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.
My husband said that this was the best soup he’s ever had . I kept thinking this recipe has ruined restaurant soup for me. The flavor is just spectacular. I added another 15oz of veggie broth on top of the suggested 2 cups of water and 32oz of veggie broth. I also added the parmesan rind after reading through the comments below and I subbed kale for spinach. I can’t wait to make this recipe again. I think it’s become a family favorite. Thank you Katheryne for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Thank you for sharing, Ashley! I appreciate your sharing.
Kate, I love this soup! And it gets even better with each additional day it sits in the fridge. I’m going to make it this weekend for my in-laws, who will be here next week for Thanksgiving. My husband and I have transitioned to a mostly plant-based diet; his parents are omnivores and somewhat picky about vegetables. Aside from fresh bread, what do you suggest I serve with the soup that will make everyone happy?
Fresh bread is a great choice! You could do a nice salad, too.
I was having a minestrone craving and Found the reviews to be almost unbelievable. I was so wrong. I love that the recipe suggests many vegetable choices. I had green beans and peas and I will not be looking for another minestrone recipe. Ever. This recipe is rich and filling. So satisfying for a midwestern winter meal. I loved it! Thank you for sharing!
Hooray! I’m happy you found it and loved it, Shawn. Thanks for your review!
Can’t wait to make it! I am all for following a recipe to the letter, but I wonder if I do 8 cups of vegetable broth instead of 4/ veg and 2/water to increase the yield, will itcompromise the quality? Please advise, and I will defer to your expertise.
Dean
You can, that is fine to replace the water with vegetable broth. But I would keep it equal, unless you want more liquid to your soup.
I made this today. My grown son said it was the best! I used a hard squash I found that was a cross between pumpkin and butternut & some red potatoes, cannelloni beans, kale. Yummy!
One of my all-time favorites. I love that it’s flavorful and also filling. I’ve made it with a bunch of different combos. Lately I’ve been making it with lentils instead of beans. When I feel extravagant I use tortellini instead of regular pasta!
Yum! Thanks!
This minestrone is so delicious! Followed recipe and added Ditalini pasta. Served as appetizer for a special meal on a cold day. Perfect! Time to rethink chips and dips…..serve Minestrone as your appetizer with fresh grated Parm, oyster crackers or warm rolls.
I’m glad you loved it!
Absolutely delicious! The house smelled amazing. This will be one of my go to recipes, so yummy. Thanks Kate
Delicious, easy, affordable and warming :) Have made it for friends many times and they always love it
Delicious soup , thank you
Hi Kate!
I made your Classic Minestrone Soup last night and YUM! This is the best soup I’ve ever eaten in my life!
I used fresh green beans, yellow long neck squash, carrots, celery and red kale along with the onion/garlic for the veggies. The Great Northern Beans and macaroni were perfect additions. I prefer to use Muir Glen Organicwhen I cook with canned tomatoes/paste- the tastiest! The addition of lemon juice really boosted full flavor explosion and happy mood in PNW Grey Winters. I am Vegan so I used Violife Vegan Parmesan. This is my new go-to recipe! Thank you so much for sharing.
Thank you for sharing, Jamie! I’m glad you loved it so much.
It’s really truly delicious soup!! I used red bell pepper, potatoes,green beans,peas corn and potatoes then finished with parsley and dill at the end,also used riced cauliflower instead of pasta!yum yum! Thank you for great recipe!
That sounds great, Paulina! Thanks for your review.
This recipe is amazing! The best minestrone I’ve ever had!
Hooray! Thank you for sharing, Brienne.
Just made this today. Added but up Italian sausage. It is fantastic. Thank you for sharing!!!
Usually this is one of my favorite sites, but this recipe was just okay. The tomato paste started burning before the onions were done. And although I followed the recipe, (and had local fresh oregano and bay leaves) the flavor was lacking.
I’m sorry you didn’t love this one! Thanks for sharing your feedback. You might have had your stove a little warm as the tomato paste shouldn’t burn.
Minus 10 degrees here, with the windchill, it’s minus 19. So, what better to make that a great big pot of minestrone. I added the parm rind as suggested. My seasonal vegs are broccoli and some cauliflower. My house smells cosy. Thank you. I haven’t eaten it yet, so can’t give it a star rating. But I’ll be back to do that.
Omg omg omg!! Made this today absolutely DELISH!!!! A keeper! Thank you!
You’re welcome!
Absolutely wonderful soup that is packed full of flavor!!!!!
I am going to make this soup, as it looks incredible. One question though. This is a thought out soup for sure, but why use can beans, why not soak beans over night . Would that not add better flavor?
Hi David, if you prefer to soak beans, then go for it! Thanks for your review.
I loved this
Made this recipe- came out amazing! Never liked tomato based soups in the past, but this was game changer. Ate the pot with my boyfriend for dinner, breakfast and lunch! Haha, let’s just day I’ll be making this again in the near future.
Wonderful, Deede! Thanks for your feedback and review.
Have made this twice now for my family. It is delicious and our new favorite soup! Thanks so much for this recipe.
You’re welcome, Sara! I’m glad it’s a favorite.
I added a parmesan rind to the soup and more oregano and thyme. I still felt it was a little flat. Maybe the stock that I used. Also, cook your pasta separately and add it to the soup as you serve it so that the pasta doesn’t over cook.
This was delicious! I roasted cauliflower with olive oil, salt, and tumeric and added that after the pasta. I skipped the leafy greens and lemon, which I didn’t have on hand. I used 4 cups of chicken broth and 3 cups of water in total for liquids. I also used canned roasted tomatoes as I had that left over. Highly recommend!
