Basic Minestrone Soup Recipes

CLASSIC MINESTRONE SOUP

Steps:

• Warm 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, tomato paste and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables have softened and the onions are turning translucent, about 7 to 10 minutes.
• Add the seasonal vegetables, garlic, oregano and thyme. Cook until fragrant while stirring frequently, about 2 minutes.
• Pour in the diced tomatoes and their juices, broth and water. Add the salt, bay leaves and red pepper flakes. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper.
• Raise heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, then partially cover the pot with the lid, leaving about a 1" gap for steam to escape. Reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer.
• Cook for 15 minutes, then remove the lid and add the pasta, beans and greens. Continue simmering, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until the the pasta is cooked al dente and the greens are tender.
• Remove the pot from the heat, then remove the bay leaves. Stir in the lemon juice and remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Taste and season with more salt (I usually add about 1/4 teaspoon more) and pepper until the flavors really sing. Garnish bowls of soup with grated Parmesan, if you'd like.

MINESTRONE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add the celery and carrot and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the green beans, dried oregano and basil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste; cook 3 more minutes.
• Add the diced and crushed tomatoes and the chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in the kidney beans and pasta and cook until the pasta and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt. Ladle into bowls and top with the parmesan and chopped basil.

THE BEST MINESTRONE SOUP

Steps:

• Add olive oil to a large pot or dutch oven and place over medium high heat. Add in diced onion, celery, sliced carrots and potatoes. Saute for 3-5 minutes or until onions soften.
• Next add in crushed tomatoes, kidney beans, vegetable broth, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Cover and cook on medium low for 10-15 minutes.
• Next stir in the green beans, spinach and pasta. Cook uncovered for 8-12 more minutes or until pasta is al dente and green beans are tender. Pour into a bowl and serve with parmesan cheese on top. I also like to serve mine with garlic bread, crostinis or crackers. Personally I think soup makes amazing leftovers and is even more delicious the next day.

BASIC MINESTRONE SOUP

Steps:

• In a large soup pot over medium heat add olive oil, butter, garlic and onion. Saute until onion is soft. Add carrots, celery, potato and saute about 5 minutes more. Add tomatoes, oregano, salt and chicken broth. Bring heat up to simmer. Cover and cook 30 minutes. Add corn, green beans and kidney beans and simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in fresh basil, black pepper, and serve with freshly grated parmesan on top.

EASY MINESTRONE SOUP

Steps:

• In a large pot, sauté onions, garlic, carrots and celery in olive oil over medium heat for about 10 minutes until translucent.
• While vegetables are cooking, drain + rinse beans.
• Add tomato sauce, spices, stock and water to the pot, bring to a boil. If you're using a parmesan cheese rind, add it now.
• Once soup is boiling, add raw pasta. Cook uncovered until pasta is al dente, about 7-8 minutes (depending on pasta directions). Do NOT overcook the pasta, because it will continue to cook slightly after you take it off the heat
• Once pasta is cooked, stir in cooked beans and raw spinach. Serve + enjoy!
• Notes: the pasta will absorb a significant amount of the liquid. Add more broth if you like a thinner soup
• Sauté onion, carrot, celery and garlic on regular sauté for about 2 minutes.
• While vegetables are cooking, drain + rinse beans.
• Add in the spices, water and broth. Pour the tomatoes on top. Do not stir it.
• Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes and do a quick release.
• While soup cooks, boil a separate pot of water and cook your pasta. Do not cook your pasta In the instant pot with everything else, it will over cook.
• Once pressure has been released, stir in cooked beans, raw spinach, pasta and serve!
• In a large pot, sauté onions, garlic, celery and carrots in olive oil over medium heat for about 10 minutes until translucent. Add to crockpot base.
• While vegetables are cooking, drain + rinse beans.
• Add tomato sauce, spices, stock and water. Stir and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
• 10 minutes before serving, stir in raw pasta. Cover and set to high. Your pasta may need 5-10 more minutes depending on cook time.
• When ready to serve, stir in cooked beans and raw spinach.

CONTEST-WINNING EASY MINESTRONE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute the carrots, celery and onion in oil and butter until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer., Stir in the broth, tomato sauce, beans, chickpeas, tomatoes, cabbage, basil, parsley, oregano and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add macaroni; cook, uncovered, 6-8 minutes or until macaroni and vegetables are tender., Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with cheese. Freeze option: Before adding cheese, freeze cooled soup in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little broth or water if necessary.

ITALIAN MINESTRONE SOUP

Steps:

• In a large pot add a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, roughly chopped onion, carrots, celery, garlic clove, and pancetta cubes. Sautee on medium heat for a few minutes stirring a couple of times in the process.
• Add potatoes, butternut squash, tomatoes, bay leaf, rosemary sprigs and a couple of pinches of salt.
• Give a nice stir and add enough water to cover all the veggies.Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for 40 minutes. Add more liquid if needed.
• Past this time veggies will become super soft and will "melt" one into another creating delicious creamy texture.
• Once veggies are cooked add chopped savoy cabbage or other leafy greens and drained canned beans. Add more water if needed. Give a nice stir and cook for another 15 minutes.
• As a last step, add pasta or rice. Let cook for 5-15 more minutes depending on how long pasta or rice will take to cook.
• If you're not planning to serve minestrone right away, don't add pasta or rice immediately.Instead, bring the soup to a boil when you're ready to serve it and then add pasta or rice.
• Minestrone is ready to serve when pasta (rice) is cooked. I takes about 5-6 minutes for ditalini pasta and about 15 minutes for rice.
• Serve hot or warm generously topped with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

SIMPLE ITALIAN MINESTRONE SOUP

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add onions, carrots and celery. Raise heat to medium-high, if you need to, and cook, tossing regularly, until the veggies soften a bit (about 5 minutes or so). Add the garlic and cook another minute, tossing regularly.
• Add the zucchini or yellow squash and green beans. Season with paprika, rosemary, and a generous pinch of kosher salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
• Now add the crushed tomatoes, broth, fresh thyme, bay leaf and Parmesan rind (if using.) Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and partially cover the pot. Let simmer for about 20 minutes or so.
• Uncover the pot and add the kidney beans. Cook for another 5 to 10 minutes.
• Finally, Stir in the parsley and fresh basil. And, if serving immediately, stir in the cooked pasta and simmer ever so briefly till the pasta is warmed through; do not overcook. (See Cook's Tip #2)
• Remove the cheese rind and bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. Serve the minestrone hot in dinner bowls with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan (optional.)

EASY MINESTRONE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add celery, carrots, and onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion begins to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add vegetable broth, marinara sauce, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until carrots are soft, about 10 minutes.
• Add pasta and zucchini. Cook until pasta is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in beans, kale, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat and allow soup to cool slightly. Spoon into individual bowls and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

EASY MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Cook and stir garlic in hot oil until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add onion; cook and stir until slightly softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in carrots until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Pour chicken broth and diced tomatoes into onion mixture; bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add red wine, reduce heat to low, and stir green beans, pinto beans, spinach, basil, oregano, salt, and black pepper into broth mixture. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook seashell pasta in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and stir pasta into soup. Ladle soup into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese.