Youll love my take on this classic Italian minestrone soup! Vegetables, kidney beans and elbow pasta are simmered in a rich tomato broth and scented with rosemary and fresh herbs. This easy vegetarian minestrone soup recipe is the best for busy weeknights when you want something healthy, but also hearty.
Minestrone soup is a healthy, hearty budget-friendly one-pot meal. Its loaded with vegetables and affordable items like canned beans and pasta that are often on my shopping list.
This Italian soup recipe is easy to adapt based on what you have in the kitchen so feel free to play around. Todays minestrone recipe is vegetarian, but I have also made Italian sausage minestrone and both are delicious.
If your only experience with this recipe is eating a bottomless bowl of it at the Olive Garden then youre in for a real treat. Once you realize how easy it is to make classic minestrone soup at home youll put it on the weekly rotation all winter long!
Minestrone soup is unique because it typically includes beans, pasta, or rice, as well as vegetables, and the ingredients are always left chunky (it’s never blended), making it a heartier option. Vegetable soups are usually simpler and don’t typically include beans or pasta, and you could have a blended vegetable soup.
What is the difference between minestrone soup and vegetable soup?
While both minestrone and vegetable soup can be considered vegetarian, minestrone soup is heartier because its bulked up with beans (which, according to the USDA, are packed with protein) and small pasta, which adds texture and body to the soup.
Pro-tip: Add cheese rinds to your soup!
The rind from a leftover piece of Parmesan cheese (truly when it comes to this soup nothing is wasted) is an old trick passed on from generations of Italian grandmothers.
Ive use it in this recipe, but if youve been cooking from The Mediterranean Dish for a while then Im sure youve seen it in other recipes like my Tuscan Farro Soup. Its totally optional but something you should consider trying because it adds a meaty, nutty, umami flavor and helps to thicken the broth.
Once the soup is ready, the cheese rind has done its job and you can just remove whatever remains of it (it wont completely dissolve in your soup.) So next time you are about to finish up that Parmesan or Pecorino, save the rind in the freezer to use in your soups and sauces!
VEGETABLE MINESTRONE – Traditional Italian vegetable soup
FAQ
What is minestrone soup made of?
What does minestrone taste like?
Is vegetable soup the healthiest?
Does minestrone soup contain potatoes?
What is the difference between vegetable soup and minestrone?
Vegetable soup is richer than Minestrone in Copper, Vitamin B6, Potassium, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B3, Fiber, Vitamin B2, and Magnesium. Vegetable soup’s daily need coverage for Copper is 20% more. We used Soup, minestrone, canned, prepared with equal volume water and Soup, vegetable, canned, low sodium, condensed types in this article.
Can you cook minestrone in a slow cooker?
Yes, you can! Try our recipe for Slow-Cooker Vegetable Minestrone Soup, which is cooked in a slow cooker on Low for 6 to 8 hours. What’s the Difference between Minestrone and Vegetable Soup? Minestrone soup is a hearty vegetable soup of Italian origin and typically contains a variety of vegetables, pasta and beans.
What is minestrone soup?
Minestrone (pronounced min-nuh-strow-nee) is a popular thick and hearty Italian soup, combining vegetables, beans, and small pasta. Actually, the history of minestrone soup points to it being what the Italians called “cucina povera,” which literally means, “poor kitchen,” because it was primarily made with leftovers. I just love that!
Is minestrone soup healthy?
Vegetables, kidney beans and elbow pasta are simmered in a rich tomato broth and scented with rosemary and fresh herbs. This easy vegetarian minestrone soup recipe is the best for busy weeknights when you want something healthy, but also hearty. Minestrone soup is a healthy, hearty budget-friendly one-pot meal.