Minestrone
Italian vegetable, bean & pasta soup
Seasonal vegetables and white beans simmer in a light tomato broth, with small pasta adding substance to this Italian soup.
White beans & a mix of vegetablesVegetables first,
a bowl that changes.
Minestrone is a substantial vegetable soup whose ingredients change with the season and the cook. Onion, carrot and celery provide a gently sweet base, with beans and sometimes small pasta or rice adding body. The vegetables should still be recognizable in the bowl.
There are many Italian regional preparations, so the broad name does not identify a single Tuscan recipe. This home version uses cooked cannellini beans, potatoes, green vegetables and a small amount of pasta in tomato broth. It is vegetable-led, with enough liquid left to spoon around the pieces.
Explore by food: Pasta · Soups · Vegetables & cheese
Let’s make minestrone.
A defined vegetable-and-bean version with small pasta, using cooked beans so no soaking is hidden in the timing.
Six soup portions; starts with cooked, drained beans.
What you’ll need
- 30 mlextra-virgin olive oil
- 1 mediumonion, about 150 g, diced
- 150 gcarrots, diced
- 100 gcelery, sliced
- 2 clovesgarlic, finely chopped
- 200 gpotatoes, peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes
- 400 gcanned chopped tomatoes with their juice
- 1.2 llow-sodium vegetable broth
- 1bay leaf
- 150 gzucchini, diced
- 100 ggreen beans, trimmed and cut into 2 cm pieces
- 240 gcooked cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 80 gdried ditalini
- 80 gfrozen peas
- 50 gspinach leaves, roughly chopped
- 250 mlwater, for adjusting the soup
- 1 tbspchopped parsley
- to tastefine salt and black pepper
Small, evenly cut vegetables cook more predictably. The pasta absorbs broth as it stands; use the measured water to keep a spoonable soup rather than a dry stew.
How to make it
- 01
Soften the base
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until softened. Stir in garlic for 1 minute.
- 02
Start the broth
Add potatoes, tomatoes, broth and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are nearly tender.
- 03
Add pasta and vegetables
Add zucchini, green beans, cannellini beans and ditalini. Simmer gently for the pasta’s packet time, usually 10–12 minutes, stirring often. Add peas and spinach for the final 3 minutes. All vegetables should be tender and the pasta al dente.
- 04
Rest and serve
Remove the bay leaf. Add some or all of the 250 ml water if the soup is too thick, and bring back to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat, stand for 5 minutes, then stir in parsley and serve.
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