Minestrone Soup

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This really is the best Minestrone Soup! A hearty soup with a vegetable broth tomato base and then loaded with fresh vegetables, beans, and tender small shell pasta. It simmers in one pot on the stove top for a delicious and healthy dinner.

This delicious and easy Minestrone Soup is loaded with vegetables, noodles, a rich tomato broth, and beans. It’s customizable so you can work with what you have in your fridge too!

This delicious Minestrone Soup is so tasty, friends. It’s inspired by the Olive Garden soup by the same name but as always I’ve made my version healthier and faster! This beauty is loaded with vegetables, pasta, and flavor. You can make it under 30 minutes too.

Minestrone Soup is similar to a classic vegetable soup (try my 30 Minute Vegetable Soup if you haven’t yet!) but it contains pasta so it’s extra satiating. My favorite pasta to include is ditalini because they’re so small which means several fit on your spoon. This recipe calls for one cup of ditalini pasta which will seem like not much. Trust me. Once they cook you’ll see how quickly they expand and fill up the soup pot! (Shells and elbow noodles work well too.)

If you’re not dairy free or vegan, try topping this soup with shredded parmesan. Or stick with my Homemade Croutons (I’m currently make these nonstop at my house), sliced green onions, and/or chopped parsley.


Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 white onion finely chopped
  • 1 cup sliced carrots
  • 1 cup sliced celery
  • 1 cup peeled & chopped zucchini about 1 zucchini
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 can (28 oz) petite diced tomatoes undrained
  • 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans drained & rinsed
  • 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
  • 3 cans (14.75 oz each) vegetable broth
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 cup chopped spinach leaves about 2 small handfuls
  • 1 ½ cups small shell pasta

 

Instructions:


Melt butter and olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, and ½ teaspoon salt. Let cook for 8-10 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally.


Add the diced tomatoes, beans, tomato sauce, vegetable broth, basil, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir together and let come to a low boil.

Once boiling, turn down the heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes.
Turn heat back up to medium and add the chopped spinach and dry pasta. Let cook until pasta is done, about 10 minutes.
* Stir the soup frequently to make sure the pasta is not sticking to the bottom of the pan
Serve with a sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese on top.
Leftovers will keep in a covered contaner in the fridge for 3-4 days.

You will probably want to add additional water when reheating leftovers. 

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