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 just made your minestrone soup at it was DELICIOUS! Especially with bread! Thanks a million!
A good bread to serve it with, delicious! Thanks for your comment and review, Autumn.
What would you suggest if you need gluten free and dont like rice?
You don’t like rice noodles? I know there are a lot of gluten free variations out there. Corn noodle, quinoa noodle blends could work too.
This turned out absolutely delicious! My daughter ate 3 bowls in one sitting! I love how it is very filling yet not heavy – there’s no guilt after eating this soup! This will be my go-to “comfort” food this fall!
Thank you for posting.
That’s great! Thank you, Michelle. I appreciate the comment and review.
Old Geezer Apprentice cook:
Great soup! Wonderful flavor, recipe really worked.
But: “20 min prep time”? Took old guy two hours.
And second But: “2 Quarts yield”? When I got to the time to add the beans and greens, FOUR QUART dutch oven was so full I had throw away three cups of soup to make room for the additions.
I’m sorry this wasn’t as quick for you! Thanks for sharing your experience, John.
OMG! This is by far one of the best soups I have ever made, the only addition I made (and this is not one of those. oh I liked it but i added all this other stuff to it. Or changed it beyond what was intended, which I hate btw. I allow for personal taste, like more spice or whatever lol) so anyway it was Meat, my husband will not eat anything unless it has meat in it. I swear I think he would put meat in his cearal if you let him lol. But I stuck to this recipe 100% other than frying a 1lb of bacon to it. I fried the bacon, removed once cooked and fried the onion, celery and carrot in the bacon fat. And followed the rest of the recipe as written,. AWESOME!. I gave some to my in-laws and they loved it,. Thank you I will never use any other recipe but this one,. I’m done searching!!!
Happy to hear you love this soup! It’s a favorite for sure. Thanks for sharing your variation, Jacqueline!
Delicious! I love soups and this is a great way to blend in the flavours of Fall veggies. I added some fresh chopped fennel to simmer with my Fall veggies and then, after the heat was off, I added some fresh chopped basil from my garden, gave it a stir and let it sit for 5 minutes. Yum!
Thank you Trish, for sharing!
I made a double batch of this soup for lunch today for unexpected guests… children and adults. Nearly every bowl was clean at the end! It went down so well and I felt good knowing everyone was eating a wholesome meal.
I would say it was a hit! Thank you, Rebecca.
I am a fan for Homemade Food and I was trying to get a decent Minestrone recipe, and when I did read yours, I decide to prepare it and I must tell you, it was delicious!!!!
Congratulations, it is just Great!!
Thank you! I’m glad you like it.
Wow simply delicious! I had friends over last night and they just lived it! Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe.
You’re welcome, Belen! Thanks for your review.
Absolutely delicious! Next time I will cook my pasta seperately and add it to individual bowls as I serve (I see others have suggested this too).
Great tip!
I LOVE this recipe. I’ve made it many times now. Today I didn’t have potatoes so I used sweet potatoes and peas. Yum!!
Great combination, Janelle!
Omg this recipe is INCREDIABLE! Thank you so much for this addictive soup.
Thank you, Amanda!
Can I use chick peas? Haven’t got the suggested ones?
Sure, use what you have on hand. It just won’t be classic, but chickpeas will work. :)
I’d been searching for a recipe like this for a while. This was really delicious, a total keeper of a recipe. Thank you for posting this!
I modified it the following steps:
1. Added a teaspoon of garlic in this step.
4. I kept the lid mostly on, because I knew that I’d be adding more pasta than the recipe called for and I didn’t want it to thicken too much.
5. I added a can of kidney beans, too.
6. I omitted the kale. I just don’t like greens in my soups most of the time. I might try adding them in a future iteration of this, though.
Thanks for sharing, Tim! I appreciate you taking the time to comment and review.
Hi, Kate!
This recipe looks amazing! Just to clarify – do I use 2 cups each of the potatoes and other veggies or two cups total?
Thanks!
Perdita
2 cups chopped vegetables total. I hope that helps!
I made the soup as per instructed except I added one TBSP coconut sugar and Brown rice/quinoa fusilli instead of the pasta you had because it makes it gotten fee. Turned out great!
