At my house, soup is often on the dinner menu. My family always requests cheeseburger soup, chicken noodle soup and this delightful minestrone soup.
When I’m stuck on what to make for dinner I often turn to soup. I always keep containers of chicken broth, pasta and canned beans in the pantry; when you combine those ingredients along with whatever vegetables you’ve got in the fridge you end up with a healthy and easy dinner. Minestrone soup is a classic for a reason – it’s quick to make and totally delicious!
How do you make minestrone soup?
This recipe starts with a base of carrots, onion, celery and garlic, which are all sauteed together until softened. Potatoes, two types of beans and tomatoes go into the mix, along with vegetable broth and small shell pasta. The ingredients all simmer together until the potatoes are tender. Add a sprinkling of parsley, then serve and enjoy.
Tips for minestrone soup
You can use fresh or frozen green beans, whatever you prefer. I tend to use frozen because they’re more convenient. Try to cut all the vegetables the same size so that they cook at the same rate. This soup freezes well, although the pasta and potatoes may be a little softer upon thawing and reheating. Be sure to drain and rinse your beans before adding them to the soup, you want to get rid of all that extra sodium! This soup is hearty enough to serve as a main course, but if you’d like an extra dose of protein, try adding some cooked Italian sausage, ground beef, or shredded chicken.
WHAT VEGETABLES GO INTO MINESTRONE SOUP?
This soup contains onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes, green beans, potatoe and spinach. You can absolutely change up the veggies depending on what’s in season and what you have on hand. Other great vegetable choices include
Zucchini Butternut squash Mushrooms Sweet potatoes Leeks Kale
Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup
This soup can easily be made in the slow cooker. Simply follow the directions as listed for cooking the vegetables and adding the beans and broth. Omit the pasta. Transfer all the ingredients to a slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours. Stir in the pasta and spinach during the last 30 minutes of the cooking time, then sprinkle with parsley and serve.
This soup is sure to please any crowd, and it has the perfect combination of flavors, textures and colors. It’s the absolute best way to eat your veggies!
More soup recipes you’ll love
Sausage Tortellini Soup Hamburger Soup Chicken and Wild Rice Soup Ham Bone Soup Chicken Tortellini Soup
This post was originally published on October 9, 2015 and was updated on August 22, 2019 with new content.
