Our Favorite Minestrone Soup
- PREP 15min
- COOK 35min
- TOTAL 50min
We’re always up for a bowl of veggie soup, and this minestrone soup recipe has so many things we adore. The broth is light but still has that cozy Parmesan flavor, thanks to a Parmesan rind that simmers right in the pot. Then, there are loads of vegetables and just the right amount of beans and pasta to make it feel like a real meal.
Some minestrone recipes start with pancetta, but we usually skip it. If you want to add it, just cook it in a little olive oil until it’s crisp, then scoop it out before you start the veggies. You can sprinkle the crispy bits on top when you serve, or save them for another meal. The soup will pick up a little extra flavor from the rendered pancetta fat.
You Will Need
¼ cup olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced, about 1 tablespoon
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary, from 2 to 3 sprigs
2 tablespoons tomato paste
5 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed and chopped, 1 ½ cups (140g)
1 medium zucchini, chopped, 1 ½ cups
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, fire-roasted if available
2 (15-ounce) cans beans, like navy beans, cannellini beans, or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
8 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
Fine sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 to 2 ounce piece Parmesan Reggiano cheese rind
5 ounces dried pasta, like shells, ditalini, or elbows (140g)
4 ounces fresh spinach leaves, roughly chopped (113g)
Directions
1Cook the veggies: Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven, then add the onion, carrot, and celery, and cook until they begin to soften and smell sweet, about 5 minutes.
2Build the soup: Stir in the garlic, rosemary, and tomato paste and cook, stirring them around the pot, for about one minute. Then, add the green beans, zucchini, tomatoes with all the juices, and the drained and rinsed beans to the vegetables.
3Simmer: Pour in the broth and bring to a simmer. Taste and season the broth with salt and pepper (we add around 1 teaspoon, but it will depend on your broth). Push the cheese rind into the soup so it is fully submerged in the broth. Simmer, partially covered for 10 minutes.
4To finish: Stir in the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Then, turn off the heat and stir in the spinach. Leave for 2 minutes, or until the spinach wilts. Remove any remaining cheese rind, then taste the soup and season with more salt and pepper as needed. Serve with grated Parmigiano Reggiano over the top.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Keep leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Parmesan rind: Note that the Parmesan rind won’t fully melt. It softens, melts a little bit, and mostly “steeps” like a tea bag. It adds a light flavor to the broth, but you will likely need to remove it before serving. If you do not have rind, grate some Parmesan cheese and stir it into the broth before serving (¼ to ⅓ cup would be lovely).
- Dried rosemary: Use 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons dried rosemary as a substitute for fresh.
- The nutrition facts provided are estimates.