This easy, budget-friendly Minestrone Soup recipe is a simple and healthy vegetable-rich meal. A comforting tomato broth loaded with beans, fresh vegetables, & pasta shells.

Why You'll Love it:

Perfect for Weeknights- this soup recipe doesn't take much effort, making it perfect for those nights you need something simple.
Budget-Friendly- this recipe is made with only simple, inexpensive vegetables and pantry staples, and can be made in large batches. Perfect for meal prepping or feeding a crowd on a budget.
Healthy, Feel-Good Meal- beans and fresh vegetables give this soup a boost of protein, Vitamin C, and antioxidants. A comfort food you can feel good about.
Adaptable to Most Dietary Needs- this soup is naturally diary-free & egg-free and can be made vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free.

green beans kidney beans and pasta shells for minestrone soup

Ingredient Notes:

Find the full list of ingredients & amounts in the recipe card below.

Fresh Vegetables- an aromatic mix of onion, carrot, zucchini, fresh garlic cloves, and baby potatoes.
Canned Vegetables- green beans, red kidney beans, and corn.
Crushed Tomatoes- slightly sweet and tangy crushed tomatoes usually come canned and can be found near the pasta and marinara sauce in most grocery stores.
Herbs- bay leaf and Italian seasoning , a blend of basil, oregano, rosemary, marjoram, and thyme.
White Wine- adds a fruity sweetness, and enhances the tomato broth.
Brown Sugar- balances the acidity of the tomatoes and white wine.
Broth- vegetable or chicken broth can be used.
Small Pasta- I've used pasta shells, but elbows, ditalini, or orecchiette can also be used. Cooking the pasta in the soup releases starch and slightly thickens the broth.

Substitutions & Variations:

Beef Broth- for a deeper, more robust flavor.
Fresh Tomatoes- during the summer months, this recipe can be made with fresh crushed tomatoes such as Roma.
More Veggies- kale, cannelinni beans, chopped cauliflower or broccoli, peas, squash, or mushrooms.
No Pasta- try long-grain rice or another quick cooking grain such as barley. Or add extra veggies!
Add Meat- such as meatballs, ground beef, shredded rotisserie chicken, or turkey sausage.
Add a bit of Spice- with a pinch of cayenne pepper, red chili flakes, or a few drops of hot sauce.
Gluten-Free- use your favorite gluten-free pasta.
Vegan- use vegetable broth and omit the Worcestershire sauce and Parmesan cheese.

minestrone soup with pasta shells and green beans

How to make Minestrone Soup:

Melt butter in a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add diced onion, zucchini, and sliced carrots. Saute 6-8 mins, stirring often, until beginning to soften. Add minced garlic and continue cooking another 1-2 minutes.
Stir in white wine and allow to simmer 1 min. Stir in crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for 2 minutes.
Add potatoes, broth, corn, and bay leaf to pot. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Bring pot a boil, cover, and turn to a simmer for 14-16 minutes.
Add green beans, kidney beans, and pasta shells and continue simmering 8-10 minutes, adding broth as needed, until pasta is al dente and potatoes are tender.
Remove bay leaf, and add roughly chopped spinach. Continue simmering until spinach has wilted. Remove from heat & serve topped with a sprinkle of Parmesan.

Tips & Recipe Notes:

If using a different style of pasta, check the cooking time on the package.

How to make Minestrone Soup in the Slow-Cooker:
- Add onions, carrots, garlic, white wine, crushed tomatoes, brown sugar, Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, broth, potatoes, corn, salt & pepper, and bay leaf to slow-cooker.
- Cook on high 3-4 hours or low 6-7 hours until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.
- Add green beans, kidney beans, zucchini, pasta shells, and spinach and continue cooking on high for 15-20 minutes until pasta is al dente.

Storage:

Leftover soup will last in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Pasta will adsorb some of the broth as it sits in leftover soup. You may need to add more broth when reheating.
If meal prepping, cook and store soup base and pasta shells separately. Add pasta when reheating.
If freezing, cook soup base without the pasta shells. Let cool completely before transferring to a freezer-safe storage container. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
To reheat, allow to thaw in the refrigerator if frozen. Simmer soup base on the stove-top until base has warmed through. Add cooked pasta shells.

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Recipe

Minestrone Soup

This easy, budget-friendly Minestrone Soup recipe is a simple and healthy vegetable-rich meal. A comforting tomato broth loaded with beans, fresh vegetables, & pasta shells.

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Total Time 45

Course Soup

Servings

Calories 309 kcal

Ingredients

2 tablespoon butter
2 cups yellow onion diced
1 ½ cups zucchini diced
1 cup carrots sliced
3-4 cloves garlic finely minced or pressed
½ cup dry white wine
28 oz crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
6-8 cups vegetable or chicken broth
8-12 baby potatoes quartered
1 bay leaf
15 oz can kidney beans drained & rinsed
14 oz can cut green beans drained & rinsed
8 oz can corn drained & rinsed
8 oz pasta shells
4-6 cups fresh spinach roughly chopped
½-1 teaspoon kosher salt
Shaved Parmesan for topping

Instructions

Melt butter in a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add diced onion, zucchini, and sliced carrots. Saute 6-8 mins, stirring often, until beginning to soften. Add minced garlic and continue cooking another 1-2 minutes.
Stir in white wine and allow to simmer 1 min. Stir in crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for 2 more minutes.
Add potatoes, broth, corn, and bay leaf to pot. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Bring pot a boil, cover, and turn to a simmer for 14-16 minutes.
Add green beans, kidney beans, and pasta shells and continue simmering 8-10 minutes, adding broth as needed, until pasta is al dente and potatoes are tender.
Remove bay leaf, and add roughly chopped spinach. Continue simmering until spinach has wilted. Remove from heat & serve topped with a sprinkle of Parmesan.

Notes

If using a different style of pasta, check the cooking time on the package.
Gluten-Free- use your favorite gluten-free pasta.
Vegan- use vegetable broth and omit the Worcestershire sauce and Parmesan cheese.
Storage:
- Leftover soup will last in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- Pasta will adsorb some of the broth as it sits in leftover soup. You may need to add more broth when reheating.
- If meal prepping, cook and store soup base and pasta shells separately. Add pasta when reheating.
- If freezing, cook soup base without the pasta shells. Let cool completely before transferring to a freezer-safe storage container. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- To reheat, allow to thaw in the refrigerator if frozen. Simmer soup base on the stove-top until base has warmed through. Add cooked pasta shells if needed.
Nutritional Information is an estimate only and will vary based on specific ingredients and amounts used.

Nutrition

Calories: 309kcalCarbohydrates: 52.8gProtein: 12.7gFat: 4.5gSaturated Fat: 1.5gCholesterol: 5.2mgFiber: 12gSugar: 11.6g

Keyword minestrone soup

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