Classic Minestrone Soup
Servings: 8
Calories: 173kcal
This is one of the most beloved soups in the world. Adapt it to what you have on hand or looks best at the market. Making the vegetable (or chicken) stock from scratch is not difficult and takes the soup to the next level. Enjoy!
Print Recipe
Equipment
- 1 large pot or Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 8 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock, or water
- 8 oz dried white beans
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 cup carrots peeled and chopped
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 1 leek washed and chopped (white part only)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian parsley fresh, chopped
- 1 tablespoon basil fresh, chopped
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste combined with 2 tablespoon water
- 2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes 1 drained, 1 un-drained
- ¼ small green cabbage chopped, about 1 cup
- 1 zucchini chopped
- 1½ tablespoon Kosher salt only if stock is unsalted. See NOTES.
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup pasta short pasta, such as ditalini, elbow, or small shells
- Parmesan cheese grated, for garnish
Instructions
Do Ahead
- Prepare the vegetable stock. Can be done up to 3 days in advance. (click on link for recipe)8 cups vegetable stock
- Cover the beans with water in a bowl and let soak overnight.8 oz dried white beans
Prepare the Soup
- Drain the beans, rinse, place in a pot, and cover with a couple of inches of water. Add about 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 1 hour, or until the beans are tender. Remove from heat, drain, and set aside.
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and leek and sauté until starting to soften, about 15 minutes.2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 medium onion, 1 cup carrots, 1 cup celery , 1 leek
- Stir in the garlic, parsley, and basil and cook for 1 minute.3 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon Italian parsley, 1 tablespoon basil
- Add the paste (with water) and stir until the vegetables are coated, about another few minutes.2 tablespoon tomato paste
- Add the tomatoes (1 can undrained and 1 can drained). Stir in the cabbage, zucchini, vegetable stock (8 to 9 cups), salt, and pepper. Bring to a strong simmer and then lower the heat and simmer on low for 45 minutes.2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes, ¼ small green cabbage, 1 zucchini, 1½ tablespoon Kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Stir in the prepared beans and pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is soft and cooked.1 cup pasta
- Serve with grated Parmesan as garnish.Parmesan cheese
Video
Notes
See the video near the top of the blog post for visual guidance. If you liked the video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel.
If using purchased stock or broth, it might already contain salt. Add a couple of teaspoons of salt to the soup, taste, and add more until it's just right. Don't under-season the soup, but be careful to not add too much salt.
If you don't have time to soak the beans overnight, you can boil them for 2 to 3 minutes, turn the heat off and cover for 1 hour. Then, proceed with the recipe as written. If using canned beans (2 15 oz. cans), rinse before adding to the soup.
The soup will keep covered in the fridge for up to 5 to 7 days. It freezes beautifully for 2 to 3 months. Reheat in a pot. Leftovers are amazing!
Nutrition
Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 723mg | Potassium: 788mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 3605IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 4mg