Best Homemade Minestrone Soup

This Best Homemade Minestrone Soup recipe is your gateway to a comforting, nutrient-packed Italian staple, perfect for a weeknight meal or a comforting weekend indulgence. It’s a versatile and forgiving dish, making it incredibly useful for busy cooks and anyone seeking a delicious way to use up seasonal vegetables.

Key Ingredients for Best Homemade Minestrone Soup

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 6 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth for a non-vegetarian option)
• 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup small pasta (such as macaroni, ditalini, or pastina)
• 2 cups chopped seasonal vegetables (e.g., zucchini, green beans, spinach, kale, potatoes)
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

How to Make Best Homemade Minestrone Soup

This Best Homemade Minestrone Soup is remarkably easy to prepare, promising a deeply flavorful and satisfying experience with every spoonful. Its beauty lies in its simplicity, allowing fresh ingredients to shine while achieving a wonderfully rich texture. Expect to spend approximately 15 minutes on prep and about 30-40 minutes on cooking, making it ideal for a wholesome meal without a huge time commitment.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Sauté the Aromatics: Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 5-7 minutes.
2. Add Garlic and Herbs: Stir in the minced garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, and dried thyme. Cook for another minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
3. Incorporate Tomatoes and Broth: Pour in the crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth. Stir to combine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
4. Add Beans: Stir in the rinsed and drained cannellini beans and kidney beans. Bring the soup to a simmer.
5. Introduce Pasta and Vegetables: Once simmering, add the small pasta and your chopped seasonal vegetables. Cook according to the pasta package directions, usually about 8-10 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente and the vegetables are tender. If using leafy greens like spinach or kale, add them during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
6. Season and Serve: Season the soup with salt and black pepper to taste. Ladle the hot minestrone soup into bowls. Garnish generously with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley before serving.

Why You’ll Love This Best Homemade Minestrone Soup

You’ll absolutely adore this Best Homemade Minestrone Soup for its incredibly hearty and comforting nature, packed with a vibrant medley of vegetables and satisfying beans. Making this wholesome dish at home also offers a significant cost-saving benefit compared to purchasing pre-made versions, allowing you to create a delicious and nutritious meal without breaking the bank. The simple yet profound depth of flavor, enhanced by classic Italian herbs and the optional creamy indulgence of fresh Parmesan, truly elevates it beyond any store-bought counterpart.

Forget bland, watery soups; this minestrone is a celebration of fresh ingredients and robust Italian flavors, reminiscent of your favorite trattoria but with the added bonus of being made with love in your own kitchen. It’s a wonderfully versatile recipe, perfect for adapting to whatever vegetables you have on hand, making it both economical and eco-friendly. So, why not skip the take-out menu tonight and dive into the delicious simplicity of this Best Homemade Minestrone Soup? Your taste buds (and your wallet!) will thank you.

Storing and Reheating Tips

Properly storing and reheating your Best Homemade Minestrone Soup ensures you can enjoy its deliciousness for days to come.

• Refrigeration: Allow the soup to cool completely before transferring it to airtight containers. Refrigerated minestrone soup will stay fresh for up to 3-4 days.
• Freezing: Minestrone soup freezes exceptionally well, making it perfect for future meals. Cool the soup completely, then portion it into freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. Remove as much air as possible before sealing. Frozen soup can be stored for up to 3 months.
• Reheating: To reheat from the refrigerator, gently warm the soup in a pot over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. For frozen soup, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Alternatively, you can reheat directly from frozen by simmering in a pot over low heat, stirring frequently, and adding a splash of broth or water if needed to loosen it up. Avoid boiling vigorously when reheating to maintain the texture of the vegetables and pasta.

Final Thoughts

This Best Homemade Minestrone Soup is a testament to the power of simple, fresh ingredients coming together to create something truly special. We encourage you to gather your loved ones and share a bowl of this comforting Italian classic – it’s a meal that nourishes both body and soul.

Best Homemade Minestrone Soup

This Best Homemade Minestrone Soup recipe is your gateway to a comforting, nutrient-packed Italian staple, perfect for a weeknight meal or a comforting weekend indulgence. It’s a versatile and forgiving dish, making it incredibly useful for busy cooks and anyone seeking a delicious way to use up seasonal vegetables.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 2 carrots peeled and diced
• 2 stalks celery diced
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1 quarter teaspoon black pepper or to taste
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 6 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth for a non-vegetarian option)
• 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans rinsed and drained
• 1 cup small pasta (such as macaroni, ditalini, or pastina)
• 2 cups chopped seasonal vegetables (e.g., zucchini, green beans, spinach, kale, potatoes)
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving
• Fresh parsley chopped, for garnish

Equipment

• Large pot or Dutch oven

Method

 

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 5-7 minutes.
   2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 large onion, 2 carrots, 2 stalks celery
2. Stir in the minced garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, and dried thyme. Cook for another minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
   4 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried thyme
3. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth. Stir to combine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
   1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, 6 cups vegetable broth
4. Stir in the rinsed and drained cannellini beans and kidney beans. Bring the soup to a simmer.
   1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans
5. Once simmering, add the small pasta and your chopped seasonal vegetables. Cook according to the pasta package directions, usually about 8-10 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente and the vegetables are tender. If using leafy greens like spinach or kale, add them during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
   1 cup small pasta, 2 cups chopped seasonal vegetables
6. Season the soup with salt and black pepper to taste. Ladle the hot minestrone soup into bowls. Garnish generously with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley before serving.
   1 teaspoon salt, 1 quarter teaspoon black pepper, Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, Fresh parsley

Notes

Refrigerated minestrone soup will stay fresh for up to 3-4 days. Frozen soup can be stored for up to 3 months. Avoid boiling vigorously when reheating to maintain the texture of the vegetables and pasta.