked dry beans yesterday and added at the end. This is a great recipe for many veggie options.
Absolute best ever recipe for Minestrone, the addition of lemon juice and chilli made this an absolute banger!
Thank you, Jacinta!
Super fresh and flavorful! A go-to recipe going forward.
Happy to hear that, Lisa! Thank you for your review.
When I saw this recipe and who the owner of it is, I knew straight away it would be brilliant. I have made your Tortilla Soup a thousand times and LOVED it, so I new this one would be a hit too. You did not disappoint. Your recipes are easy to follow, good ingredients and super delicious. Thanks again for another great soup to add to my family favourites. Cheers!
I really like this version of Minestrone soup. It is versatile because you can choose the seasonal vegetables that you put in it. This recipe tastes good with or without parmesan cheese.
This looks so yummy! I’m wondering what brand vegetable broth you like for this? Also have you tried it with mushroom broth? Thanks
I don’t have a go-to brand. I do try to buy organic when I can. I have bought Kettle Brand recently and liked the results.
This was a wonderful and easy soup to make. I did make a few adjustments based on other comments. Some folks found the original recipe to be too tomatoey, so I substituted 2 tbsp. Miso paste. I also used chicken broth instead of vegetable just because that’s what I had on hand. I reduced the pasta to a quarter cup of orzo, used zucchini and potato for my veggies, and cannellini and garbanzo for my beans. At the end, I was afraid to pull the trigger on the lemon juice, so we tried it small scale in a tester bowl, and it ended up tasting just right. Thanks for a great recipe. We’ll make this again and again.
Dear Kate, I followed your recipe for classic Minestrone more or less: substituting veggies for what was on hand in some cases, added a little Shiraz Cabernet and paprika. My wife commented that it was the best minestrone I had EVER done, and then that she had ever tasted! (so much for my past efforts ). Anyway, thank you very much for your efforts. I am finding your recipes great. Already use the muffin one. This is another winner.
Phil
I followed the recipe as closely as my cupboards would allow. Using butternut squash and collard greens (which I added earlier cause they can be tough).
I had to comment.. because so rarely do I find recipes online that are great as-is. This one is great. The tips on adding lemon and Olive Oil at the end take the soup from good to great, making the flavors pop as you suggested.
Thanks Kate!
Absolutely delicious! Mom always said each your veggies and this wonderful recipe will ensure you finish every spoonful of this hearty Minestrone every time. Versatile too, I will do a root vegetable version next time and maybe vary the legume. A great way to eat more healthy food. Thank you :)
Great to hear, Dennis! I appreciate your review.
Absolutely wonderful! Came out better then I expected.
I make a pot of soup every week to have for lunches or dinners. I had a lot of little bags of frozen veggies in the freezer and used them, along with a zucchini and an ear of corn that was left over in the frig. I followed this recipe exactly as written. This is so delicious and hardy! It’s so pretty too. Thank you!
I made this a couple days ago and it turned out great. I used zucchini and yellow squash for the vegetables. I also added a half pound of Italian sausage and a Parmesan rind.
Can this be made in the Crock pot?
I haven’t tried it, so I can’t say for sure. I believe others have and didn’t mind the results. Wait to add the noodles until the end.
Best Minestrone ever!!!!
Great to hear, Catherin!
I just finished making this minestrone. I didn’t change a thing except the only pasta I have is mini bowtie. It is delicious!!! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
You’re welcome, Karen! I appreciate your review.
My husband “doesn’t like minestrone”, but said he has never felt so full or happy after eating a soup before. I think it is now his favorite! I made it exactly as you posted only leaving out the celery. So hearty and healthy!
I love that! Thank you for sharing, Lori.
This recipe is an absolute favourite- I return several times per year to make and freeze a large double batch for lunches with varying seasonal vegetables. I make northern beans from dried beans in my instant pot. This recipe has great acidity and is such a nutritious option. It am soo excited when I have packed this minestrone!
I’m glad you loved it, Kira! I appreciate your review.