Great to hear!
Great soup recipe thanks for sharing .was delicious.
You’re welcome, Kathy! Happy you liked it.
Made the Minestronie soup, only change was Asigo cheese, was the best soup I’ve ever eaten. I give it 5 stars
Wonderful to hear, Clovia!
Just devoured two bowls of this soup! I used potatoes and yellow squash. Thanks for the recipe!
Oh, that sounds like a great combination, Laila! Thanks so much for your review.
Kate, made this tasty dish tonight. My family loved it! Please keep the veggie dishes coming!
Cookie approved, of course.
Great to hear! Thanks for your review.
Loved, loved, loved this recipe! My family thought it was the best minestrone soup ever tasted, and we are all world travelers! I usually have to “fix” recipes but this one was truly perfect, with or without the parm! Thanks for sharing!!
You’re welcome, Peri! Thanks you for taking the time to comment.
I’m about to make this for the second time. It’s excellent and great for lunches during the workweek. I used cauliflower, butternut, green beans, Yukon gold potatoes, zucchini and yellow squash. It’s very filling!
I’m happy to hear that, Sarah!
This was INCREDIBLE. I did it all without the beans and used gluten free noodles but just cooked and kept them separate until just before eating so they wouldn’t get mushy. BEST soup I’ve ever ever ever had. Thank you! Saving this recipe for life.
You’re welcome! I’m glad you really like this one, Teja.
love, Love, LOVE this minestrone….thank you for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Heidi!
The best?! Love to hear that! Thanks, Teja for reporting back.
Found this recipe on your website and made a batch for a cool fall weekend in Western NY. I am a big fan of your simple yet elegant and delicious recipes. This MInestrone hit the mark as well. I used local butternut squash, kale and onions. I liked the suggestion to cook the pasta separately to avoid soaking up the broth. WIll make this one of my staples for our fall and winter meals.
Oh, I like your combination Cal! Thanks so much for sharing your experience and for the review.
Quick question! Can I freeze the leftovers?
This one freezes well!
I made this recipe tonight with all organic ingredients and authentic Italian Orecchiette pasta. It came out delicious! Perfect soup for a cold day! Tasted great with fresh Parmesan and warm crusty bread. This soup will definitely stay in the rotation. Great recipe and easy to make!
Happy to hear that, Kelly! Thank you for your review.
This is a flavorful soup! I followed the recipe precisely using fresh herbs. The soup was a perfect meal on a cooler evening. We enjoyed it, thank you.
Thank you, Jennifer!
It was a hit with everyone. I doubled the recipe so that the kids could each take some home. I didn’t think GF pasta would reheat well so I substituted quinoa for the pasta.
Adding the tomato paste while sautéing the onions, celery and carrots didn’t work too well for me. It was sticking to the bottom of the pot and starting to burn.
Thank you for another great recipe, Kate (and Cookie too).
Gluten free pasta does soak up a lot of the moisture! Make sure your pot doesn’t get too hot. Try adjusting your heat next time. I’m glad you still liked it though! I appreciate your review.
Looks Yummy =) Thanks Kate for this recipe, will try it tonight. I was getting despair for lack of good recipe out there for vegan/vegetarian.
You’re welcome, Lisa! What did you think?
I have been looking for a good minestrone soup recipe for quite some time and this one is OUTSTANDING. I’ve already shared it with several friends because I was so blown away by how delicious this turned out. It is easy to make yet the taste is so spot on that you think it took a lot of effort and time. This is my new go-to soup recipe and I know I will continue to make this for years to come. Thank you for sharing!
I’m glad you love it, Mary! Thanks so much for sharing what you thought and leaving a review.
This was my first attempt at homemade minestrone, and it was a winner! For the two cups of vegetables I diced a zucchini and a yellow squash, and for the pasta I used orecchiette. In place of the oregano and thyme I used Italian Seasonings (which has both, I think, along with other herbs, and it was what I had on hand). My family loved it, I loved it, and I will definitely make it again!
I’m glad it was a winner! I appreciate the review, Susan.
