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This is the best minestrone soup recipe, a hearty, vegetable-rich Italian soup made from scratch with plenty of fiber from the beans and vegetables. Perfect for serving with crusty bread.
Minestrone Soup
This healthy soup is a classic vegetarian minestrone soup made with white beans, vegetables, fresh herbs, and pasta. Pureeing the beans in the blender thickens the soup, making it great for picky kids who don’t care for beans. I love adding a parmesan rind for extra flavor, but it’s totally optional. If you want a slow cooker minestrone soup recipe or an Instant Pot one, check out my version here. More soup recipes you may also like, Pasta Fagioli or my popular Acini di Pepe Soup.
Why You’ll Love This Soup
- Healthy – the beans add fiber and it’s packed with veggies.
- Freezer Friendly – perfect for meal prep!
- Cozy – comfort food you can feel good about eating.
- Vegetarian – if using vegetable broth and vegetarian Parmesan.
- Easy to make gluten-free – just use your favorite gluten-free pasta, or make it low carb and skip the pasta.
- Homemade tastes better! This is not your Olive Garden soup, it’s made from scratch with wholesome ingredients.
What is Minestrone Soup
Traditional Italian minestrone soup is a hearty vegetable soup with pasta and beans.
Minestrone Soup Ingredients
- Beans: Drain and rinse one can of white beans, like cannellini or navy beans.
- Broth: Get reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth for vegetarian minestrone.
- Vegetables: Sauté diced carrots, onion, and celery in olive oil.
- Garlic: Mince two cloves of garlic.
- Tomatoes: Canned petite diced tomatoes – regular-size tomatoes are also fine.
- Parmesan Cheese: The parmesan is optional, but I recommend using it. I always store leftover rinds in my fridge to use later in soups and stews. Let the rind simmer in the broth, and sprinkle grated cheese on your soup before eating.
- Herbs: Fresh rosemary sprig, chopped basil, Italian parsley, bay leaves
- Salt and Pepper
- Zucchini: You can swap the zucchini with yellow squash.
- Leafy Greens: Fresh or frozen, defrosted spinach or baby kale will work.
- Pasta: Choose a small pasta, like ditalini or orzo.
How to Make Minestrone Soup
- Beans: Puree the beans with a cup of broth in a blender.
- Sauté: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and sauté the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic for about 15 minutes.
- Simmer: Add the remaining broth, tomatoes, pureed beans, parmesan cheese rind (if using), salt, pepper, and all the herbs. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover the pot, and cook on low for 40 minutes.
- Add the zucchini and spinach, cover the pot, and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Cook pasta: While the soup cooks, cook pasta in a large pot according to package directions. You can also cook it in the soup if you prefer.
- Serve: Remove the bay leaves, rosemary sprig, and parmesan rind, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls with pasta and top with extra parmesan if desired.
How to Freeze Minestrone Soup
I like to cook and store the pasta separately so that it stays al dente and doesn’t soak up the broth. You can keep the leftover pasta and soup together or separate. The minestrone will last in the fridge up to 4 days and in the freezer for 3 months.
To freeze the soup, let it cool and then transfer it to freezer-safe containers. Thaw it the night before in the fridge, and microwave or reheat on the stove.
Variations:
- No Pasta: If you want to make minestrone without the pasta, you can omit it and add diced potatoes or another can of beans.
- Beans: If you want to add more beans, try a mix, like red kidney beans, along with the white beans.
- Veggies: If you want more vegetables in the soup, add chopped broccoli, cauliflower, and/or green beans.
- Herbs: Feel free to use any herbs you like. Oregano or thyme would also be lovely.
- Add meat: Some turkey sausage or chicken sausage links would be great.
More Soup Recipes You’ll Love:
- Beef, Tomato, and Acini di Pepe Soup
- Escarole and Chickpea Soup
- Spaghetti and Meatball Soup
- Instant Pot Turkey Meatball and Ditalini Soup
- Pasta Fagioli
The Best Minestrone Soup Recipe
This is the best minestrone soup recipe, a hearty, vegetable-rich Italian soup made from scratch with plenty of fiber from the beans and vegetables. Perfect for serving with crusty bread.
