What could be better than a soup jam packed with vegetables and lots of flavor? This thick and easy classic minestrone soup is the perfect vegetable-forward soup to make on a cold, wintry day. No extra pots or pans, just one large stock pot with all the veggies in it!
Soups are such an easy meal to throw together, especially this minestrone soup. Other easy soups like an acorn or butternut squash soup, a chicken noodle, even a broccoli cheddar soup are all excellent to have on hand.
Jump to:
- Why I love this minestrone soup
- Where did minestrone soup come from?
- What ingredients do I need for this soup?
- Swaps and Substitutions
- How do I make this classic minestrone soup?
- How do I serve and pair this soup?
- Tips for making the perfect minestrone soup
- Storage and Freezer Information
- Hungry for More?
- Did you like this recipe? Share it!
- Thick and Easy Classic Minestrone Soup Recipe
Why I love this minestrone soup
- You get all your vegetable servings in just one bowl.
- This soup is versatile with just about any vegetable combination you can think of.
- If you don't like this soup thick, you can thin it out by adjusting some ratios of liquds.
- This is one of the easiest meal prep recipes you'll ever make!
Where did minestrone soup come from?
Minestrone simply means "thick vegetable soup" and is a derivative from the term minestra in Italian to mean "soup." Minestrone is a classic Italian soup rich with veggies, beans, and small tube pasta called ditalini. Many families make it differently, but the trio of veggies, beans, and a vegetable broth remain constant.
What ingredients do I need for this soup?
- Mirepoix - classic trio of finely chopped carrots, celery, and onion.
- Olive Oil - the olive oil is just to sauté the mirepoix and give it more flavor.
- Crushed Tomatoes - crushed tomatoes is an easier choice for this soup as it thickens and also gives a hearty red hue.
- Beans - I use a combination of cannellini and kidney beans. Both add a delicious meaty flavor and also help to thicken the soup.
- Vegetable Broth - Vegetable stock or broth is essential for making minestrone as it is a classic ingredient for this soup.
- Baby Spinach - a delicious green vegetable that wilts as the soup cooks on the stove.
- Parmesan Rind - adding the parmesan rind in gives more flavor and helps to thicken up the soup.
- Ditalini Pasta - a classic ingredient that goes into the minestrone. I add this in 15-20 minutes before the soup is done so that it cooks al dente without absorbing all of the liquid.
Check out the ingredient card below for more information about specific quantities.
Swaps and Substitutions
- Vegetables - you can easily make this recipe with a whole variety of vegetables such as mushrooms, corn, kale, chard, pinto beans, potato, and more.
- Broth - I like a classic vegetable broth, but you could also use a chicken stock or bone broth.
- Beans - go for a classic white bean and a kidney bean for meaty flavor and heartiness. If you would rather do a different type of bean, simply use black beans or even garbanzo beans.
- Parmesan Rind - I love the use of the Parmesan rind in this as it gives more flavor and helps to thicken it up, but you can leave it out if you're going for a vegan version.
- Pasta - swap the ditalini pasta for macaroni or small shells!
How do I make this classic minestrone soup?
Step 1: In a large dutch oven or pot, add the olive oil and the finely diced carrots, celery, and onion. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until fragrant.
Step 2: In the pot, pour the crushed tomatoes and the beans.
Step 3: Add salt and pepper, then add in the baby spinach.
Step 4: Mix the ingredients together, then pour in the vegetable stock. Mix again to fully combine.
Step 5: Last, add in the parmesan rind. Close the lid and bring the heat to a low or simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Step 6: 15-20 minutes before the soup is done, pour in the ditalini and stir. Close the lid and simmer for the remainder of time. Plate and garnish with fresh grated parmesan.
How do I serve and pair this soup?
Traditionally, Minestrone soup is served as an appetizer, but there are other ways you can serve and pair this soup:
- Pair this as a starter to a Italian feast featuring chicken cutlets, a traditional baked ziti or rigatoni fiorentina, and of course, tiramisu for dessert.
- Make this for a meatless Monday dinner and leftovers are great for next day lunch.
- Add leftover chicken from these juicy roasted chicken thighs and make an entire meal out of it.
- This is also a great kid-friendly soup to introduce different textures to infants trying foods. Be sure to smush the beans and pasta before serving!
- Make a double batch for the holidays and serve before the main attraction, either a spatchcock chicken or roasted turkey.
Tips for making the perfect minestrone soup
- The more liquid you start with, the better. The reason for this is because the starch from the beans and from the ditalini cooking in the soup, it'll absorb the liquid and make it thicker. This is meant to be a thick soup, but it should also have some liquid.
- Season the soup generously! Add in a good amount of salt and pepper, but also taste as you cook so you can balance the flavors.
- Keep the flame on a low simmer as to not burn or cook the soup down so that the liquid dissipates.
- Add in fresh herbs to give it a more earthy flavor. My favorite herbs are fresh thyme or finely chopped rosemary.
Storage and Freezer Information
To Store: Place any remainder of the minestrone soup in an airtight container and store in the fridge, consume within 3-4 days.
To Freeze: You can put the soup in a freezer-friendly container and place directly into the freezer. This will be good for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: Add the frozen soup directly to a large pot and heat on a medium heat, stirring frequently. You might want to add ¼ cup of water or broth to loosen it up as it reheats.
Hungry for More?
There are other yummy and satisfying soup and stew recipes waiting for you!
Did you like this recipe? Share it!
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Thick and Easy Classic Minestrone Soup Recipe
Equipment
- soup pot or dutch oven
Ingredients
- 2 large Carrots finely chopped
- 2 stalks Celery finely chopped
- 1 large Onion finely diced
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- 28 oz Crushed tomatoes one large can or two small
- 1 can Cannellini beans
- 1 can Red Kidney beans
- 1 ½ cup Fresh baby spinach
- 4 cups Vegetable stock
- Parmesan rind optional
- 1 cup Ditalini pasta
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven or pot, add the olive oil and the finely diced carrots, celery, and onion. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until fragrant.
- In the pot, pour the crushed tomatoes and the beans.
- Add salt and pepper, then add in the baby spinach.
- Mix the ingredients together, then pour in the vegetable stock. Mix again to fully combine.
- Last, add in the parmesan rind. Close the lid and bring the heat to a low or simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- 15-20 minutes before the soup is done, pour in the ditalini and stir. Close the lid and simmer for the remainder of time. Plate and garnish with fresh grated parmesan.
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