Hearty Italian Minestrone Soup
Warm up with a bowl of this satisfying Italian minestrone soup! It’s filled with hearty vegetables, noodles, and is super easy to make. The whole family will love this soup for any occasion!
I absolutely love soup season! Once the air gets crisp and cold (or even before then) you’ll find me making tons of vegetable soups. And this super hearty minestrone soup has all my favorites in it – potatoes, pasta, tomatoes, and white beans! Mmm. It truly is so perfect.
I’ve made this on several different occasions and I’ve used either a slow cooker/crockpot or have simmered it on the stove top. Both ways have successful and tasty results – so you can pick which way you fancy more!
I’ll always remember making this soup for my dad not too long ago and him saying minestrone is one of his favorite soups. So, with that in mind – Dad, this one’s for you. ❤️
Ingredients You Need
To make this cozy soup you’ll need a handful of fresh produce and some pantry staples. Here’s the full list you’ll need: carrots, celery, potatoes, bay leaves, crushed tomatoes, yellow onion, dried Italian herbs, garlic, tomato paste, oil, broth, dried pasta, white beans, and kale.
How to Make Italian Minestrone Soup
- First, sauté onions and garlic until soft. Then add carrots and celery – cook for several minutes.
- Add canned tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs, and diced potatoes – simmer for 15-20 minutes. Potatoes should be soft when tested with a fork.
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- Then add dried pasta, cook until pasta is “al dente” – pasta should be soft/cooked but still has a bite to it (about 10 minutes).
- Before serving soup, taste and season with salt & black pepper as needed. Top with fresh chopped basil and serve!
Extra Soup Tips
- Best small pasta for soup: when it comes to soups, we like to use smaller pastas such as small shell pasta, macaroni, ditalini, and orzo.
- Make it gluten free: use chickpea pasta to make this recipe gluten free friendly. It also has lots of extra protein and is 100% plant-based!
- Leave carrot peels on: My mom always taught me to leave the skin on because that’s where a lot of the nutritional value is. I recommend leaving carrot peels on because it’s less hassle and more flavor!
- Fire roasted tomatoes: I recommend using fire roasted tomatoes for an extra level of flavor.
- Add more vegetables: you can also add more vegetables to your soup like zucchini, spinach, and leeks.
- Flavor with parmesan cheese rind: if you have a block of parmesan cheese, you can cut off the rind of the cheese and add it to your soup while it simmers. This will help build rich flavor in your soup. When soup is ready to serve, remove the rind.
Slow Cooker Method
Add all of your ingredients to a slow cooker (minus pasta noodles and greens). Cover and set on LOW for 3+ hours. 15-20 minutes before serving, add pasta and chopped kale. Serve when pasta noodles are cooked through or when texture of noodles is al dente.
Sprinkle with fresh basil, season to taste with salt & black pepper if needed before serving.
How to Store & Freeze Leftover Soup
Keep leftovers fresh: refrigerate leftover soup in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
Freezing tips: store cooled soup in airtight glass container or freezer-friendly bag, freeze for 2-3 months. When ready to reheat, thaw soup at room temperature and then empty into pot and simmer.
This hearty vegetable soup has all the Italian flavors, rich tomato broth, and so many vegetables. I love it for any season because it’s fresh and not too heavy!
Serve this soup up with a sprinkle of fresh parmesan cheese and a side of crusty bread. You can’t go wrong with this crowd-pleasing meal!
More Cozy Vegetable Soups to Try:
- Tuscan White Bean Soup
- 30 Minute Leek and Potato Soup
- Healthy Tomato Basil Soup
- Creamy Cauliflower Soup (vegan)
If you tried this Hearty Italian Minestrone Soup recipe or any other recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know what you think. I love hearing from you! You can also follow me on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM, and FACEBOOK for more crave-worthy content.
Hearty Italian Minestrone Soup
Warm up with a bowl of this satisfying Italian minestrone soup! It's filled with hearty vegetables, noodles, and is super easy to make. The whole family will love this soup for any occasion!
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoon oil
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 celery stalks
- 2-3 medium carrots (skin on or off)
- 1-2 yukon gold potatoes
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes (I recommend fire roasted)
- 2 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup dried pasta
- 2 cups chopped kale or spinach
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- bay leaf
- 2 Tablespoons fresh basil *optional
- pinch of red pepper flakes *optional
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (plus salt to taste)
Instructions
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Prepare vegetables: Peel skin off onions and garlic. Mince the garlic into small pieces and chop onions, carrots, and celery into diced pieces. Then peel potatoes and cube into 1-inch thick pieces.
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Sauté onions and garlic: In large heavy pot or dutch oven, sauté onions and minced garlic in oil. Cook until soft (about 3 minutes).
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Sauté the vegetables: Add diced carrots and celery with pinch of salt. Sauté for 2-3 minutes with onions. Add potatoes and stir for another minute.
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Simmer with broth, tomatoes, and seasoning: In the same pot as vegetables, add broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, white beans, dried herbs, pinch of red pepper flakes, salt & black pepper, and bay leaf. Stir and let simmer until potatoes are soft – about 15-20 minutes.
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Cook pasta: Add pasta and cook for 10 minutes or until pasta is al dente. Stir in chopped kale and fresh basil. Taste, and adjust with seasoning (salt & black pepper) if needed until flavor is just right. Serve with crusty french bread and a sprinkle of fresh parmesan if desired!
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I’m not sure how I got signed up for your news letter, but I’m so glad I did. I haven’t followed a blog before, let alone a cooking one, and I feel like your stuff is all so beautiful and all actually do-able! I’m very excited to try this soup! Thank you so much!
Thank you so much, Allison! I’m so so pleased to hear that. It’s my goal to make these recipes as simple and “do-able” as possible so thank you 🙂 So happy you found yourself here. Reach out anytime if you need anything!
This is a fantastic soup and one of the best recipes that I have ever tried!
So happy to hear it! Thank you so much 🙂
This is really the best minestrone soup I have ever tasted. Just a word to the wise, these are 6 ample servings. I made a double batch. I am glad this soup freezes well! 🙂
Thank you, andy! I’m so thrilled to hear that. 🙂 And yes, the servings are quite hearty lol