Yield: servings
Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or large pot
Ingredients
- 15 ounce can white beans, drained, rinsed (cannellini beans or navy beans)
- 32 oz container reduced sodium chicken broth, or vegetable broth for vegan
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 28 oz can petite diced tomatoes
- Parmesan cheese rind, optional
- 1 fresh rosemary sprig
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- fresh black pepper
- 1 medium zucchini, about 8 oz each, diced
- 2 cups spinach, chopped fresh, if frozen defrosted
- 2 cups cooked small pasta such as ditalini or orzo, al dente (or gluten-free pasta)*
- extra parmesan cheese for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Puree beans with 1 cup of the broth in a blender.
- Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic and stir, saute until tender and fragrant, about 15 minutes.
- Add the remaining broth, tomatoes, pureed beans, parmesan cheese rind if using, salt and pepper. Add the rosemary, bay leaves, basil and parsley, bring to a boil, then cover and cook on low 40 minutes.
- Add the zucchini and spinach, cover and simmer until the zucchini is tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaves, rosemary sprig, Parmesan rind and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Ladle 1-1/4 cups soup into 8 bowls with 1/4 cup pasta in each and top with extra parmesan cheese if desired.
Last Step:
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Notes
From around 4 or 5 ounces dry pasta. I like to cook the pasta separately so that it stays al dente and doesn’t soak up the broth. If you want to cook it in the soup, cook it in the end.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 1/2 cups, Calories: 175 kcal, Carbohydrates: 31.5 g, Protein: 8 g, Fat: 2 g, Sodium: 358 mg, Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 5 g
Made your minestrone soup for the first time and it was delicious. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Delicious. All worked together and I included chicken sausages. I added a bit of jalapeño s
Another great recipe Gina! I used Organic Unsalted Chicken Bone Broth (it was on sale!!) to pump up the protein. Great recipe for Lent!
This is delicious!!! I added chick peas which I think add a nice nutty flavor!
I contemplated making this soup for entirely too long. Finally made it last night and my only regret is not making it sooner! It is amazing! I did add regular sausage (my grocery store didn’t have chicken sausage). This soup will definitely be a regular in our winter dinners – thank you!!!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Outstanding! I am Italian and have had many versions of Minestrone but this is the best! So flavorful. The 40 minutes of simmering, seasonings and parm rind is the secret. I agree to cook orzo separately and add to soup once it cools so it doesn’t soak up all broth.
The 5 stars are from my husband. He loves Minestrone soup – me not so much – and he said it was the best he’s ever had! I will say I like it better than other minestrone soups I’ve tried.
I have made this soup for a long time. It’s so good and uses the last of the produce. No waste of fresh produce and a nice pot of soup for lunch or anytime.
I’ve made and enjoyed many of your recipes. However, this one? Knocked it out of the park with flavour and wholesome goodness. Thank you for putting together a simple, flavour-filled recipe.
So flavorful and healthy! I added some smoked sausage because we are carnivores in my family. Cooked the pasta right in the soup too.
So yummy and good for the tummy
Love this recipe! Easy to make and simple ingredients Ialready have in my kitchen.
A go to recipe in our household- a bit of work chopping everything up but it’s worth it! Cozy and fulfilling- recommend!
This is the best! I add mini meatballs and it’s a complete meal in one bowl!
Absolutely delicious! If I want to double the beans next time, should I add more broth?
Kind of disappointed this is the second time I’ve made this recipe and this time I tried the suggestion of putting the rind of the parmesan reggiano in the soup. Altered The Taste considerably very Tangy and sharp. Did not care for it at all and it seemed to make the broth murky as well. I’ll make this again as it is a good recipe but definitely will leave the cheese rind out!
This was the best minestrone soup I’ve ever eaten. I love soups and will try all your other recipes this season.
Thank you for sharing!
Thanks Jojo!
Love this soup also new cookbook I have all of them,
Thanks Linda!
It’s really my favorite. Minestrone soup recipe. The pureed beans really make a difference. Packed with veggies + balanced flavors. I puree my canned tomatoes, my fam doesn’t like biting into them. Excellent recipe-
This was soooo yummy. Every recipe I have made from Skinnytaste is a winner, thank you for sharing.
This soup was so refreshing & just the right combination of ingredients!!
When I need a recipe for any kind of meal, I always go to the skinny taste website. I can always find tasty nutritious recipes to make and I have many favorites. This minestrone is one of them- so versatile.
This recipe is delicious. I have made it twice and the last time I didn’t have navy/white beans instead I used chick peas and it tasted the same. Thank you for sharing your recipes, I’m never disappointed!
Thanks Robin, glad you enjoyed it!
I really enjoyed this minestrone. It was relatively quick to put together and the whole family enjoyed it. Delicious on a chilly evening with a crusty French baguette on the side!
