Hearty Italian Vegetable Minestrone (Printable)

Hearty Italian soup with vegetables, pasta, and beans in a rich tomato broth.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 large onion, diced
03 - 2 celery stalks, diced
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
07 - 1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
08 - 1 cup baby spinach or chopped kale

→ Base & Liquids

09 - 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
10 - 6 cups vegetable broth
11 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste

→ Pasta & Beans

12 - 3/4 cup small pasta such as ditalini or elbow
13 - 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini or kidney beans, drained and rinsed

→ Herbs & Seasonings

14 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
15 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
16 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
17 - 1 bay leaf
18 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
19 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley plus more for garnish

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in minced garlic, diced zucchini, and green beans. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
03 - Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, vegetable broth, oregano, basil, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
04 - Add pasta and drained beans to the pot. Cook for 10 minutes or until pasta reaches al dente texture.
05 - Stir in spinach or kale and fresh parsley. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until greens are wilted.
06 - Remove bay leaf. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls, garnish with additional fresh parsley, and serve hot.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes even better the next day after the flavors have spent time getting to know each other.
  • You can swap out the zucchini for squash or the spinach for kale without losing the soul of the dish.
02 -
  • Pasta continues to soak up liquid even after you turn off the burner.
  • A tiny splash of lemon juice can wake up the flavors if the soup feels a bit heavy.
03 -
  • Sauteing the tomato paste for a minute before adding broth removes any raw metallic taste.
  • Rinsing the canned beans thoroughly prevents the liquid from becoming cloudy or overly salty.
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