This Minestrone Soup recipe is quick, easy, healthy, and is perfect any time of year!
Soup.
That’s my answer to the question, “What do you feel like eating?” about 95% of the time, especially this time of year. Give me a warm bowl of soup, and I’m going to be a happy girl. 
I think I was meant to be Italian because all of my favorite foods originate in Italy. When it comes to soup, Minestrone Soup is probably my all-time favorite. Throw whatever vegetables and beans you have on hand into a pot? YES, this is my kind of soup.
This Minestrone Soup recipe also includes pasta because, well, I think just about everything is better with pasta. For the vegetables I use onion, carrot, and celery (essential) and parsnip and zucchini (totally negotiable). And tomatoes, of course. The beans are kidney beans, but use cannellini or navy beans if you prefer.
Minestrone Soup Recipe Ingredients
What I’m saying is that this Minestrone Soup recipe is flexible. Use what you have on hand or what’s in season or what you love. If you really want to make it sing, throw a parmesan rind in there. You will be really happy you did because of the flavor it imparts. Really, really happy. 
Whether you’re making this with grocery store vegetables in the winter or garden fresh vegetables in the spring or summer, this Minestrone Soup recipe is quick and easy to make. It’ll keep you warm in the winter and eating all of your fresh vegetables in the summer. Go make it!
How to Make This Minestrone Soup Recipe
Minestrone Soup Recipe
Use whatever vegetables and beans you have on hand to make this quick and easy Minestrone Soup recipe!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 37 minutes
- Total Time: 47 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 carrot chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 1 cup chopped parsnip or other hard vegetable
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 cups stock, vegetable or chicken
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes with basil
- 1 bay leave
- rind from parmesan cheese
- 1 cup chopped zucchini or other soft vegetable
- 1/2 cup small pasta, such as tubetti
- 2 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley leaves
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the parsnip and season everything well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook the parsnip with the onion, carrot, and celery for an additional 2 minutes.
- Stir in the stock, tomatoes, bay leaf, and the parmesan rind if you are using it and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the zucchini and pasta and bring to a simmer again, and simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Stir in the beans and garlic and simmer another 5 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf and parmesan rind and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
Hard vegetable substitution ideas: potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, turnips
Soft vegetable substitution ideas: green beans, summer squash, baby spinach, kale
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 241
- Sugar: 10.5 grams
- Fat: 8.3 grams
- Carbohydrates: 36.8 grams
- Protein: 7.4 grams
This post was first published in January 2018. A video was added November 2019.
If you make this Minestrone Soup recipe, I would LOVE to see it!
Please take a pic and share it on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @happyhealthymama ?
Also, if you try it, would you mind rating the recipe? It’s VERY helpful for me and other readers if the recipes have ratings and reviews. I appreciate you!
If you’d like to save this recipe for later, here’s an image to save to your Pinterest recipe board.
If you love soup as much as I do, check out some of my other favorite soup recipes!
Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup with Zucchini and Corn
Curried Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup
Leftover Turkey and Wild Rice Soup
Cauliflower Soup with Coconut, Turmeric, and Lime
This is totally my kind of meal, I definitely need to try this! 🙂