Vegetable Minestrone Variations (Printable)

Comforting Italian soup with seasonal vegetables, pasta, and beans, adaptable year-round.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium onion, diced
03 - 2 carrots, diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 1 small zucchini, diced (summer) or 1 small butternut squash, diced (winter)
06 - 1 cup green beans, chopped or 1 cup chopped kale or spinach
07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
09 - 1 medium potato, peeled and diced (optional)

→ Broth and Beans

10 - 6 cups vegetable broth
11 - 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini or borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
12 - 3.5 ounces small pasta such as ditalini, elbow, or shells
13 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Herbs and Seasonings

14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
16 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
17 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley plus additional for serving
18 - Grated Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery; sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in garlic, zucchini or squash, and green beans or kale. Cook for 3 minutes.
03 - Add diced tomatoes, potato if using, and bay leaf. Cook for 2 minutes, then pour in the vegetable broth.
04 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
05 - Add beans and pasta. Simmer uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes until pasta and vegetables are tender.
06 - Season with oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Remove the bay leaf.
07 - Stir in chopped parsley. Ladle into bowls and top with grated Parmesan if desired.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The beauty of minestrone is how it transforms humble pantry staples into something that tastes like it simmered all day, even when you threw it together in under an hour.
  • You can clean out your vegetable drawer guilt-free while creating something that genuinely tastes better the next day as the flavors deepen overnight.
02 -
  • Adding the pasta directly to the soup pot saves a step but means leftovers will continue absorbing broth overnight, so consider cooking it separately if you plan to enjoy the soup over several days.
  • The difference between a good minestrone and an extraordinary one often comes down to seasoning in layers rather than just at the end, with a tiny pinch of salt after each major addition.
03 -
  • Save vegetable scraps like onion skins, carrot tops and celery ends in a freezer bag, then use them to make homemade vegetable broth for your next batch of minestrone.
  • When reheating leftover soup that's thickened too much, add a splash of broth or water but also a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten all the flavors that have deepened overnight.
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