I often use a bean purée with creamy soups to thicken as a healthy alternative however I don’t think it suits this soup well. Turned the color of it to an unappetizing pink and took away from the tomato flavor (was shocked to read one of the reviews saying all they could taste was tomato.) Perhaps my can of beans was too big. Next time I’d sautée tomato paste for the depth of flavor/color or just add the beans whole. Didn’t have basil so I used a dollop of pesto!
This is definitely going to be one of my on the go soups. It makes enough soup so I can freeze the leftovers.
I love this recipe. It’s easy prep. You can make it your own by adding different vegetables
I like having extra broth
Delicious. Basic recipe that delivers excellent flavor and texture. I used beef stock and it delivered a full bodied broth. Makes a huge batch of soup.
It was good – but then it got better as it sat overnight in the refrigerator. I will make it again with the following modifications – I will add another can of beans, and more low salt chicken broth (I like my soups to have more liquid). I would also put in more spinach than I did the first time. And less orzo than suggested in the recipe. And it needed a bit more spice (my husband added a small amount of soy sauce).
This is so good! I added a second can of canneli beans instead of the pasta, and I chop the spinach and put it in the bottom of the bowl and pour the hot soup over it, to keep it from getting slimy. Delicious!
When freezing – do you keep the pasta out?
I personally do!
This soup is delish! So tasty and easy too. Had it last night for dinner with some crusty bread and had leftovers for lunch as well as putting some in the freezer for another time. I made it as per recipe and wouldn’t change a thing. Yum!!!
Delicious! I never blended beans before and they came out great. Killer soup. In the rotation.
Excellent recipe absolutely delicious
Healthy and flavourful! Saving this to make again and again.
This is one of the best soup recipes on this site. I make a double batch in an 8 qt instant pot, add a total of 3 cans of cannellini beans, and cook the pasta separately. I do not puree it as we like the texture without doing so. It is so good that I sometimes have it for lunch and dinner on the same day. It does take a while, but you get 16 servings!
I surprised by the number of 5 ratings. This had way too many tomatoes in it. That is all I tasted. If I was rating it as is, I would give it a 2, but it has potential. I will probably try it again at some point, but with half the tomatoes (and compensate with additional broth).
Oh. My!! This is fantastic! Puréeing the beans is a game changer!! Like others. I did add another can of whole beans, but this was so easy and delicious. Thank you for posting. This will be my go to minestrone recipe!
Excellent recipe! I was even able to make it in the crockpot. Even my picky husband loved it. We did add ground beef to it.
Delicious! Amazing!
This was soooo good!!! Your recommended serving size was also perfect. I personally enjoyed the blended beans because the soup has so much volume with all the veggies. The only thing I noticed toward the end was that there was like, foam on top and I just slowly scraped it off. I did appreciate the tip to keep the pasta separate. I’m saving this recipe for sure.
Absolutely amazing!!!!
Fantastic! My first time making this. I pureed a 2nd can of beans & added turkey sausage. It is so good & so filling! My family loved this & there’s plenty leftover for lunches.
has anyone ever done this recipe in an instant pot??
This was delicious. I cooked the veggies with sausage to make it a meaty soup. The herbs and flavour was so comforting. My husband came home from work telling me that his lunch was outstanding!!!
So good on a cold Colorado night!
Made this tonight. I had cooked some white beans for another recipe and kept the broth and beans together.
I think it will taste even better tomorrow. I followed the recipe as written, left out the pasta. Delious. I did cook it for over an hour and a half.
Excellent! Easy to make and delicious!
Big fan of this recipe! A great meatless Monday option!
I’m interested in packing in lots of veggies. The soup was delicious! I enjoyed the comments and made some of my own tweaks. I added – in addition to the carrots, celery, red onion, garlic, diced tomatoes- (without measuring)-jalapeño, cabbage, green beans, zucchini, fresh basil and parsley and spinach. I blended the white beans with the vegetable broth and added a can of kidney beans. On the side I cooked farro and used it like the pasta by adding into the bowl at the end with some freshly grated parmesan cheese. Flavor was wonderful. I’m going to make this a regular.
Doing the purée with the beans made such a difference! Instead of being more broth based, it made it creamy and filling. I did add mild Italian sausage to please the carnivores. Served with some crusty bread and everyone was satisfied.
Awesome! Great way to get your daily veggies
Delicious soup! Easy to follow recipe, ingredients most households would have on hand.
