Hearty Italian Vegetable Soup (Printable format)

Hearty Italian soup with pasta, beans, tomatoes, and fresh vegetables. Comforting and wholesome in 50 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 large onion, diced
03 - 2 celery stalks, diced
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
07 - 1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
08 - 1 cup baby spinach or chopped kale

→ Base & Liquids

09 - 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
10 - 6 cups vegetable broth
11 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste

→ Pasta & Beans

12 - 3/4 cup small pasta such as ditalini or elbow
13 - 1 can (15 oz) cannellini or kidney beans, drained and rinsed

→ Herbs & Seasonings

14 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
15 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
16 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
17 - 1 bay leaf
18 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
19 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley plus more for garnish

# How-To Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in minced garlic, diced zucchini, and green beans. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
03 - Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, vegetable broth, oregano, basil, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
04 - Add pasta and beans to the pot. Cook for 10 minutes or until pasta reaches al dente texture.
05 - Stir in spinach or kale and fresh parsley. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until greens are wilted.
06 - Remove bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls, garnish with additional parsley, and serve hot.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It's a one pot wonder that feels infinitely more nourishing than the sum of its simple parts.
  • You can absolutely make it your own by swapping whatever vegetables are lurking in your crisper drawer.
  • This soup gets better after a day in the fridge, so it's perfect for meal prep without any fuss.
02 -
  • Don't overcrowd the pot when you first sauté the vegetables, or they'll steam instead of caramelize, and your soup loses that foundational sweetness.
  • Add the pasta at the very end because it keeps absorbing liquid as it sits, and nobody wants gluey minestrone the next day.
  • If you're making this ahead, store the pasta separately and add it fresh when you reheat, then your soup will taste like you just made it.
03 -
  • Toast the herbs slightly in the hot oil before adding your vegetables for a deeper, more rounded flavor that tastes less like dried herbs.
  • If your broth is underseasoned, add a small spoonful of tomato paste or a squeeze of lemon juice to wake it up instead of just dumping in more salt.
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