I love this well written and beautifully photographed recipe. Delicious. I used red yam instead of regular potato, a splash of aged balsamic towards the end and the rind of my Parmesan cheese. It’s a winner!
Hooray! That’s great to hear, Lena.
This soup was delicious and beautiful. I used my garden tomatoes and some chard, both worked well. Will make this again.
When you say serving size is one bowl, is that equal to one cup? I am cooking this for a large group of people and I need to be able to estimate how much to me. I am very excited to try your recipe!
Hi Kristy, roughly 1.5-2 cups should be about a bowl.
So good! I added an extra can of light red kidney beans, but otherwise followed the recipe. Yellow squash, zucchini, green beans. Perfect soup for a cool autumn day! Love your recipes, Kate! Especially the roasted butternut squash soup. I make that multiple times every year! Yum!
Totally Devine! So much flavour.
Very easy to follow recipe.
I used to love this recipe and your site, but now I can’t even see the recipe for adverts. My phone screen jumps when I scroll. I’ll print it and avoid looking at the site unless the ads situation improves.
Hi Mandy, I’m sorry to hear you have issues. I try to keep ads to a minimum, but still need to be able to provide you great content. You can change the settings on your phone to minimize ads.
I basically have been making this soup on repeat for the last two years! I truly love it and it is so lovely during the fall and winter to cozy up to a bowl. I’ve omitted the parmesan when trying to go dairy free and it’s just as delicious without, except the parmesan really does make it special. I have never included beans but I love using extra carrot and I use zucchini as my seasonal veggies. Sometimes potatoes. I generally add an extra tsp of lemon juice for an extra zip and I tend to go heavy with the herbs 1ts each instead of 1/2. I also realized I like the soup with a thicker tomato base so I enjoy using crushed tomatoes instead of diced. That’s just my preference! I have noticed sometimes my batch comes out better, though, than other times even though I have followed recipe the same way. I know it has to do with the brand of tomatoes, tomato paste, and broth. Does anyone have brand recommendations that are most delicious for them? Every time I have a winning batch I forget to make note of what I used! (Except last time my choice of Pacific chicken bone broth and Target crushed tomatoes worked really well!) Any suggestions? Thanks!
I’m glad you have loved it!
Made this for lunches this week. I loved how quickly it came together and the flavor is perfect. I used kale for the green and it’s a little chewy. LOL. Will use spinach next time or chop the kale more finely next time. Pairing it with some protein for a super satisfying lunch. Thank you!
I followed the recipe to a T and it was just perfect. I love the flexibility for adding whatever seasonal veg you have. Will definitely make again!
Thank you for sharing this recipe! It was the BEST minestrone soup I’ve ever had. I ended up doubling the chicken stock when I realized I added too many veggies (cauliflower, green beans, butternut squash, and swish chard), then also doubled the beans (dark red kidneys and white cannellinis), and I used fresh thyme instead of dried. It yielded approx 14 servings, most of which is now frozen and ready for a chilly fall/winter day!
I made this tonight. I used shiitake mushrooms, potatoes, zucchini, frozen edamame, and frozen sweet corn. Added cannellini beans and ditalini GF noodles and spinach. I did not have any bay leaves so I added 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire to the simmering veggies and broth. Sprinkled vegan Parmesan on top of individual servings. This is our new favorite! Can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow!
Sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing, Laurel.
I loved this recipe! Followed it pretty closely and it was SO delicious. Will definitely make again. Perfect with some hearty bread to make a very satisfying meal. I love your recipes Kate, thanks for another winner!
You’re welcome, Liz!
I’ve made this two times in the last few weeks and it’s definitely a keeper. I love making soup in the fall and winter but for some reason I never make minestrone. I’m so glad I found this recipe. I used reduced sodium chicken broth instead of the vegetable broth just because I always have that on had. I used potatoes and zucchini as my seasonal veggies and baby spinach for the greens. I love the addition of red pepper flakes. This is perfect for lunches during the week or for dinner with a nice crusty loaf of bread. Perfect!
