Vegetable Minestrone Variations (Printable)

Hearty Italian soup with seasonal vegetables, pasta, and beans, easily adapted for any season.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium onion, diced
03 - 2 carrots, diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 1 small zucchini, diced (summer) or 1 small butternut squash, diced (winter)
06 - 1 cup green beans, chopped or 1 cup chopped kale/spinach in winter
07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
09 - 1 medium potato, peeled and diced (optional)

→ Broth & Beans

10 - 6 cups vegetable broth
11 - 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini or borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
12 - 3.5 ounces small pasta (ditalini, elbow, or shells)
13 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ Herbs & Seasonings

14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
16 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
17 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving
18 - Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery; sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in minced garlic, diced zucchini or squash, and green beans or kale. Cook for 3 minutes.
03 - Add diced tomatoes, diced potato if using, and bay leaf. Cook for 2 minutes, then pour in the vegetable broth.
04 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
05 - Add drained beans and pasta. Simmer uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes, or until pasta and vegetables are tender.
06 - Season with oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Remove the bay leaf and stir in chopped fresh parsley.
07 - Ladle into bowls and top with grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve with crusty bread and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like comfort in a bowl, the kind of soup that somehow knows exactly what you need.
  • You can build it from whatever vegetables are hanging around your kitchen, making it practically impossible to get wrong.
  • It comes together in under an hour but tastes like you've been simmering it all afternoon.
02 -
  • Don't skip sautéing the aromatics; those first five minutes are what prevent this from tasting watery and sad.
  • Add the pasta and beans near the end so they don't turn to mush and absorb all your broth.
03 -
  • Add the pasta toward the end so it doesn't turn to mush and turn your broth into something thick and pasty.
  • If you happen to have a Parmesan rind hiding in your fridge, toss it in while the soup simmers for a depth of flavor that will make people ask what your secret is.
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