Hearty Italian Minestrone Vegetable Soup (Print Version)

A wholesome Italian soup loaded with fresh vegetables, creamy beans and pasta in a fragrant herb broth.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
07 - 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
08 - 1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
09 - 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes with juices
10 - 4 cups vegetable broth
11 - 2 cups water

→ Beans & Pasta

12 - 1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
13 - 3/4 cup small pasta (ditalini or elbow macaroni)

→ Seasonings & Herbs

14 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
15 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
16 - 1 bay leaf
17 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
18 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
19 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, optional

→ Garnish

20 - Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, sauté for 2–3 minutes until fragrant and translucent.
02 - Add carrots, celery, zucchini, potato, and green beans. Sauté for 5–6 minutes until slightly softened.
03 - Stir in diced tomatoes with juices, vegetable broth, and water. Add dried oregano, dried basil, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
04 - Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
05 - Add cannellini beans and pasta. Continue to simmer, uncovered, for 10–12 minutes until pasta and vegetables are tender.
06 - Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in fresh parsley and basil. Adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - Ladle into bowls and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like home without demanding perfection or fancy techniques.
  • One pot means one pot to wash, and honestly that matters when you're tired.
  • You can throw in whatever vegetables you have and it somehow always works.
  • It freezes beautifully, so you're really making three meals at once.
02 -
  • Don't add the pasta until the very end or it'll turn to mush and absorb all the broth, leaving you with something that tastes more like pasta than soup.
  • The bay leaf absolutely must come out, not because it's poisonous but because biting down on it will startle you in the worst way.
03 -
  • Toast your pasta in the dry pot for two minutes before adding liquid if you want a deeper flavor that tastes less like soup and more like intent.
  • Make it a day ahead because the flavors absolutely deepen and marry overnight, making tomorrow's bowl better than today's.
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