Minestrone soup is so hearty it can stand on its own as a main dish. I fell in love with minestrone at the Olive Garden, so this is a pretty darn close attempt at copying the classic Italian soup. Minestrone soup is not just tasty, it’s healthy as well! The delicious tomato-y broth is chock-full of vegetables and beans. Made in one-pot, healthy minestrone is a great option for a quick weeknight dinner as the weather starts to cool off.
Notes
- Noodles are notorious for sucking up liquid. As your leftover minestrone sits in the fridge, you may notice that your noodles are slowly absorbing your broth. If this is a problem for you, add more broth to the soup. Alternatively, cook your pasta in a separate pot in stock or water, add to individual portions, and store it separately.
- Switch up the Vegetables: Yellow squash, sweet potatoes, kale, spinach, butternut squash, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, and potatoes all make fine additions or substitutions.
Ingredients
- 2 medium carrots - diced into small cubes
- 2 small zucchini - diced into small cubes
- ½ large onion - diced into small cubes
- 6 celery sticks - diced into small cubes
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 15-ounce can great northern beans - drained
- 1 15-ounce can Kidney beans - drained
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon dry basil
- ½ cup macaroni
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups water
- parmesan cheese - to serve
- pesto - to serve
- crusty bread - to serve
Instructions
- Heat a dutch oven over medium-high, add the olive oil and heat until shimmering.
- Add zucchini, carrots, celery and onions and sautee for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables soften.
- Add the diced tomatoes.
- Stir in the Italian seasoning and dry basil.
- Add the vegetable broth, noodles, kidney and Great Northen beans. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Depending on the thickness of the soup, you can add 2 more cups of water to the mix.
- Press garlic into the mixture and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Serve with grated parmesan, pesto, and crusty bread.