Minestrone Soup

ByEmily Rider Updated
Jump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This minestrone soup recipe brings tender vegetables, beans, pasta, and greens together in a flavorful tomato broth. Italian seasoning, basil, garlic, and smoked paprika give the broth plenty of flavor, while two kinds of beans and small pasta make it hearty enough for dinner.

Cooking the pasta separately gives you more control over the texture and keeps it from sitting in the broth for the entire simmer. Add it near the end with the greens, just long enough for everything to heat through.

Serve a warm bowl with Rosemary Sourdough Bread or Dinner Rolls Made with Freshly Milled Flour for a cozy soup-and-bread meal.

Add As A Trusted Google Source

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Hearty and vegetable-filled – Carrots, zucchini, celery, tomatoes, beans, pasta, and greens make every bowl colorful and satisfying.
  • A flavorful tomato broth – Garlic, Italian seasoning, basil, and smoked paprika build flavor into the broth while still letting the vegetables shine.
  • Pasta that stays pleasantly tender – Cooking the pasta separately gives you more control over the texture before adding it to the finished soup.

Ingredients To Make This Minestrone Soup

  • Zucchini – Use 2 small zucchini, diced into bite-sized pieces. The zucchini sautés with the carrots, celery, and onion at the beginning of the recipe, giving it time to soften before the broth is added.
  • Great Northern Beans – These mild, creamy beans add texture and help make the soup more filling. Drain and rinse the beans before adding them to the pot.
  • Orzo– This small pasta works especially well in minestrone because you can get a little pasta, beans, and vegetables in each spoonful. Cook it separately according to the package directions, then stir it into the soup near the end.
  • A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Variations & Add-Ins

  • Try a different bean – Replace the Great Northern or kidney beans with pinto, garbanzo, or cannellini beans.
  • Add ground beef or Italian sausage – Stir in cooked ground beef or Italian sausage when you want an even heartier bowl of minestrone.
  • Make it creamy – Add a splash of heavy cream or milk before serving for a creamier version of the tomato broth.

Emily’s Recipe Tips

Give the vegetables time to sauté. Cook the carrots, zucchini, celery, and onion for 7–10 minutes before adding the tomatoes and broth. The vegetables should begin to soften and smell fragrant.

Build the tomato base. Once the vegetables have softened, cook the garlic, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, basil, and smoked paprika together for 2–3 minutes. You should begin to smell the garlic and seasonings before adding the broth.

Cook the pasta separately. Pasta continues to absorb liquid as it sits, so cooking it separately gives you more control over its texture. Drain it well, then add it with the greens near the end.

Add the greens last. Spinach and kale cook much faster than the carrots, celery, and zucchini. Stir the greens in during the final 5–7 minutes, just until they are wilted and everything is heated through.

How To Make Minestrone Soup

  1. Prepare the vegetables – Heat the olive oil or bacon fat in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced carrots, zucchini, celery, and onion. Sauté for 7–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and become fragrant.
  2. Build the flavorful base – Stir in the minced garlic, canned diced or stewed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, basil, and smoked paprika. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the seasonings are fragrant and the tomatoes begin releasing their juices.
  3. Simmer the soup – Pour in the vegetable broth or homemade stock and water. Add the drained and rinsed Great Northern beans and kidney beans. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  4. Cook the pasta separately – While the soup simmers, cook the ditalini, orzo, or other small pasta according to the package directions. Drain well and set aside. Cooking the pasta separately helps keep it pleasantly tender instead of allowing it to absorb too much of the broth.
  5. Add the pasta and greens – Stir the cooked pasta and chopped spinach or kale into the soup. Continue simmering for 5–7 minutes, just until the greens are wilted and everything is heated through.
  6. Serve and garnish – Ladle the minestrone into bowls while warm. Finish each serving with freshly grated Parmesan cheese or a sprig of fresh thyme, if desired, and serve with crusty sourdough bread or a simple side salad.

Storage Suggestions

  • Refrigerator storage – Allow leftover minestrone to cool before transferring it to a covered container and refrigerating it.
  • Pasta and leftovers – The pasta will continue absorbing some of the broth as the soup sits, so expect refrigerated minestrone to become thicker.

Minestrone Soup Pairing Ideas

Minestrone Soup FAQs

I use Great Northern and kidney beans for a nice mix of texture. Pinto, garbanzo, or cannellini beans can also be used if that’s what you have on hand.

I like using ditalini because it’s small enough to scoop up with the beans and vegetables. Orzo or another small pasta works well too.

For this recipe, I recommend cooking the pasta separately. It gives you better control over the texture and helps keep the pasta from soaking up too much of the broth.

Yes! Cooked ground beef or Italian sausage is a simple way to make this minestrone even heartier.

I love pairing minestrone with homemade bread for dipping into the tomato broth. Try Easy Sourdough Focaccia With Freshly Milled Flour, Rosemary Sourdough Bread, or Dinner Rolls Made with Freshly Milled Flour for a cozy soup-and-bread meal.

More Savory Recipes from the Cottage

Did you know you can convert your favorite recipes to freshly milled flour? Learn how to convert recipes and find more fresh flour guides at The Cottage Mill.

Freshly milled flour flowing from a wooden grain mill into a glass bowl in a cozy kitchen, with a lit candle, copper cookware, and soft pink cloth creating a warm cottage-style setting.

The Cottage Mill | Freshly Milled Flour Guides, Recipes, and More Await!

Enter The Mill

Join the Cozy Cottage Community Today!

Get from-scratch recipes, seasonal cottage living tips, and cozy cottage living inspiration delivered straight to your inbox.