I was sick and needed something yummy and healthy. This was both of those. Thanks for the recipe. I also add some Sriracha and half a Thai chili.
I’m glad this was just what you needed, Kelly! Feel better!
I made this tonight on a snowy night in Park City. The soup was a delicious bowl of health that tasted amazing!
What a great soup for a snowy day! Thanks for trying it, Clarie!
This soup was fantastic! I used a combination of fresh green beans and potatoes since that is what I had on hand. Delicious! My tween and teen daughters ate seconds.
I’m so happy to hear that, Mary! I appreciate your review.
So satisfying! Ran out of garlic so I threw some pesto in, and it was divine. Love your recipes.
Thank you, Elizabeth! I’m glad you were able to improvise and still love it.
LOVE this recipe, really authentic! My husband said it was one of the nicest things I had cooked in ages.
That’s so sweet! I’m glad you both really enjoyed it.
Hi Kate,
Can you tell me how you freeze? Do you wait for it to cool first? Is it without the pasta? Is it soggy? I am trying to make for a friend who is vegan.
SS
This should freeze well! Make sure it is at room temperature first. I didn’t try it, but you could see what others tried for the pasta.
Over the past couple of weeks, buying salad greens has been a challenge due to concerns about romaine lettuce. So I decided to make this soup for a dinner party instead of a salad. It was amazing, very tasty, lots of veggies, and actually could be a meal in itself. My guests were impressed and asked for the recipe. Kate – your recipes are very well tested and so reliable – I was confident to serve this even though it was the first time I had made it. I did follow the advice of others and cooked the pasta separately before adding. Thanks!
I’m glad you loved this soup! I’m really happy to hear that you trust my recipes. I do work really hard to make sure they are delicious and reliable! I appreciate our review.
I made this soup with green beans and Italian squash as my veggies…my boyfriend said it was the best soup he ever had…it is a great recipe, thank you!
You’re welcome, Denise! I agree, this one is pretty awesome.
This recipe is so good I just finished my first of many bowls!!
Love it, Jamie! Thanks so much for sharing.
I never leave any comments on any websites, I’m extremely picky about food and I don’t even like soups! I have tried Minestrone before a couple of times and the result was just ok. Despite all of these I have to say this soup is genius!! Simple, balanced, incredibly flavorful.
I followed the recipe just that I didn’t have bay leaves. I used potatoes,sweet potatoes, zucchini, cauliflower and some orange bell pepper as my seasonal veggies. I cooked the beans myself separately and I used a combination of baby spinach, baby chard and arugula as greens. I used dried oregano and fresh thyme. I omitted the lemon juice because the (fresh) tomatoes that I used were sufficiently acidic.
A real gem. Thank you for sharing!
Hooray! I’m glad you gave this one a shot, Anna. I’m also glad you let me know your thoughts!
this was so tasty and easy to make!! prep time did take a little longer than noted, but still– straightforward directions and worth it.
I’m happy you liked it, Teri!
The best soup recipe ever!
Thank you, Yasmin!
Which canned vegetable broth do you recommend? Or do you use the concentrate? Are you allowed to mention name brands?
Hi Christine! I actually don’t have a go-to. I buy organic when possible. I use boxed broth, not canned. Hope this helps some!
Looks delicious!! I will try it this week
Let me know what you think!
Thanks! I have made this several times, even using butternut squash. It is a staple in my winter dinner rotation schedule. I have celiacs and find that lentil macaroni works just fine. Vegas and Teaka say hello to Cookie.
Love that! Thanks for sharing, Lisa.
Made this soup a couple nights ago. It was THE FKN BOMB! i used baby kale , butternut squash, zucchini . I have ate the whole batch by myself in the past 2 days.
Well, thank you Marissa! Thanks so much for sharing you loved it!
This was fantastic. Have been making soups every week recently (this was my third), and it’s my only hit so far. I liked the other two (broccoli, and corn and coconut soups), but this one was liked by my family as well! The cooking time is bang on, and all the vegetables retain flavour and bite. Will be making again, thanks so much for sharing.
I’m glad you loved it! Thanks for your review.