Great to hear, Nancy!
This has been on my ‘to-make’ list for forever. Finally cooked it up tonight and it did not disappoint. Thanks for another recipe winner!
Thank you for being a reliable source of healthy & DELICIOUS recipes! Love this soup, will definitely make it again!
That’s great to hear, Erin!
It is simmering on the stove right now. It smells soooo good! And tastes so good–I keep sneaking little tastes.
I used fresh tomatoes from the garden instead of the canned, which only contributed to the goodness. Thank you, Kate!
You’re welcome, Jinnae!
A true winner! Made this on a rainy fall day. Not overly complicated, used up garden veggies. Family loved it, served with crusty Italian bread. Flavor from the Parmesan rind is delicate but really adds depth. Instead of lemon juice, I subbed a finely minced preserved lemon, which we love. Will make again!
I’ve never made minestrone before. The only time I’ve ever eaten it was from a can and I thought it was disgusting. Just awful. Well I’ve learned that homemade soup is a game changer with ANY soup you think you don’t like. So, today, I made this after watching a documentary about Blue Zones and what some groups of people do to live a long healthy life. The Sardinians eat a lot of minestrone soup; made with whatever veggies they have on hand. This recipe really spoke to me. It was delicious. Just so flavorful and layered and satisfying. My husband loved it too. I envision adding this to my frozen soup rotation so I always have some on hand. Hopefully it holds up well in the freezer. Thanks so much!!!
This is a superb soup! I made it tonight for dinner and served with some crusty bread and a side salad. My husband, who somehow had never had minestrone soup in his life, said he thought the soup was as good as any restaurant soup he’s ever had :)
Had to leave a comment because this is my favorite go-to recipe! It’s forgiving and delicious. My one suggestion is to double or triple the recipe as it keeps well — as long as you don’t store the noodles in the soup! They tend to absorb the liquid when stored! I use one eggplant to add a creamier consistency and not-overcooked-potatoes to give it some chew. Plus squash, kale, green beans, extra carrots — whatever is in the fridge.
I love to hear that, Rena! I appreciate your review.
I used potatoes, Carrots, celery and leeks
Absolutely delicious
I am about to make this for my 3rd time. That is saying something as I rarely cook.
It’s delicious! I especially love it with the butternut squash. A big ( or should I say, hearty!) thank you!
I love to hear that! Thank you for sharing, Leslie.
You probably didn’t need another 5 star review, but I just had to write in to thank you for this recipe! I didn’t even know I liked minestrone…I haven’t had it since I was a kid, and it was one of those soups in which I ate because I “had to eat my vegetables.” It was probably out of a can with soggy veggies. Not that it wasn’t served with care.
There are similar recipes on the Internet, but the amount of extra veggies and the crisp al dente texture they had from only cooking until barely done really sends this recipe over the top. As suggested, I used zucchini and green beans for my seasonal choices. I’d also say the flavor was out of this world with the extra spices and lemon at the end. I will confess to using low sodium chicken broth for added flavor. That was the only real change I made to the recipe.
Finally, there is real attention to care with ratio. While the noodles were sparse in my recipe because all I could find in whole wheat was larger fusilli, I liked the heavy veggie emphasis to this soup in contrast to beans and pasta. My husband said this soup was “full of live food.” I think we’ll go from eating NO minestrone…to eating this about once a week now for the rest of our lives!!! Thank you bunches, Kate!
This was an excellent recipe! My daughter asked me to make minestrone soup, and while I’m not the biggest fan of the soup I have now changed my mind after making and enjoying this recipe! THANK YOU!!
You’re welcome, Susan! I’m delighted you both enjoyed this soup.
I often mix and match recipes/put my own spin on things. I have used this recipe as a base a few times and I always enjoy the end product! But why do I feel like I need to either cook the soffritto much lower and slower than most recipes calls for? And why add the tomato paste at the same time as the onion/carrot/celery? Thank you!
Hi Abby, I find the flavor develops the best this way.