This Minestrone Soup is a thick, hearty vegetable soup with ditalini pasta in a rich tomato broth—perfect comfort food!
The Best Minestrone Soup
As soon as the weather even slightly cools, I’m immediately making a batch of this minestrone soup. It’s one of my all-time favorite soups! It’s loaded with fresh veggies and hearty ingredients, and usually that means my kids are going to complain but my kids can’t ever get enough of this.
This minestrone soup is a staple in our home, especially when someone isn’t feeling their best. It’s packed with pasta, veggies, broth, and beans! If you’re looking for an even healthier twist, try my Healthy Minestrone Soup made with quinoa!
Variations
Switch Things Up
- Soup Thickness: This Minestrone Soup is thick and filling, more like a stew. To make it thinner, just add more liquid.
- Additional Protein: For more protein, stir in shredded rotisserie chicken near the end of cooking.
- Swap Veggies: Feel free to swap the veggies. If you’re using frozen vegetables, add them in the last 5 minutes. For raw vegetables, add them with the onion, celery, and carrot or with the zucchini (potatoes take longer to cook than diced broccoli).
Minestrone Shortcuts
- Mirepoix: Grab pre-cut or frozen veggies (3 cups) rather than fresh vegetables.
- Garlic: Choose jarred garlic or use a garlic press for fast chopped garlic.
- Fire-Roasted Tomatoes: Select fire-roasted diced tomatoes for extra sweetness and smoky flavor.
Tips For Success
- Build a rich flavor base by cooking onion, celery, and carrot until soft. This creates a delicious foundation for your minestrone soup.
- Cook the tomato paste for a longer time to bring out its richness and deepen the soup’s flavor. Don’t rush this step.
- Use good-quality stock like Swanson’s® vegetable stock for a flavorful base that cuts down on the need for extra spices.
- Season as you go. Taste often and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Don’t forget to taste again before serving.
- Add finishing touches with fresh herbs and grated Parmesan cheese. A splash of fresh lemon juice brightens the flavors; if you prefer, use a teaspoon or two of red wine vinegar instead.
Storage
Minestrone Soup Leftovers?
Cooking pasta separately keeps minestrone soup flavorful and prevents it from becoming mushy. If you don’t mind softer pasta or plan to eat it all at once, cooking it in the pot is fine.
The soup lasts 3-5 days in the fridge but doesn’t freeze well due to mushy veggies. Consider halving the recipe if you have too much.
Reheat gently over medium-low heat, stirring often, and add a splash of vegetable stock to thin it out, as it thickens while stored.
More Veggie-Packed Soup Recipes
- White Bean Soup with fresh pesto!
- Vegetable Soup with bowtie pasta
- Broccoli Potato Soup with a creamy base
- Cauliflower Soup with loads of veggies!
- Tomato Basil Soup with roasted tomatoes and onions
Minestrone Soup
This Minestrone Soup is our absolute favorite! A thick and hearty vegetable soup dotted with ditalini pasta and a rich tomato broth makes for a bowl of completely nourishing comfort food! Top each bowl with some grated Parmesan cheese and dunk in some crusty bread — or even better, serve this soup in a bread bowl (yum!)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup carrots, diced 2 large carrots
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced 1 small onion
- 1 cup celery, diced 3 stalks
- 1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic (~4 cloves)
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- Fine sea salt & pepper
- 2 cans (14.5 oz each) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained Note 1
- 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 3/4 teaspoon each dried oregano, dried thyme
- 1 (32 oz.) container (907g) vegetable stock (4 cups) Note 2
- 1 can (15.5 oz) cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
- 1 can (15.5 oz) dark red kidney beans drained & rinsed
- 1/2 cup diced zucchini
- 2 bay leaves, optional
- 1 cup uncooked ditalini pasta Note 3
- 1/2 cup each frozen peas, frozen corn (or use just 1 cup of each)
- Finishing touches: drizzle olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh parsley or thyme, fresh grated Parmesan cheese, crusty artisan bread (for dunking)
Instructions
- SAUTE VEGGIES: Add olive oil to a large pot over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add in the diced onion, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring frequently for 8-10 minutes or until the onion is golden and soft. Add in garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- TOMATO PASTE: Add in tomato paste and season to taste with salt and pepper (I add 1/2 teaspoon each of fine sea salt & pepper). Mix and then cook, stirring frequently for 8 minutes or until veggies are very tender and tomato paste has become very thick and darkened in color. Don't try to rush this step, we are adding flavor and richness while also ensuring the veggies don't end up crunchy. Next add in the 2 cans of diced tomatoes and seasonings: rosemary, oregano thyme, and red pepper flakes (if using). Stir frequently, cooking for another 2 minutes. Scrape the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits.