Made it for the first time today. Fantastic! So easy! So flavorful! I wouldn’t recommend the pasta. I made the pasta noodles. For me I think it’s better without. I have my own homemade chicken stock. I used dried basil and rosemary. I didn’t have any thyme. Will definitely make this again.
Easy and simple but great flavor.
This is the best minestrone soup I have ever made. It was so good. The flavor is rich and the soup is hardy.
Absolutely delicious!
Outstanding. Excellent flavor. Filling
Delicious recipe!
One of the best minestrone I’ve ever prepared. Some substitutions though: cabbage instead of zucchinis, replaced oignon with leeks. That will be great soup for my lunchs overs the week.
Thanks Helene! Glad you enjoyed it!
I love taking this soup for lunches at the office I always keep a few bags of frozen chopped mirepoix blends in the freezer. For one, they’re often on sale for less than $1.50 per bag making it budget-friendly; and, two, it saves a LOT of time versus chopping veggies, making it so easy to toss veggie based soups together quickly. I often make extra pasta and keep bags in the freezer for these types of soups as well. Love these recipes and it makes it so easy to get plenty of vegetables into my diet. I also keep a batch of your turkey or chicken meatballs in the freezer for adding more protein for a meal for dinner.
Lots of great ingredients. We loved it.
Made this soup for dinner tonight and it was delicious! Great for a snowy and cold winter day. Thank you!
A very hearty soup!
To speed things up a bit, I used store bought frozen onions and a zucchini/summer squash mix. And I used some frozen celery and spinach that I had leftover in the freezer. And to make things a bit cheaper, I used dried rosemary and basil.
This was my first time using/eating ditalini. It’s perfect for soups! I’ll definitely be using it again.
Great soup! Will make it again!!
Great soup!
This was a great recipe! Will
Definitely make again!
Very tasty. I went a little lazy and used frozen carrots and frozen zucchini. Worked out fine!
Delish!
So easy and so delicious!
Cold,snowy day so this is prepped for supper. I had about 1/3 cup of jarred pizza sauce leftover so used it and then adjusted seasonings to taste. Also had brown rice leftover from meal prepping so used it in place of the pasta.
This was delicious!! Whole family loved it.
Yummy, but I used defrosted chopped spinach and thought it was a little too much. I regretted putting 2 cups in because that flavor over powered the soup. Next time I’ll try fresh spinach (& less)
I loved this recipe as is. However, the next time I made this, I needed it to be heartier: family of seven, growing boys. I puréed the one can of beans and then added another can of beans plus a can of red kidney beans. I browned and drained 2 pounds of lean ground beef to add. Instead of pasta, I made a package of RightRice with a package of shirataki rice and then added it in. Additional beef stock as needed. Family loved this.
Love this soup!
This was absolutely delicious!! Love how easy it is to make and so wonderful on a cold rainy night!
This was so good, my husband loved it as well! I added sliced Italian chicken sausage links. YUM!
Made this recipe 4 times in the past 2 months! Family loves it. Have made it without fresh basil and don’t puree the beans and it’s delicious!
Great recipe! I don’t puree the beans. Instead, I add 3 tbsp of tomato paste, and 2 to 3 tbsp of sugar to take down the acidity.
My ultimate favorite recipe. I’ve been making this minestrone soup for so many years. Thank you Skinnytaste.
Delicious. Slightly more “sharp” than I like, so second time I increased the onions and carrots and it was perfect!
This recipe is marvelous! I made it with less spinach because I didn’t have enough on hand and then added the rest of the spinach the following day. It is delicious either way. I’m having it again tonight but will add some cut up sausage links to make sure I get enough protein. Also adding some crusty bread. Such a great recipe!
Delicious! Definitely a keeper. The only change I make is that I leave the beans whole.
I’m in England visiting my stepdad. I wanted to make him something fresh and I mentioned minestrone which he said he loves. We shopped at a small Italian shop for most of the products. My stepdad said it was the best soup he’d ever had!! Thanks for the ideas Gina!!
I am so glad he enjoyed it!
Great cold weather soup. Comes together quickly. Loaded with flavor.
This is going into my winter soup rotation!
This soup is one of my go-to soups to make all year round. It’s so tasty and I love that it’s packed with lots of veggies.
Thanks Patti! Me too!
Delicious! We added an extra can of white beans (accidentally) and some extra noodles (not accidentally) and my kids, including the baby, have devoured it now for 3 nights in a row! Unheard of! Thank you, Gina!! Have loved your recipes for years and have yet to be disappointed!
