A citrusy, vegetarian soup packed full of nutrients, you really can’t go wrong with a classic minestrone soup. This filling, warm, and comforting meal can be made with ingredients you probably already have on hand.
I could eat soup every day. I love chopping the vegetables, the stirring, the simmering, the way my house smells, the whole thing. It is just as comforting for me to make a bowl of soup as it is to eat one.
I have made this classic soup many, many, times before. Now that Wes and I don’t eat meat anymore, I’ve been taking recipes that have always been in heavy rotation and tweaking them so that we can still enjoy them. It has been surprisingly easy, and some I actually much prefer now that they are meatless. (My kids still eat meat so I cook both still, but if I can use one recipe for two meals, even better.)
One day, I was home alone. I don’t usually make myself full pots of soup, but it was cold and snowy and I just felt like I needed something warm. I used what I had in my fridge and pantry and I ate this soup for three days and didn’t get tired of it.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 can petite diced tomatoes
- 2 cans cannellini beans, drained
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1 lemon
- 1 box small tube pasta
- Parmesan cheese, to serve
How to Make – The Steps
Step 1: Heat oil in a Dutch Oven or large pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the vegetable soften.
Step 2: Add garlic, dried basil, oregano, salt, and pepper and cook for another minute.
Step 3: Add tomatoes and broth. Reduce heat to low and cook for another 20 minutes.
Step 4: Cook pasta according to package directions. Set aside.
Step 5: Squeeze the juice of one lemon into the soup and add chopped parsley. Taste for seasoning. Add more lemon if you like.
Step 6: To serve, add cooked pasta to the bottom of a soup bowl. Ladle soup over and garnish with parmesan and more parsley.
Variations
- Add any veggies you have in the fridge. Peas, potatoes, zucchini, anything works.
- Have some leftover meat? A rotisserie chicken? Shred it up and throw it into the pot.
- Add some chili flakes or pesto to change up the flavor profile.
Serving Suggestions
This classic minestrone soup pairs amazingly with a crusty bread. Just warm a baguette or slice of sourdough in the oven, butter it, and it’s perfect for dipping or enjoying on the side. I also like to pair this meal with a fresh salad, like my kale Caesar salad with parmesan crisp croutons. Whether you’re enjoying it as a lunch or dinner, there’s a million ways you can serve this soup up.
FAQs
Absolutely! I love this soup because it can be adapted to fit whatever I have in the house at the time. You can use any vegetables you have on hand, incorporate meat or meat alternatives, and any type of pasta will go great. You can even use orzo or rice, instead.
Cook it separately from the rest of the soup. That way, you can cook the pasta to your desired level (I like mine al dente), without underdoing the rest of the ingredients. Also, when storing, keep the pasta out of the soup until you’re ready to eat it.
How to Store Classic Minestrone Soup
This soup tastes even better the next day, as long as you keep the pasta separate. Store the soup either in a Tupperware container or in the Dutch oven you cooked it in (just make sure it’s cool before putting it in the refrigerator) for up to 4 days.
You can also keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. When it comes to time reheat the minestrone soup, let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight and heat it gently over the stove until it’s hot. Then, make your pasta and add it in.
Classic Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 3 carrots chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 can petite diced tomatoes
- 2 cans cannellini beans drained
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1 lemon
- 1 box small tube pasta
- parmesan cheese to serve
Instructions
- Heat oil in a Dutch Oven or large pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the vegetable soften.
- Add garlic, dried basil, oregano, salt, and pepper and cook for another minute.
- Add tomatoes and broth. Reduce heat to low and cook for another 20 minutes.
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Set aside.
- Squeeze the juice of one lemon into the soup and add chopped parsley. Taste for seasoning. Add more lemon if you like.
- To serve, add cooked pasta to the bottom of a soup bowl. Ladle soup over and garnish with Parmesan and more parsley.
