Hearty Italian Vegetable Minestrone (Printable View)

Hearty Italian vegetable bowl with pasta and beans in aromatic herb broth

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 large onion, diced
03 - 2 celery stalks, diced
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
07 - 1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
08 - 1 cup baby spinach or chopped kale

→ Base & Liquids

09 - 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
10 - 6 cups vegetable broth
11 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste

→ Pasta & Beans

12 - 3/4 cup small pasta such as ditalini or elbow
13 - 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini or kidney beans, drained and rinsed

→ Herbs & Seasonings

14 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
15 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
16 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
17 - 1 bay leaf
18 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
19 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté for 5 minutes until vegetables are softened.
02 - Stir in minced garlic, diced zucchini, and green beans. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until fragrant and slightly tender.
03 - Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, vegetable broth, dried oregano, dried basil, dried thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
04 - Add small pasta and drained beans. Cook for 10 minutes or until pasta reaches al dente consistency.
05 - Stir in fresh spinach or kale and chopped parsley. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until greens are wilted.
06 - Remove bay leaf. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Adjust seasonings as needed.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with additional fresh parsley, and serve hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It fills your kitchen with that unmistakable minestrone aroma while you're still chopping vegetables, somehow making you hungry and calm at the same time.
  • One pot, no fussing, and you end up with enough soup to feed people or just yourself for days.
02 -
  • Don't add the pasta and beans too early or they'll turn to mush by the time you're ready to eat, so wait until the last 10 to 12 minutes of cooking no matter how eager you feel.
  • The soup will taste even better the next day when all the flavors have had time to marry together, so if you can make it ahead, do.
03 -
  • Cut your vegetables roughly the same size so they cook evenly and the soup feels intentional rather than random.
  • Taste and adjust the seasoning at the very end, not the beginning, because everything concentrates as the soup simmers.
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