Description
A hearty and easy-to-make minestrone soup loaded with fresh vegetables, beans, and pasta, perfect for a comforting meal any time of the year.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 3 medium celery ribs, diced
- 4 medium carrots, diced
- 3 medium zucchini, diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped
Liquids and Broth
- 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 6 cups vegetable broth
Beans
- 1 (15 ounce) can white cannellini beans, undrained
- 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, undrained
Other Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni or shell pasta
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese for garnish
Instructions
- Heat fats: Heat 2 tablespoons salted butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large 6-quart soup pot over medium heat to prepare the base for sautéing vegetables.
- Sauté onion: Add the diced onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes soft and translucent.
- Add vegetables and garlic: Incorporate diced celery, carrots, and zucchini. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add minced garlic and cook for another 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add liquids and beans: Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juice, tomato sauce, cannellini beans with liquid, kidney beans with liquid, vegetable broth, dried basil, and dried oregano. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
- Cook pasta: Add elbow macaroni or shell pasta to the boiling soup. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer at a low boil for 10 to 12 minutes until the pasta is tender.
- Add spinach: During the last 2 minutes of cooking, stir in the roughly chopped baby spinach and allow it to wilt.
- Season and serve: Adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve the soup hot, garnished with grated parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
- Use vegetable broth for a vegetarian option; chicken broth can be substituted for a non-vegetarian version.
- For a gluten-free option, substitute pasta with gluten-free pasta.
- The parmesan cheese garnish can be omitted or replaced with a vegan cheese alternative to suit dietary preferences.
- To enhance flavor, allow the soup to simmer longer before adding pasta for deeper taste.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days and can be frozen for up to 1 month.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg
