This thick, hearty, melt-in-the-mouth Minestrone Soup is the ultimate “comfort food" for any time of the year. It is made with seasonal veggies, legumes and small pasta shape or rice.
The beauty of this soup is that you can make it a hundred times and have it taste different every time you make it. For this reason there’s no set recipe for Minestrone soup but rather some basic concepts of choosing and cooking veggies, legumes and pasta.
Depending on the season, your local farm’s market availability and your personal taste preferences your vegetable selection will be different almost each time you make minestrone.
But regardless of this here are some of the key step and ingredients you don’t want to miss.
Table Of Contents
Ingredients
Base Vegetables
- Onions - you can use shallots or leek as an alternative.
- Carrots - just regular carrots.
- Celery - and regular celery.
- Garlic (optional) - I like to add whole piece crushed with flat knife to let it release flavor but not overpowering with a strong garlic taste if you mince it.
- Pancetta (optional) - since minestrone is a vegetable soup it's a perfect meal for lent. So pancetta, guanciale or lard cut in cubes is completely optional, but it gives an incredible rich, intense flavor to the veggies as if they were cooked in meat stock (which by the way is also an option).
This base mix is nothing else than a slightly extended version of classic Italian Soffritto, which is also the base for many other traditional Italian dishes.
The only difference, which is influenced a lot by a personal preference, is that when making Minestrone Soup I like a slightly chunkier cut as opposed to fine dice soffritto cut in all other recipes.
Hard Vegetables
- Potato - is always in season
- Tomatoes - any kind of tomatoes will do. You can also use good quality canned tomatoes.
- Pumpkin or Butternut Squash - available during cold season
- Broccoli or Cauliflower - available during cold season. I suggest to use cruciferous veggies in moderation due to their strong taste. Just a couple of florets will do for a pot for 4 servings.
- Artichokes - winter/spring time
- Zucchini - spring/summer time
- Green Beans - spring/summer time
- Bell pepper- spring/summer time. Like to broccoli and cauliflower, use in moderation to not overpower other vegetables.
- Asparagus - spring time
- Peas - you’d normally use frozen peas so you can use them all year round but you can totally use fresh peas during spring/summer time.
Leafy Vegetables
Anything goes that you can find fresh. Frozen would be your last choice but still possible.
Savoy cabbage, chard, chicory, spinach, escarole, kale just to name a few.
Legumes
Beans - Borlotti beans or cranberry beans are most common to be used in minestrone. But they can be easily substituted with kidney beans, navy beans, more delicate canellini beans or fava beans. Use canned beans or dried re-hydrated beans.
Chickpeas - canned or dried re-hydrated garbanzo beans.
Pasta/ Rice/ Grains
Pasta is the last thing you add to minestrone soup. Also, if you’re not going to consume all the soup in one go, I highly recommend cooking some pasta in a separate pot and adding it just to the part you’re going to consume immediately. Otherwise pasta will make minestrone way too mushy.
Same applies for rice and other grains like farro, barley (orzo) etc.
Water / Broth
Last but not least, you'll need water where vegetables and all other ingredients will cook. It's best to use bottle water. But if you really want to take your Minestrone Soup to the next level - use homemade meat broth. It's super simple to make! Don't forget to prepare a big batch and store some in the freezer.
How To Make - Step By Step
- In a large pot add a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, roughly chopped onion, carrots, celery, garlic clove, and pancetta cubes.
Saute on medium heat for a few minutes stirring a couple of times in the process.
- Add potatoes, butternut squash, tomatoes, bay leaf, rosemary sprigs and a couple of pinches of salt.
- Give a nice stir and add enough water (or broth) to cover all the veggies.
- Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for about 40 minutes. Add more liquid if needed.
- Past this time veggies will become super soft and will “melt” one into another creating delicious creamy texture.
- Once veggies are cooked add chopped savoy cabbage or other leafy greens and drained canned beans. Add more water if needed.
- Give a nice stir and cook for another 5 minutes.
- As a last step, add pasta or rice. Let cook for 5-15 more minutes depending on how long pasta or rice will take to cook. It takes about 5-6 minutes for ditalini pasta and about 15 minutes for rice.
Pay Attention
If you’re not planning to serve minestrone right away, don’t add pasta or rice immediately.
Instead, boil pasta/rice in a small pot. Then bring minestrone to a boil when you’re ready to serve it and add cooked pasta or rice. Simmer for 2 minutes.
Italian Secrets To Making The Best Minestrone Soup
- Don't skip soffrito. Always start making minestrone with Onion, Carrot and Celery mix - known as Soffritto. Most soups and ragu sauces start with this veggie trio. All other flavors build up on this.
- Use fresh vegetables whenever possible. Even though you can use just any leftover veggies you have in the fridge, true secret to delicious Grandma minestrone soup lies in fresh veggies from Sunday farmer’s market.
- Don't add pasta/rice to the whole batch. If you’re not planning to consume all the soup in one go, cook pasta in a separate pot instead of cooking it directly in the soup pot.
Add it to your minestrone (just to the part you’re going to consume immediately) before serving. Otherwise pasta will become overcooked and make minestrone too mushy.
Same applies for rice and other grains like farro, barley (orzo) etc. - Parmesan rind. Once all the hard veggies and water or broth are in the pot, add a piece of Parmesan cheese rind. Yes, just the rind. It’s a game changer. And most well kept secret (just kidding). Seriously though, it burst the flavor of veggies and broth 10x. Simmer the veggies with Parmesan rind and finish cooking Minestrone as normally. Take out the rind before serving.
How To Store
Store Minestrone in the fridge for up 3 days. If you know in advance you'll have leftovers it's best not to add pasta/rice. Instead, cook pasta/rice separately. When ready to serve, bring minestrone to a boil, add cooked pasta or rice and simmer for 2 minutes. Serve hot with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Recipe FAQs
Can I prepare Minestrone Soup in advance?
Yes! In fact, minestrone tastes best when it’s rested. Just remember to add pasta/grains as the last step before serving.
Can I freeze Minestrone?
Short answer is Yes. BUT please don’t, unless you really have to. Remember about grandma’s secret to the most delicious Minestrone soup?
Full Recipe
Italian Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 1 onion , roughly chopped
- 2 carrots , roughly chopped
- 2-3 ribs celery , roughly chopped
- ½ cup diced pancetta (optional)
- 1 ½ cup pumpkin or butternut squash , cut in cubes
- 1 large potato or 1 ½ cup potatoes , cut in cubes
- 1 large tomato chopped or 10 cherry tomatoes , cut in quarters
- 1 small savoy cabbage , roughly chopped
- 1 can (14 oz) borlotti beans
- ⅓ cup ditalini pasta or other small pasta shape
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 rosemary sprigs
- 1 garlic clove (optional)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot add a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, roughly chopped onion, carrots, celery, garlic clove, and pancetta cubes. Sautee on medium heat for a few minutes stirring a couple of times in the process.
- Add potatoes, butternut squash, tomatoes, bay leaf, rosemary sprigs and a couple of pinches of salt.
- Give a nice stir and add enough water to cover all the veggies.Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for 40 minutes. Add more liquid if needed.
- Past this time veggies will become super soft and will “melt” one into another creating delicious creamy texture.
- Once veggies are cooked add chopped savoy cabbage or other leafy greens and drained canned beans. Add more water if needed. Give a nice stir and cook for another 15 minutes.
- As a last step, add pasta or rice. Let cook for 5-15 more minutes depending on how long pasta or rice will take to cook.
- If you’re not planning to serve minestrone right away, don’t add pasta or rice immediately.Instead, bring the soup to a boil when you’re ready to serve it and then add pasta or rice.
- Minestrone is ready to serve when pasta (rice) is cooked. I takes about 5-6 minutes for ditalini pasta and about 15 minutes for rice.
- Serve hot or warm generously topped with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Buon Appetito!
Rhonda C says
I see in your hard vegetable section the use of bell peppers, although the recipe itself does not call for bell peppers (thank goodness). I love Minestrone Soup, maybe it's my Sicilian heritage. I have ordered this soup in many restaurants over the years, some great, some not so great, but the worst was the one with bell peppers. I have never heard of bell peppers in Minestrone Soup, and I know my grandmother from Licata, Sicily never used bell peppers. I know Minestrone Soup can be made with just about any vegetables, beans, pasta, etc. but NEVER bell peppers. They have such an overwhelming taste and overpower the taste of anything else in something as lucious as Minestrone Soup.
Jim Mazzone says
Trying to learn how to cook various hearty soups that can make up a main meal.
Svitlana says
If you're looking for a hearty soup, you'll love Italian Minestrone. Delicious, filling and packed with vegetables!
Carolyn Patrick says
What is the green garnish in the photo? Parsley? Basil? Can't rate as I haven't made it yet!!
Svitlana says
Hi Carolyn, yes it's garnished with parsley. Let me know if you try it.
Kathryn says
We had lots of fresh vegetables and herbs from the garden so used zucchini, green beans, new potatoes, swiss chard, carrots, fresh rosemary but no legumes, pasta or rice. We also used chicken stock and parmesan rind. Very flavourful.
Svitlana says
Home garden veggies are the best! Thank you for your feedback Kathryn
Kylie says
Very easy to make, and extremely yummy
Paul Foote says
Good info on the soup base and additions, But why would you drain the beans and throw away all that delicious gravy they made when they were cooked? You wouldn't do that if you were cooking a pot of dried beans, would you? Don't do it with your canned beans either.