Aww thanks Jillian!! Kid approval is the best!
I made the recipe according to the directions, but did add one pound of Johnsonville mild italian sausage after I browned it separately. We LOVED it!!! I was able to use fresh herbs from my garden which was a bonus. I loved that the veggies didn’t get too soft and there was a pleasant texture to every bite. Thanks for posting your recipe!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Such a great recipe! Wonderful texture and beautiful seasoning. I added my pasta and cooked it in the broth at the 30 minute mark during the simmer.
This looks wonderful, I look forward to making it tomorrow,
If using potatoes instead of pasta, when do they go in?
Thank you,
So good! Made it today for dinner!
Delicious and Nutritious! Perfect for lunch meal prep. I love that it is packed with veggies! A wonderful recipe for soup season.
Good for game day events
I’ve made so many types of Minestrone soups and this one turned out amazing and is my fav. Easy, and you can add any veggies too! Toasted bread, and dinner is done!
Very very good. Not typically a fan of minestrone soup, but really enjoyed this one. Thank you!
I made this for lunches this week and it is delicious. I only used a little bit of orzo and added one sweet and one hot Italian chicken sausage. Yum!
I made this tonight and it was so good! Very flavorful. I will definitely be making this again and again. I made some sausage on the side for my husband to add to the soup and he loved it!
Meal prepped this for the week and it is so, so good! The fresh herbs are spot on! Keeping the pasta separate so the liquid doesn’t disappear. Great recipe!
Looks great, I am going to make this, quick question, what can I sub for the spinach?
I used escarole and it was delicious
Fabulous recipe. The entire family loved it. Really hits the spot on a rainy afternoon with a piece of garlic bread.
Delicious! So fresh and tasty!
Any replacement possibilities for the beans?
Beans are classic, if you puree them you won’t feel them. Or just omit.
Made this exactly as shown.. My husband said it’s a “make it again” recipe! Thank you
I made this soup last night for supper and it really hit the spot! I doubled the recipe so I now have 3 qts to put in the freezer and another quart to enjoy this weekend. I added mild Italian turkey sausage as Gina suggested in her notes. I also added some oregano and thyme to the herb mix. A great recipe as always from Gina!
Very good recipe- sooo flavorful and easy
I did add some Italian sausage – yum
Is it necessary to puree the beans my husband likes the beans whole always.
My husband has major heart problems. He must stay away from salt as much as possible. How can I reduce the high sodium in this recipe to what is acceptable for cardiac patients?
No salt added beans and sodium-free broth will make it low sodium.
This is my go -to soup! It has so much flavor but is also light and full of vegetables. I leave out the pasta and never miss it. I like to make a batch of it and freeze it for future meals.
Delicious
Delicious! I love pureeing the beans. I also mixed the pasta in the last 10 minutes. It makes for a thicker soup. So tasty!
I’ve been making this for several years, and it’s always a hit. I usually add a jar of green beans (drained) just because we like them. It’s delicious!
Gina can you please explain why you prefer to cook the pasta separately instead of in the soup? Thanks.
FYI…This info is in listed above under the heading Notes.
I like and appreciate how Gina gives so much detailed information and tips for making her recipes. Here’ what it says.
Notes
From around 4 or 5 ounces dry pasta. I like to cook the pasta separately so that it stays al dente and doesn’t soak up the broth. If you want to cook it in the soup, cook it in the end.
If you cook the pasta in the soup, it will absorb the stock and make it a much thicker and starchier base soup.
Can I can this recipe
not sure,, sorry I don’t can.
I will not give this a review, but wanted to make a comment. I have used a similar recipe for years. My original recipe gave water or broth for the liquid, so I first used water to see if it would turn out okay. It definitely did. It doesn’t make that much of a difference, but water makes it a vegetarian soup which gives you a great option for vegetarians. People love this soup and yours is very close to my recipe.
This is basically my slow cooker recipe, very old recipe here! Just made on the stove, but sure use water if you prefer.
I love this soup. It is delicious and filling. I split the soup in two halves before adding the pasta, freezing the one half without the pasta for another night. It is just so yummy!
May I ask is the nutritional information include the pasta?
Yes it is
Had this tonight and it was very good.
Possible to use cherry tomatoes from my garden in place of the diced tomatoes
Sure, although the skin of the tomatoes might not be pleasant in the soup.
Dip cherry or grape tomatoes in boiling water for abt. a minute. Transfer to Ice water. Skin can easily pulled right off.