Last Updated on May 26, 2023
This Minestrone Soup is loaded with vegetables and beans along with the pasta of your choice.
A hearty, easy to make, and healthy classic soup that gets even better as a leftover.
What is Minestrone?
Minestrone is the cornerstone of the Italian cuisine.
What I love about this soup is that it was initially made from the leftovers of previous meals, combined into a soup, making a new meal.
No wasting of food when you make this soup, which makes it customizable each time you make it.
But if you don’t have any leftovers in the fridge to add to this soup, not a problem, you can follow this recipe!
Pasta or no pasta?
When I make this soup I do not add the pasta to the soup.
I like to cook up my gluten free and regular pasta separately and add them when dishing up the soup to serve.
Don’t want to use pasta? No problem, add a cooked rice or don’t even add any starch to the soup.
So don’t throw out the little leftovers from the past few days, save them to add to your own homemade minestrone soup.
Who doesn’t love a soup that has no rules!
Ingredients for this Soup
- Onion – Any variety of onion will work in this soup. My preference is the leek, but I have also used a vidalia and shallot. The choice is yours.
- Carrots – Carrots add an earthy sweet flavor to the soup.
- Zucchini – A mild flavor summer squash. This low calorie vegetable is full of nutrients and a perfect addition to any soup.
- Celery – Celery enhances the sweetness and adds a savory flavor to the soup.
- Spinach – Spinach adds so many health benefits to your soup along with a robust flavor. This is optional.
- Green Beans – Green beans are my favorite. I love the mild flavor of this bean in any soup.
- Oil – In this recipe I have used both avocado and olive oil. Any oil of your choice will work for this soup.
- Vegetable Broth – In this soup I used my favorite vegetable broth and water to cut down on the sodium in this soup. Add all broth or just a little along with water.
- Tomatoes – In this recipe I used canned diced tomatoes. The diced tomatoes add a chunkier texture to the soup with that great tomato flavor.
- Beans – I add 2 different beans to my minestrone, kidney and chickpeas. I love the color and the slightly sweet flavor of the kidney bean and the mild nutty and slight earthy flavor of the chickpea.
- Plant Based Milk – I added an unsweetened plain almond milk to my soup. This is optional.
- Seasonings – To add an Italian flare, I added minced garlic, oregano, thyme, basil, bay leaf and ground pepper. You can add any spices of your choice.
- Pasta or Rice – The pasta can be a regular pasta, gluten free pasta, rice or omit and enjoy the soup without any starch.
How to make a easy Minestrone Soup
Clean and slice the leek, carrots, zucchini and celery.
In a large sauce pan, on medium high heat, add the oil, leek, carrots, zucchini, celery and saute for about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
If adding pasta or rice, prepare and cook to the package direction, when done, drain and set aside.
Next add to the sauteed vegetables, broth, water, oil, tomatoes, drained green beans and the spices of choice along with a bay leaf.
Drain and rinse the beans and add to the soup.
Clean the spinach and add to the soup.
Bring everything to a boil and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
Add the plant based milk, stir and cook for another 10 minutes or until hot.
If you are going to add the pasta or rice directly to the soup add it at the same time you add the milk.
Otherwise, add the pasta or rice to the bowl when you are ready to serve the soup.
Before serving remove the bay leaf.
Serve this Minestrone Soup with crackers, a sandwich, toast or just as it is.
Enjoy this soup fresh or as a leftover.
Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Leek Or any onion of choice.
- 2 large Carrots
- 2 Stalks Celery
- 1 15oz. Can Green Beans-drained Or 2 Cups of fresh green beans.
- 3 Tbsp Oil I have used both olive and avocado oil. 2 Tbsp for sauteing the vegetables, one Tbsp to add to the soup.
- 2 Cups Vegetable Broth
- 1 Cup Water
- 2 15oz. Cans Diced Tomatoes
- 3 Cups Plant Based Milk I used unsweetened plain almond milk.
- 1 tsp Basil
- 1/2 tsp Thyme
- 1 tsp Minced Garlic
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 1/2 tsp Ground Pepper
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 15oz. Can Chickpeas
- 1 15oz. Can Kidney Beans
- 1/2 Cup Pasta Or Rice This can be more or no pasta/rice.
- 1 medium Zucchini
- 2 Cups Spinach
Instructions
- Clean and slice the leek, carrots, zucchini and celery.
- In a large sauce pan, on medium high heat, add the oil, leek, carrots, zucchini, celery and saute for about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
- If adding pasta or rice, prepare and cook to the package direction, when done, drain and set aside.
- Next add to the sauteed vegetables, broth, water, oil, tomatoes, drained green beans and the spices of choice along with a bay leaf.
- Bring everything to a boil and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Drain and rinse the beans and add to the soup.
- Clean the spinach and add to the soup.
- Add the plant based milk, stir and cook for another 10 minutes or until hot.
- If you are going to add the pasta or rice directly to the soup add it at the same time you add the milk.
- Otherwise, add the pasta or rice to the bowl when you are ready to serve the soup.
- Before serving remove the bay leaf.
- Serve this Minestrone Soup with crackers, a sandwich, toast or just as it is.
- Enjoy this soup fresh or as a leftover.
