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Minestrone Soup is one of those meals that keeps dinner feeling fresh and satisfying, no matter how many times you make it. It’s loaded with veggies, beans, pasta, and the kind of rich, savory tomato broth that makes everyone at the table go back for seconds. Whether you’re following the recipe to a tee or cleaning out the fridge, this bowl is anything but boring.
I first made this recipe years ago—a little mashup of my mom’s homemade vegetable soup and that cozy bowl of minestrone from Olive Garden. After testing it a few times, I landed on a flavor base that’s rich, hearty, and packed with all the good stuff we actually want in our soup—beans, a well-seasoned broth, and just the right blend of spices.
I usually stick pretty close to the recipe, but it’s one of those soups that’s easy to make your own. Toss in whatever veggies you’ve got hanging out in the fridge, fresh from the garden, or what’s looking good at the farmers market. It’s 100% family-approved around here, and readers tell me it’s one they come back to again and again!
One reader, Jeananne, commented: “I made this soup with our overflowing summer zucchini. It was packed with flavor and definitely will be a regular on our menu rotation. I have been looking for one that reminds me of Olive Garden’s, and my family thought this one was even better. I love that you can change it up based on the veggies that are in season. ★★★★★”
Minestrone Soup Ingredients
- Olive Oil: Use a quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor base.
- Vegetables: Minestrone is packed with vegetables! You will need onions, celery, carrots, zucchini, garlic, spinach, and frozen green beans.
- Vegetable Broth: Use your favorite store-bought vegetable broth!
- Diced Tomatoes: Provide acidity, umami, and beautiful red color. I prefer the petite dice since it distributes evenly throughout the soup. Be sure to add the tomatoes with the liquid; don’t drain them!
- Fresh Parsley: Adds a bright, herbaceous flavor and green color. Be sure to add more for garnish when serving!
- Dried Herbs: For added flavor, you will need dried oregano, basil, and rosemary.
- Salt & Pepper: To taste.
- Pasta: Use a small pasta shape like small shells or ditalini!
- White Beans & Kidney Beans: Both white beans and kidney beans are added for lots of texture and nutrients.
- Grated Parmesan: Add freshly grated Parmesan on each bowl before serving, if desired
How To Make Minestrone Soup
✱ Be sure to see the recipe card below for exact ingredients and full recipe instructions!
Step 1 | Sauté the Vegetables
In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots and zucchini and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
Step 2 | Simmer & Serve
Pour in the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, parsley, oregano, salt, basil, pepper, and rosemary. Bring to a boil and then add the pasta, white and kidney beans, spinach, and green beans. Keep the heat on medium until the pot reaches a simmer, and then reduce the heat to keep a simmer.
Cook until the pasta is al dente (or your desired pasta tenderness).
Serve with fresh Parmesan cheese and more fresh parsley or basil, if desired.
Best Minestrone Soup Recipe Tips
- To build flavors from the beginning of the cooking process, be sure to properly sauté your mirepoix (onions, celery, carrots) until the onions are translucent!
- Taste before serving and adjust salt and pepper. The final seasoning can vary based on your vegetable broth’s salt content.
- Once everything is added, maintain a gentle simmer to allow flavors to meld without making the vegetables mushy. Avoid letting the minestrone come to a rolling boil!
- Remember that pasta continues cooking in the hot broth, so remove from the heat when pasta is still slightly firm.
- If you prefer, you can cook the pasta separately and spoon it into the soup. I like to do this if I know I’ll have plenty of leftovers. It keeps the pasta al dente when serving.
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Variations and Substitutions
- Greens: Swap spinach for kale or collards, or add both for an extra nutrition boost.
- Protein Options: Make it heartier with Italian sausage or ground beef! This is also great for adding in leftover beef tips or steak tips.
- Seasonal Swaps: Use seasonal vegetables—summer squash or zucchini in warmer months, butternut squash or sweet potato in fall and winter.
- Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free pasta or replace pasta with extra beans, rice, or diced potatoes.
- Dairy-Free: Skip the parmesan or use a nutritional yeast topping instead.
- Spice It Up: Add red pepper flakes for some heat!
