I really love a hardy Italian Minestrone soup from an authentic Italian restaurant. I have never had a canned minestrone soup that has ever quite captured the same authentic restaurant flavour. So, because I love making and discovering new soup recipes, I set out to create my own version of minestrone soup.
One thing that I think is so great about this recipe is that it’s such a great way to use up vegetables in your crisper and beans and pasta in your pantry. This minestrone soup recipe is a great vegetarian option and you can follow the recipe as is – or adjust the vegetables based on your liking.
One tip that I learned years ago from watching cooking shows and reading cooking books was the wonderful addition of leftover parmesan rinds to the soup while cooking. This adds a really nice buttery flavour and creaminess to the broth. So next time you get a nice chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano – be sure to save those rinds! This recipe makes about 6 to 8 servings, freezes very well, and is great to pack into individual containers to just grab for lunch.
I think this soup recipe is wonderfully hardy and hope you like it too! Want to try some other hardy soups? Why not try Vegetable Beef or French Onion.
Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves finely chopped garlic
- 1 medium white onion finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery finely chopped
- 2 carrots finely chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped green beans
- 1 can diced tomatoes 14 ounce
- 1 can white kidney beans 14 ounce
- 4 to 5 cups vegetable broth 900 ml tetra pack
- 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes or passata
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 or 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 tbsp oregano or half teaspoon dried
- 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- 1 or 2 ounce parmesan cheese rind
- 1 tsp sea salt or to taste
- 1 tsp ground pepper or to taste
- 1/4 tsp chili pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup Ditali pasta or whatever small pasta you like
Instructions
- Add olive oil and garlic to large soup pot and heat to medium. Add the onions until there are transparent, and then toss in chopped carrots and celery, Cook for about 5 minutes stirring regularly.
- Toss in all remaining ingredients except the pasta and let simmer for about 45 minutes on medium-low heat to cook through the vegetables and let the spices get a chance to build up the flavour of broth.
- Toss in the pasta and let it cook for about 15 more minutes or until softened. I suggest doing a taste test before serving to make sure it is spiced correctly as you can always adjust if needed.
- When ready to serve, remove the bay leaves, cheese rind and the sprigs of thyme.
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