Svi @ ItalianRecipeBook says
Hey Paul, water from canned beans tends to be too salty, not to mention the fact that it might contain preservatives. Whenever I use canned beans I discard the liquid. But that's my way of approaching it, everyone is free to adapt the recipe and do what works best for them. Your kitchen, your rules 😉
Amy D says
Hello, thank you for the recipe! I hope to make this for an Italian-themed Christmas Eve gathering. Could I make the soup ahead of time and freeze it?
Svi @ ItalianRecipeBook says
Hi Amy, even it's OK to freeze Minestrone leftovers, I don't recommend freezing it if you want to serve it for the Holiday. Instead, you can do all the prep work of peeling and cutting the vegetable a few days in advance and cook the soup the day before. Remember also to boil pasta/rice separately as if set sit for too long it'll loose its texture.
Happy Holidays!
Ian says
I would love to try this recipe but unsureof cup measurements. What cup measurements are you using? even just grams would help please asI want to get this soup absolutely like you make it.
Italian Recipe Book says
Hi Ian, thank you for your request. I'll definitely update the recipe with gram measurements next time I make it.
The measurements in cups are made with standard US measuring cups and it's very easy. Even if you are not precise up to the grams your Minestrone soup will still turn out delicious as long as you follow all the instructions.
Anonymous says
YUMMY HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA LAUGHING LIKE A MORON GOOD SOUP HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
andrew goldie says
super easy to cook and its a winter warmer, adding pancetta makes all the difference if you are a vegetarian leave out the pancetta.
Anonymous says
SKIP the dead animal fat of PANCETA..NOT worth it at all.. spicy vegan sausage is perfect for that extra spice/flavor!
DanielG says
Vegan sausage is a sin
Kirsten says
Vegan sausage is not sausage.. it is soy product. Life without dead animal fat, specifically bacon, is not worth living.
Audrey says
I gave the soup a 1 for how beautiful it looked in the picture. Unfortunately very disappointed in the overall flavor which there was none. I definitely think with the right seasoning the soup has a chance.
Italian Recipe Book says
Thank you for a 1, Audrey 🙂
Happy Holidays
Kirsten says
@Audrey,
Maybe you needed some salt. Chefs call salt "flavor". Salt enhances everything. Try some next time.
Marisa says
Enjoyed this delicious meal, easy and filled us up. Reminded me of my grandma when she would make minestrone ❤️ will make again!
Used spinach in place of cabbage.
Italian Recipe Book says
There's nothing better than homemade meal that comforts your body and soul, bringing back our childhood memories.
Thank you so much Marisa for using my recipe and letting me know how it went!
Anonymous says
Loved your recipe, my sister who is fighting Lung Cancer, loves soup. She smacked her lips loving this minestrone recipe.
Italian Recipe Book says
Soups are one of the best foods to nourish our bodies and soul. I'm so sorry your sister is going through such a tough period in her life... It's wonderful that she has a loving and caring person like you by her side ❤
Thank you for cooking my Minestrone soup and taking time to write this message
Dijo says
Awesome soup. Love the fact you can add almost any fresh vegetable. I cooked my veggies in Campbell's no salt added broth and used spinach, zuchinni and green beans as savoy cabbage is not readily available here. The parmesan regannio rind gave it a great flavour. I cooked the pasta separately as you suggested. A lot of work, but well worth the effort. Thank you.
Italian Recipe Book says
I'm so happy you enjoyed this Minestrone soup, Dijo! Yes, a little extra work pays off:)
Marianna Addabbo says
DELICIOUS! RECIPE IS EASY TO FOLLOW.
Irish married to an Italian says
Awesome recipe! Wonderful explanation of what ingredients to use with the seasons. Loved the slow introduction of vegetables to make a proper broth without having to add a store bought one. Thank you!
Italian Recipe Book says
You're so welcome! I'm happy you found my Minestrone recipe useful. Italian men love it! 🙂
Jennifer says
@Italian Recipe Book, probably all men! My 2nd mother (too loved to call step) was Italian. I never liked soup as a child until trying her minestrone in her restaurant the Prego in Avalon.(I was 13). So many wonderful memories I'm grateful you also posted Pignolata (Strufili). Do you make fritters? She made apple fritters first before cauliflower ones on Christmas eve - always a vegetarian meal 'in honor of Mary's labor' (My fritters aren't good like hers)
Joe Calabria says
I'm very lucky to have found your website. I found lots of familiar traditional recipes from the past that I will be sending to my grandchidren to refresh their memories of the sessions we had together where I taught them my families version of these wonderful dishes. The version of minestrone that was my favorite was made with by my grandmother with turnips and kale... my mother always added spicy Italian sausage and substituted finoccio for celery.
Italian Recipe Book says
Thank you Joe for your kind words. This is the very reason my this website exists. To preserve and share food memories and childhood tastes that bring people together.
Love the idea of substituting finocchio for celery. I have to try it next time I make Minestrone soup, especially that it's now in season.