- Add Meat: You can brown up a pound of ground beef, chicken, or turkey, right along with the veggies in the first step. If you do, feel free to skip one of the cans of beans and add an extra cup of broth to keep the balance just right. Have leftover rotisserie chicken or some ham in the fridge? Stir in 1–2 cups of that when you add the spinach. I’ve even tossed in sliced sausage before—so good and super easy!
Minestrone Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! Just add all the ingredients to a slow cooker except the pasta and spinach. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. In the last 30 minutes of cooking, add the pasta. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the spinach!
Traditional minestrone always contains beans, pasta, and a variety of vegetables in a tomato-based broth. Beyond that, it’s wonderfully adaptable!
Yes, but soak and cook them separately first before adding to the soup.
Yes! Minestrone soup is naturally packed with fiber-rich beans, nutrient-dense vegetables, and often made with a light broth, making it a wholesome and satisfying meal. It’s a great way to get in your veggies and can easily be made low in fat and sodium, depending on how you season it.
Traditionally, minestrone is a vegetable-based soup and is often made without meat. However, it’s easy to customize! If you’d like to add meat, cooked ground beef, sausage, or shredded chicken all work well and make it even heartier.
Storage
Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The flavors improve after a day as everything melds together.
Can you freeze minestrone soup?
Freeze in portion-sized, freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. For best results, slightly undercook the pasta if you know you’ll be freezing.
How to reheat minestrone
Warm gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of broth if needed to loosen, as the pasta will absorb liquid during storage.
What to Serve with Minestrone Soup
This classic minestrone soup pairs beautifully with bread for dipping—try buttery Texas toast garlic bread or a rustic Irish soda bread to soak up that flavorful broth. For a complete meal, serve alongside a crisp Caesar salad and antipasto skewers, or a side of spinach artichoke dip with crusty bread for a heartier meal!
Other Recipes to Try
- Zuppa Toscana Soup
- New England Clam Chowder
- Caldo Gallego Collard Green Soup
- Hamburger Veggie Soup
- Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
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Best Minestrone Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- ⅔ cup celery, diced
- 1 cup carrots, peeled and diced, about 2 carrots
- 1 ¼ cups zucchini, chopped in half moon pieces, about 1 small zucchini
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- 2 14.5 ounce cans petite diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, or 2 teaspoons dried
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried basil, or 1 tablespoon fresh
- ½ teaspoon coarse ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 ⅓ cup small pasta, like small shells or ditalini
- 1 15 ounce can white beans
- 1 15 ounce can kidney beans
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 1 cup frozen green beans, thawed
- grated parmesan and chopped parsley and basil, optional for garnish
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots and zucchini and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
- Pour in the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, parsley, oregano, salt, basil, pepper, and rosemary. Bring to a boil and then add the pasta, white and kidney beans, spinach, and green beans. Keep the heat on medium until the pot reaches a simmer and then reduce the heat to keep a simmer.
- Cook until the pasta is al dente (or your desired pasta tenderness).
- Serve with fresh parmesan cheese and more fresh parsley or basil, if desired.
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Enter your email below & we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
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Notes
-
- To build flavors from the beginning of the cooking process, be sure to properly sauté your mirepoix (onions, celery, carrots) until the onions are translucent!
-
- Taste before serving and adjust salt and pepper. The final seasoning can vary based on your vegetable broth’s salt content.
-
- Once everything is added, maintain a gentle simmer to allow flavors to meld without making vegetables mushy. Avoid letting the minestrone come to a rolling boil!
-
- Remember that pasta continues cooking in the hot broth, so remove from heat when pasta is still slightly firm.
-
- If you prefer, you can cook the pasta separately and spoon into the soup. I like to do this if I know I am going to have plenty of leftovers. It keeps the pasta al dente when serving.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional Disclaimer
Soulfully Made is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
©️Soulfully Made
I made this soup with our overflowing summer zucchini. It was packed with flavor and definitely will be a regular on our menu rotation. I have been looking for one that reminds me of Olive Garden’s and my family thought this one was even better. I love that you can change it up based on the veggies that are in season.
We tried the “ minestrone “ soup tonight. It was very good, but I would probably make some minor adjustments… good flavor; reminded me of “ Olive Garden “
Thank you! I am so glad you enjoyed it.