⭐️ Rate This Recipe

Made this recipe? Leave a star ⭐️ rating below, it means the world to me and helps my recipes get found by more people like you. Tag me on Instagram @themoderndaycottage

If you made this recipe, please leave a comment or question below! I’d love to hear how it turned out and am always happy to help troubleshoot.

Want more from The Cottage? Subscribe here for freshly milled flour, sourdough, and from-scratch recipes, plus slow living inspiration from my cottage straight to your inbox.

Add As A Trusted Google Source

You May Also Like

 Rosemary Sourdough Bread

Slice of sourdough baguette topped with a rich tomato bruschetta mixture resting on a white plate with a fresh basil leaf, with a cast iron skillet of cooked tomatoes in the background on a lace tablecloth.

Italian Bruschetta

Full-length view of a cozy cottage fall tablescape set for six on a dark wood dining table, featuring orange linen napkins tied with velvet ribbon, amber hobnail glassware, vintage floral dinner plates on cream placemats, a wood box centerpiece filled with white pumpkins, sunflowers, and lamb's ear, lit red taper candles in brass candlesticks, a fall place card, and a colorful autumn leaf branch arrangement in the background.

Cozy Cottage Fall Tablescape Ideas for Autumn

Golden baked sourdough focaccia made with freshly milled flour, decorated with cherry tomatoes, olives, and rosemary in a cast iron pan.

Sourdough Focaccia with Freshly Milled Flour

Overhead view of minestrone soup topped with shredded parmesan and basil, with a slice of toasted bread and a bowl of shredded cheese nearby
No ratings yet

Minestrone Soup

Author: Emily Rider
This minestrone soup recipe is filled with tender vegetables, Great Northern and kidney beans, pasta, and fresh greens simmered in a flavorful tomato broth. Italian seasoning, basil, garlic, and smoked paprika give this homemade minestrone soup plenty of cozy flavor for a hearty soup-and-bread dinner.
Print Recipe Rate this Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep:25 minutes
Cook:35 minutes
Total:1 hour
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 10 servings

Equipment

  • Large soup pot or Dutch oven
  • Cutting Board
  • Sharp knife
  •  Wooden spoon
  • Measuring Cups and Spoons
  • Medium saucepan, for cooking the pasta
  • Colander

Ingredients

For the Minestrone Soup

  • 2 medium carrots diced, about 120 grams
  • 2 small zucchini diced, about 300 grams
  • ½ large onion diced, about 100 grams
  • 6 celery stalks diced, about 240 grams
  • 2 cloves garlic minced, about 6 grams
  • 1 cup baby spinach or kale chopped, 30 grams
  • 28 ounces canned diced or stewed tomatoes 794 grams
  • 4 cups vegetable broth or homemade stock 960 grams
  • 2 cups water 473 grams
  • ½ cup small pasta like orzo, ditalini, 90 grams
  • 1 cup canned Great Northern beans drained and rinsed, 170 grams
  • 1 cup canned kidney beans drained and rinsed, 175 grams
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or bacon fat 14 grams
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning 9 grams
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil or fresh if available, 1 gram
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika 1 gram
  • 2 teaspoons salt 12 grams
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 grams

Optional Garnish

  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese as desired
  • Fresh thyme sprigs as desired

Instructions

  1. Prepare the vegetables – Heat the olive oil or bacon fat in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced carrots, zucchini, celery, and onion. Sauté for 7–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and become fragrant.
  2. Build the flavorful base – Stir in the minced garlic, canned diced or stewed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, basil, and smoked paprika. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the seasonings are fragrant and the tomatoes begin releasing their juices.
  3. Simmer the soup – Pour in the vegetable broth or homemade stock and water. Add the drained and rinsed Great Northern beans and kidney beans. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  4. Cook the pasta separately – While the soup simmers, cook the ditalini, orzo, or other small pasta according to the package directions. Drain well and set aside. Cooking the pasta separately helps keep it pleasantly tender instead of allowing it to absorb too much of the broth.
  5. Add the pasta and greens – Stir the cooked pasta and chopped spinach or kale into the soup. Continue simmering for 5–7 minutes, just until the greens are wilted and everything is heated through.
  6. Serve and garnish – Ladle the minestrone into bowls while warm. Finish each serving with freshly grated Parmesan cheese or a sprig of fresh thyme, if desired, and serve with crusty sourdough bread or a simple side salad.

Notes

Pasta Tip – Cook the pasta separately according to the package directions before adding it to the soup. This keeps the pasta from soaking up too much of the tomato broth and becoming overly soft.
Creamy Variation – For a creamier minestrone, add a splash of heavy cream or cashew milk before serving.
Storage – Allow leftover minestrone to cool to room temperature before transferring it to the refrigerator. Keep in mind that the pasta will continue absorbing some of the broth as the soup sits.
Serving Suggestion – Serve this hearty minestrone with The Modern Day Cottage’s Rosemary Sourdough Bread, Easy Sourdough Focaccia With Freshly Milled Flour, or Sourdough Baguette With Fresh-Milled Flour for a cozy soup-and-bread meal.

Nutrition

Calories: 91kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 1082mg, Potassium: 452mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 2734IU, Vitamin C: 17mg, Calcium: 73mg, Iron: 2mg

Did you give this a try?

If you made this or tried this, I’d be so grateful if you would share it with others. Use the buttons below to share, comment, or connect. I truly enjoy seeing and celebrating your cottage journey.

@themoderndaycottage Leave a Comment @themoderndaycottage
Close-up of a woman in a peach blouse smiling and leaning against a kitchen counter, with fresh flour and wheat berries visible beside her.

Emily Rider

Home miller since 1999 with fresh-milled flour & sourdough experience. Sharing from-scratch recipes and traditional kitchen skills, rooted in the seasons and inspired by everyday cottage living and seasonal rhythms.

About Me

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate This Recipe




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.