Thank you for sharing! I’m glad you were able to make it work with what you had on hand, Jessica.
Making this for the third time today at the request of my husband who is NOT a veggie lover. He loves this soup though and so do I. Very grateful for these healthy and delicious recipes. This and the chili recipes have both joined our monthly rotation!
Wow, such a great recipe. It’s so cheap to make and for me made a lot of servings (i have 4-cup glass pyrex bowls and I filled 7 of them. i could’ve easily gone up to 8-9 bowls!). I do meal prep so this recipe is just perfect. For my seasonal veggies I used 2 zucchinis, 1 russet potato, a can of french style green beans, and 1 serving of frozen peas. I also really like red pepper flakes so I used a bit more than a pinch, lol. :)
Thank you for sharing how you make this, Sara! I appreciate your review.
This was sooooo good! I was cooking for a crowd and had to make it gluten free so no pasta. Instead I added an additional can of kidney beans, just used the green beans and potatoes (no squash). Except for those few changes to accommodate specific needs/tastes I did the recipe as is and it was fantastic. For myself I might try adding some meat to it to make it a meal. Thanks so much for a fabulous recipe!!
This is my go-to recipe. My husband LOVES it and it’s so easy to make. And healthy! We tried to go mostly vegetarian (when we could afford it.. healthy is expensive!) and this was one of our favorites!
Just made this minestrone tonight. My husband has a cold & we needed some hot, healthy soup. I think the lemon juice gives it the bit of acidity it needs for great flavor. Thank you Kate!
You’re welcome, Tina!
Made the minestrone soup and it’s lovely will have it for dinner tonight
I hope it hit the spot, Kathleen!
I like your recipd, I use basil leaves in place of baby spinach
The best recipe ever!!! Everyone loved it!!! Will be making again and again, for sure!
I followed the recipe, made this with cauliflower as the seasonal veggie, chickpeas, & kale for the greens. So good. I accidentally threw in more pepper flakes but it was a good mistake. Had some friends over to share it, lots of compliments!
My family loved this soup. My family is split with meat eaters and vegetarians. Even those who eat meat loved it. There was so much flavor they didn’t miss meat! I’ll definitely make again!
Great to hear, Kathy!
Curious on the nutritional label, how much is 1 bowl? How many cups ? Bowl sizes are so different. I am on restricted calorie intake and your recipes look great but can determine exact calories etc.
This is my go-to minestrone soup recipe! It is absolutely perfect and so easy to make. I actually made it as a first course for Christmas Eve dinner this past year and my family LOVED it! So much flavor, packed full of veggies and herbs, perfect for a cool night or honestly anytime. I love this recipe and I thank you for sharing it!
i have some home made prosciutto bone stock – can I use it instead of the vegetable stock?
Bill
I’m of course a vegetarian so prefer vegetable stock, but any stock should work.
Great soup! I used butternut squash, zucchini and spinach for the seasonal veggies – it was “O so good!”
Love it! Thanks for your feedback, Glenn.
This is fantastic. I made it for dinner last night. We had friends over, and they have two small children. They ate it up! I have a bit left over, and I can’t wait for lunch! I will make this again.
I made this for Christmas lunch, and served it with slices of focaccia bread. It was absolutely delicious! Even my 5 year old gobbled it up and asked for more!! Every one of my extended family members wanted the recipe, and requested that we make this every year for Christmas Day. A new, healthy tradition!!
Thank you!!
I love that! Thank you for sharing, Alisha.
Very good!! Made it for a few soup lovers and was really well received. Also added broth and used zucchini and green beans. Just delicious!!
Thank you, Lauren! I appreciate you taking the time for your review.
Delicious! Made with green beans & sweet potatoes and used both a can of cannellini and kidney beans. Otherwise followed the directions exactly. Thank you for a great new plant based meal
My carnivore husbands choice of words when expressing his satisfaction with this soup mean it’s seriously damn delicious. It’s been a staple in our rotation for the past year, making it at least once a month.
Depending on the noodle used will determine how much liquid you’ll need. I used 1/2 cup ditali noodles, 6 cups of stock + 2 cups of water.
I’m currently eating my 3rd bowl of the day
I love to hear that! Thank you for sharing, Christina.
Just delicious. I used zucchini, fresh green beans and potato for my seasonal vegetables and ditalini for the pasta. Thank you for such a great recipe.
Great recipe! I tweaked it a little since I didn’t have a few things on hand. But, the lemon and olive oil at the end….girrrl! It makes it!!!
Fantastic! Thank you for your review.
It’s a true wintery day here today with snow expected throughout so I decided it was the perfect time to make this soup again! I love it. Thanks so much for the recipe. I change up the veggies each time depending on what I have – I call it my “Clean out the Fridge” soup!! It makes for a great hot lunch or hearty dinner.
I think that is a great name for it too! I love that you have many of the ingredients on hand, Bobbi!
This soup was amazing!I changed it slightly by adding ground turkey (turkey, Panko, basil and Parmesan- cooked before adding in). Just used yellow squash, zucchini, carrots, celery, onion and spinach. Also used bone broth as I did not have any veggie broth on hand. I know this website is vegetarian/vegan, and some may be upset that I added meat. I normally cook with vegetables as the base and meat or animal products as a garnish or side. Truly happy with how it turned out.
Thanks for sharing!
Hi, can I substitute chicken broth for the vegetable broth?
Hi Dimple, that should be fine. Of course I’m a vegetarian so would recommend vegetable. :)
Am using this recipe and agree needs a little more broth. And towards the end add a 1/4 c. Of pesto. Delicious. More like the French version, Soupe aux Pistou. Thanks for a great recipe.
Sounds interesting! Thank you for sharing your variation, Janine.