Incredibly Delicious Minestrone Soup

I love a good soup and this delicious Minestrone Soup is one of my favorite recipes that’s incredibly underrated (in my personal opinion). I mean this soup does so much! It’s packed with veggies, beans, and whole grains (hello fiber!), and it somehow manages to be hearty while still being light. Plus, it’s really so easy to make so you can pull off making it at 5:30pm without it feeling like a whole kitchen project.

Personally, I feel like this recipe was made for those of us wanting to get our veggies in but just cannot imagine eating another salad. Serve it with a generous sprinkle of parmesan and a crusty loaf of bread for the perfect bite!

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Minestrone Soup Ingredients

• Garlic: this soup recipe starts by building strong base of flavor with plenty of fresh garlic.
• Veggies: we’re using a combination of celery, carrot, onion, zucchini, green beans, and spinach.
• Italian Seasoning: to add some extra flavor we’re using an Italian seasoning blend.
• Bay Leaves: dried bay leaves help to give this soup so much flavor.
• Crushed Tomatoes: I like to use no salt added tomatoes so that I can better control the amount of salt in the soup.
• Chicken Broth: this is another ingredient that where I like to choose the low-sodium variety.
• Beans: for this recipe we’re using a combination of white beans and kidney beans that have been drained and rinsed.
• Parmesan Rind: this adds some delicious flavor to the soup. You may be able to find parmesan rinds at your grocery store in the cheese or deli section.
• Pasta: I like to use a small whole wheat pasta for this recipe like ditalini or orecchiette.
• Basil: to really finish off the soup add a little bit of fresh chopped basil right before serving.

Ingredient Substitutions Just in Case You Need Them

• Chicken Broth – if you need to keep this recipe vegetarian you can swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
• Zucchini – don’t have zucchini? swap it for yellow squash instead.
• Spinach – you can easily swap the spinach for tuscan kale if you like.
• Parmesan Rind – you can leave out the parmesan rind entirely to make this soup dairy free or use a vegan parmesan alternative.
• Pasta – need to keep this recipe gluten free? you can easily use your favorite small gluten free pasta. 

Step by Step Instructions: How to Make The Best Minestrone Soup You’ll Ever Eat

Step One: Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the olive oil and then add the garlic, celery, onion, carrot, and zucchini. Sauté the veggies for 3-5 minutes until the onion softens and becomes translucent.

Step Two: Add the Italian seasoning, bay leaves, crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, white beans, kidney beans, and parmesan rind. Bring the soup to a boil and the reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes.

Step Three: After simmering, uncover and add the green beans and pasta. Simmer uncovered for 8-10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.

Step Four: Lastly, remove the parmesan rind and bay leaves and then stir in the spinach and fresh chopped basil. Let simmer for an additional minute until the spinach is wilted and then serve with extra parmesan cheese and fresh herbs on top!

Can I Make This in the Slow Cooker? The Answer is, YES!

Here’s how to do it:

• Step One: Add everything to the slow cooker except the pasta, green beans, spinach, and fresh basil.
• Step Two: 30 minutes before serving, add the pasta, green beans, and spinach to the slow cooker. Let cook until the pasta is tender.
• Step Three: Lastly, discard the bay leaves and parmesan rind, and stir in the chopped basil. Serve and enjoy!

Storing and Reheating Instructions for Your Leftovers

Store the minestrone soup in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to three to four days. When it’s time to reheat, you can either do so in the microwave or on stove top by letting it simmer on low until heated through. 

How to Freeze and Save This Soup for a Rainy Day

Here are some of my favorite freezer tips:

• Let the soup come to a complete cool – before placing the soup in the freezer, be sure that it’s come to a complete cool.
• Freeze leftovers in smaller portions – I like to freeze the soup in smaller portions so that I can just thaw and then reheat what I need instead of the entire batch.
• To reheat the soup from frozen – remove the soup from the freezer and place in the fridge to thaw. When it has thawed completely reheat the soup either on stovetop or in the microwave.

Love This? Here’s What to Make Next!

• Creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup
• Chicken Tortellini Soup
• Easy Tomato Basil Soup
• Healthy Italian Wedding Soup
• Easy Lasagna Soup
• Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup 
• Italian White Bean and Sausage Soup 

Get all of our favorite Healthy Soup Recipes plus our favorite tips and tricks to get the best soup!

I hope you give this Hearty Minestrone Soup a try! They are so easy to make and delicious!

If you do give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @allthehealthythings on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews and ratings help support All the Healthy Things and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you trust and love.

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Recipe by: Ashlea Carver / All the Healthy Things | Photography by: Sasha Hooper