- STOCK & BEANS: Pour in the vegetable stock, drained and rinsed beans, and zucchini. Add bay leaves here if using. Stir. Increase heat to bring the soup to a boil and then lower the heat until soup is gently simmering (barely bubbling at the edges). Simmer, with the lid partially covering the pot (leave about a 1-inch gap for steam) for 10-15 minutes or until veggies are tender.
- PASTA: Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil. Salt the water and follow package directions for cooking the pasta. Drain and set aside.
- FINISH SOUP: Turn off the heat on the soup. Stir in the peas and corn. Taste and adjust seasonings here; I typically add another 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper — flavors should be rich! If desired add in some lemon juice and drizzle in some olive oil (I add 1 tablespoon). Remove bay leaves and discard if used.
- SERVE: Ladle soup into bowls and stir in a few spoonfuls of pasta into individual bowls. Serve bowls topped with Parmesan cheese, any fresh herbs if using, and crusty bread for dipping!
- SLOW COOKER: Follow steps 1-2 either in a pot or the base of your slow cooker if it has a sautéing element. Add everything from the pot to the base of the slow cooker along with the drained and rinsed beans, zucchini, and bay leaves. Stir and cook on low for 3-4 hours or high for 1-2 hours or until flavors are sufficiently melded and veggies are tender. Stir in the frozen peas and corn. Taste and adjust seasonings adding more salt and pepper as needed. If desired add in some lemon juice and drizzle in some olive oil (I add about 1 tablespoon). Remove bay leaves and discard. About 20 minutes before the soup is done, cook pasta separately according to package directions and stir into individual serving bowls. Serve bowls topped with Parmesan cheese, any fresh herbs if using, and crusty bread for dipping!
- STORAGE: Minestrone soup will stay fresh for 3-5 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Unfortunately, it doesn’t freeze very well; the veggies get a bit mushy when thawed. If the yield of soup is too much to be eaten within those 4-5 days, I recommend halving the recipe initially.Reheat the soup gently in a pot over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. You’ll likely need to add in an additional splash of vegetable stock to slightly thin the soup. It does thicken as it sits and is stored.
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Canned Tomatoes: This type of tomato is charred over a flame before being crushed and canned. Contact with the flame brings out the tomato’s sweetness and imparts a distinct, smoky flavor. You get more flavor without any extra work or additional ingredients needed — score! (We love the following brands: Cento Marzano®, Carmelina Marzano Italian®, or Muir Glen®.) If you don’t want to use fire-roasted, plain is fine too! If you don’t like the tomato chunks, use crushed tomatoes instead.
Note 2: Stock: Use a high-quality, flavorful stock that will add loads of flavor; we highly recommend Swanson’s® vegetable stock! (not sponsored). Yes, 4 cups is correct — this soup is supposed to be thick like a stew. If you’d like it to be less thick, feel free to add in some more and slightly increase seasonings!
Note 3: Pasta: For this soup, I prefer to cook the pasta separately for texture preference and storage reasons. Pasta will continue to take on liquid as it sits in the soup which makes it bloat and become overly soft. This is especially apparent if you have leftovers — you’ll likely find the pasta will absorb just about all the liquid! For this reason, I like to cook the pasta separately and add spoonfuls to individual bowls right before eating and then store the two (soup and pasta) separately in the fridge. If you’d prefer to cook the pasta in the same soup pot, add it in with the beans and zucchini and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes (or until pasta is al dente) and increase the stock amount to 6 cups.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 339kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 654mg | Potassium: 563mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 5339IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 129mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I would like to try this amazing looking soup. thanks
You’ll love it! Enjoy! 🙂
I’ve made minestrone many times before, but always thought it came out bland. This recipe really is flavorful, and definitely a keeper!
So happy to hear that you enjoyed this soup! Thank you Heidi 🙂
My family LOVED this recipe! This is definitely a keeper and that fact that it’s a crockpot recipe is an added bonus.
I’m so happy you all loved this Minestrone Soup! I agree, crockpot meals are always the best to have on hand! Thanks for your comment! 🙂
We are a family of 6. I have four children (ages 2-12). This meal is a hit with everyone! The even ask for seconds. Most week nights I rely on crock pot meals because of activities after school and getting in at dinner time. This is absolute keeper. Thank you so much!
So thrilled to hear that! Thanks so much Katie 🙂
The sausage, potato, and cabbage soup recipe link has an error. I can not open it and I’m really wanted to try it tonight.
I’m so sorry Michelle; here’s the link: https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/sausage-potato-and-cabbage-soup/
What a yummy soup! I have my favorite veggie soups but was looking for something new to try and this just hit the spot!! I even told my mom about it and sent her the recipe and she made it a couple days later. I did the stove method so it would be made quicker but can’t wait to try the crock pot method next time. Will make again! 11 out of 10 stars!
Yay! I’m so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Erica! 🙂
What meat can you add to this? Thanks!
This recipe is amazing! Do you think it would freeze well?
hey girl- this looks amazing! yummy!