A delicious and easy recipe for homemade minestrone soup.
This satisfying minestrone soup features a classic combination of fresh herbs, vegetables, white beans, and pasta.
Although this recipe is delicious as written, don’t be afraid to experiment a bit with the ingredients. Like for example if you don’t have arugula try spinach!
This dish is a great way to use up any extra fresh herbs and vegetables you have available.
Pro Tip: For best results, cook the pasta separately, rather than in the same pot with the rest of the ingredients. This extra step yields more consistent results by eliminating the release of excess starch into the soup.
It also prevents the noodles from becoming too soft and mushy, which means more appetizing leftovers the next day and better results when freezing for future use.
We have always done this for our soups and stews. Work great for gnocchi as well.
For more pro tips go here: 13 Tips for making the BEST soup.
Hearty Homemade Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 3 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ½ medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 medium carrots, finely chopped
- 3 large stalks celery, finely chopped
- 1 28-oz. can petite-diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 15.5 oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 6 c. organic vegetable broth*
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 1 T. fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped (or 1 t. dried)
- 1 T. fresh thyme leaves (or 1 t. dried)
- 1 T. fresh oregano leaves (or 1 t. dried)
- ½ T. crushed red pepper flakes
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- Optional: 3” Parmesan cheese rind
- 2 c. Fusilli pasta
- 2 c. fresh green beans, cut into ½” pieces
- 2 c. fresh arugula or spinach
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and garlic in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sauté garlic, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or just until garlic starts to turn golden brown
- Add chopped onion, carrot, and celery and cook for another 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until vegetables are soft and tender.
- Add diced tomatoes, cannellini beans, 4 cups vegetable broth, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes to pot and stir to combine. Add Parmesan cheese rind, if desired, and season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer 20-25 minutes.
- While soup is simmering, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid before draining pasta. Rinse pasta and transfer to a medium bowl and toss with remaining olive oil. Cover and set aside
- Remove cover from pot or Dutch oven and add green beans and the reserved pasta cooking liquid. Stir to combine and continue cooking, uncovered, another 20-25 minutes or until green beans are crisp tender.
- Add arugula or spinach and additional vegetable broth, if needed, and stir to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until arugula begins to wilt.
To serve, divide cooked pasta among individual serving bowls and top with hot soup. Top with chopped parsley and freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired. Serve with crusty bread and/or a crisp, green side salad for a hearty meal. Enjoy!
I hope you have enjoyed this recipe! Please check out the Home & Lifestyle section for more delicious recipes!
Melissa is a passionate minister, speaker and an ongoing learner of the Bible. She has been involved in church and vocational ministry for over 18 years. And is the founder of Think About Such Things. She has the heart to equip the saints by helping them get into the Word of God and fall more in love with Jesus. She also enjoys family, cooking, and reading.
She has spoken in churches in California, Oregon, Texas, and Mexico and has been featured in Guidepost Magazine and All Recipes Magazine. Read More…