Authentic Italian Minestrone Soup
Learn how to make amazing Italian minestrone at home with this classic recipe! A delicious tomato broth fills each spoonful with bite-sized vegetables, beans, and pasta. It's hearty, richly flavored, and warms you from the inside out!
Servings 6
Calories 280kcal
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoon oil
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 celery stalks
- 2-3 medium carrots (skin on or off)
- 1-2 yukon gold potatoes
- 1 28 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes (or 2 small 14 oz cans)
- 2 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 2 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 parmesan cheese rind
- 1 cup dried pasta
- 2 cups chopped kale or spinach
Seasonings
- 1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped or 1 teaspoon of dried basil
- 2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped or 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
- 1 large fresh rosemary sprig
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (plus salt to taste)
Instructions
- 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.
- Blend half the beans: transfer half the beans (or one 15 oz can) to a blender and blend until they are mostly pureed. You can use some of the broth for the soup to help the beans blend.
- Make the sofrito: In a large pot or Dutch oven, sauté the onion, celery, and carrot in olive oil with a pinch of salt until soft, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic last, and let it cook for around a minute with the vegetables.
- Simmer with broth, tomatoes, and seasoning: In the same pot as vegetables, add the broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, diced potatoes, white beans, the blended white beans, a pinch of red pepper flakes, fresh basil, oregano, salt & black pepper, rosemary sprig, and parmesan rind. Stir together and partly cover. Let the soup gently simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the pasta, then the kale: Finally, add the dried pasta and cook for 10 minutes or until pasta is al dente. Stir in the chopped kale and cook in the hot soup for several minutes. Before serving, taste the soup, and adjust with additional salt if needed, then serve with extra fresh basil and parmesan cheese if desired.Note: If the soups sits longer with the pasta, keep in mind the pasta will begin to absorb a lot of the liquid. Add more broth as needed and adjust the salt level if needed! The broth should cover the tops of the vegetables and pasta.
Notes
Slow Cooker Instructions
If you want to skip making this soup on the stove top, you can also simmer it low and slow in a slow cooker.
How to: add everything to the slow cooker (but leave out the pasta and the kale) you can also skip the oil since you don't need to sauté anything. Set the slow cooker on LOW for 5-8 hours, or for 3 hours on HIGH. Cover and let it cook, adding the pasta and kale for the last 30 or so minutes - time will vary depending on what shape/brand/or type of pasta you use. Serve when the pasta is al dente in texture!
Nutrition
Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 50.2g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 5.8g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 1076.9mg | Sugar: 11.5g | Vitamin A: 25IU | Vitamin C: 32mg