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Minestrone Recipe

Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American
Keyword easy-minestrone, minestrone-recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 278kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup celery diced
  • 1 cup sliced baby carrots
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 1 medium zucchini cut into lengthwise into quarters and sliced
  • 4 medium cloves garlic minced
  • 1 32oz low sodium chicken stock plus additional as needed to thin
  • 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 15 oz can light red kidney beans drained
  • 1 15 oz can cannellini beans drained
  • 1 cup frozen or fresh cut green beans
  • 1 1/2 tsp dry Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional adjust to your taste)
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 medium bay leaves
  • 1 cup ditalini pasta (small tubular pasta)
  • 1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese for garnishing and toasted crusty bread for serving

Instructions

  • In a 6 quart Dutch oven or large heavy bottomed pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add carrot, celery, onion and zucchini. Cook for 6-8 minutes until softened and beginning to brown. Add garlic, cook for 1 minute longer.
  • To the pot add chicken stock, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes kidney beans, cannellini beans, green beans, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, thyme, sugar and bay leaves. Cook covered over medium heat for 15 minutes.
  • To the pot add ditalini pasta. Cover and cook over medium for an additional 10-15 minutes or until pasta is tender. Check thickness of soup adding additional stock to thin, if needed.
  • Remove bay leaves, add 1/4 cup parsley, mixing into the soup.
  • Serve immediately garnished with additional parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.

Notes

The thickness of the soup stock may vary slightly depending on how long and vigorously it's cooked. Have 1-2 cups of additional stock on hand to thin further at the end of cooking, adding more liquid to loosen up the soup, if needed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 278kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 733mg | Potassium: 286mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 3278IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1mg