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This is an easy Italian minestrone soup recipe with a quick preparation. This recipe is perfect for meal prep and can be easily doubled if needed.
Minestrone soup is naturally vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, plus it’s very nutritious. It’s the perfect soup for fall and winter.
It can be frozen in a freezer-friendly container so it’s perfect for meal prep.
You can use seasonal vegetables, but this is how I like to make it and I rarely use other veggies. I tend to change the quantities of ingredients depending on how much of each I have on hand. So, feel free to do the same.
I am not sure if this is a traditional minestrone soup recipe, but I did learn it from an Italian so it must be pretty close!
In this post you will find useful tips, serving suggestions as well as a complete recipe card with how to make minestrone soup step-by-step instructions. I also have a pressure cooker minestrone recipe, if you like to use your instant pot.
Minestrone soup ingredients
It may seem like there is a lot of things needed to make it, but it’s so worth it! However, if you want, you can omit a few (like noodles, fresh basil and you could also use one type of canned tomatoes instead of 2 different).
Here is what you will need:
Olive oil, onion, carrots, celery, kale, canned tomatoes, salt, pepper, vegetable stock, white beans, pasta and basil.
Serving suggestions
Here are a few ideas on what to serve with minestrone soup as well as some garnish and delicious toppings:
- Fresh French baguette, toasts, artisan bread or dinner rolls go really well with this Italian soup
- Parmesan – add so much flavor altogether with a drizzle of olive oil
- Fresh basil for garnish
I like to serve this soup as a main and for that reason, I make it quite thick by using a lot of beans and adding some small-shaped pasta in. This time I had some homemade pasta on hand so I used it.
If you prefer serving this soup as a starter/entrée, then I would suggest you don’t use any pasta.
Tips for making homemade minestrone soup
- In my minestrone recipe, I stated the prep only takes 5 minutes. This is because most of the prep is done during the cooking process. Which means it saves you time. Also, there is not much of a prep needed to make it. If you did not follow my recipe instructions, you might need about 10 minutes altogether.
- Overall cooking time will depend on your veggies and also on how soft you like them. Minestrone is best simmered on low for a longer period of time so count with about 45 minutes.
- You will need a large pot for this soup. A 4.5-quart/4.5 liter is the smallest one to use to fit all the ingredients in.
- I like using pre-packaged curly kale leaves because I know I will use up all of them and won’t have any leftovers. You can substitute them with savoy cabbage if you like. Again, you will need about 4 cups, tightly packed.
This is an old recipe that has been recently updated with new photos and a ton of useful information to help you achieve the best result.
If you are looking for more healthy soup recipes, I have a few ideas for you:
I have more creamy soups on the blog so feel free to have a look at all of them. They are all made from scratch, using wholesome ingredients. Plus, if I can, I omit, reduce or substitute ingredients like heavy cream to make them as healthy as possible.
Minestrone Soup
This is an easy Italian minestrone soup recipe with a quick preparation. This recipe is perfect for meal prep and can be easily doubled if needed.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil , see note 1
- 1 medium onion , see note 2
- 2 large carrots , see note 3
- 3 large celery sticks , see note 4
- 4 cups packed curly kale leaves , see note 5
- 1 can pureed tomatoes (14 ounces/400 milliliters)
- 1 can plum tomatoes (14 ounces/400 milliliters)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- black pepper , a generous pinch
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups vegetable stock (1 liter), see note 6
- 2 cups cooked cannellini beans , drained (14 ounces/400 grams drained)
- A handful of small pasta shapes , optional
- fresh basil leaves
Prevent your screen from going dark
Pour olive oil in a large pot (at least 4.5-quart/4.5 liter) and heat it up on medium-high.
Mince onion and add it to the pot. Let it sauce while you dice the carrots and celery. Add these to the pot and sauté for a further 5 minutes, stirring from time to time. You might need to reduce the heat to medium-low.
Meanwhile, remove hard stems from kale leaves and roughly chop them. When ready, add them to the pot altogether with pureed/crushed tomatoes, plum tomatoes, salt, pepper, bay leaves and stock. Give everything a good mix.
Bring to a boil, cover with a lid and simmer on low for 35 minutes. Now, add drained beans and pasta (if using), fresh basil and cook for a further 10 minutes.
Taste it and add more seasoning if needed. Check if the veggies are cooked to your liking. If not, cook for longer.
Optional: drizzle some more olive oil over, sprinkle with parmesan and enjoy warm with fresh baguettes, artisan bread, toast or dinner rolls.
- You can use either extra virgin or cooking olive oil.
- One medium onion = about 1 cup minced.
- Two large carrots = about 1 cup diced.
- Three celery stick = 1 cup diced.
- Kale will reduce significantly during cooking so don’t be afraid to fill the pot with it.
- If you are not vegan or vegetarian, you can also use chicken stock/broth or stock cubes.
- This minestrone soup can be served as an entrée or main. If serving as entrée, you will more likely be able to serve 8 people easily.
- More tips, serving suggestions and can be found in the post above this recipe card.
Nutrition Facts
Minestrone Soup
Amount per Serving
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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