There’s nothing better than a bowl of this minestrone soup on a cold day! With vegetables, pasta and beans in a richly flavored broth, this is the soup recipe I make most often in my own kitchen.
The Secret to the Best Minestrone Soup
I could eat this minestrone soup every day in the fall and winter and never tire of it. It’s loaded with vegetables, perfectly seasoned and so satisfying thanks to the pasta, beans and veggies. Over the years I’ve made pot after pot of minestrone, until I landed on the perfect method and mix of ingredients for making this classic Italian soup.
The secret to making the best minestrone soup is to sauté the tomato paste, seasonings and potatoes for a few minutes in the pot with the soffritto (the mix of onion, carrots and celery) before adding the tomatoes and broth. This simple step intensifies the flavor of the seasonings to create the richly flavored broth that makes this soup so good. It’s especially important to cook off the raw flavor of the tomato paste – the heat in the dry pot caramelizes the natural sugars and cooks off any acidic flavor, so that all you’re left with is rich tomato favor. Buonissimo!
This was delicious. I loved the variety of vegetables, but none of them were overwhelming. I made it with my daughter who was skeptical, but ended up loving it. And my husband said 5 out of 5
Katrina
A Bit About the History of Minestrone
At its beginning, minestrone was likely a dish made to use up whatever vegetables, grains, and scraps people had on hand to make a hearty soup. The name minestrone comes from the Italian “minestra,” (soup) and the suffix “one,” (big), so minestrone roughly translates to “big soup.” Traditionally, minestrone didn’t include tomatoes, those were introduced later.
I believe the real beauty of minestrone is that it’s a great “use what you have” (or what you like) recipe – I’ve given you some recipe variation ideas below.
Ingredient Notes
My minestrone recipe uses a simple mix of dried pantry seasonings plus fire roasted tomatoes to give it the best flavor. It’s also important to use plenty of olive oil when cooking the onion, carrots and celery to bring richness to the soup – I use a full 3 tablespoons.
Here are a few notes about key ingredients. Find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card below.
- Onion, Carrots & Celery: These three aromatic vegetables are called a soffritto in Italian cooking, and they create the first layer of flavor in this minestrone recipe.
- Potatoes: Yukon gold potatoes work best here because they hold their shape without falling apart, and their rich, buttery flavor is delicious in this soup. You don’t need to peel them, since their skins are tender and thin.
- Garlic: Plenty of fresh garlic brings delicious flavor to this Italian soup.
- Seasonings: You’ll need dried oregano, dried basil, Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper.
- Tomato Paste: Thickens the broth and adds richness.
- Vegetable Broth: I recommend using low sodium broth so that you can better control the amount of salt in the soup.
- Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes: I just love the added flavor that fire roasted tomatoes bring to this soup. If you can’t find them, regular diced tomatoes can be substituted.
- Zucchini: Or see my suggestions for other vegetables to use in the recipe variations section below.
- Pasta: Any short pasta shape will work, such as ditalini, small shells, elbow pasta or orecchiette. You can use either white or whole wheat pasta.
- Beans: Use kidney beans, cannellini beans, or other small white beans.
How to Make Minestrone Soup
Some chopping, a bit of stirring, then let it simmer on the stove… these are the easy steps to making minestrone soup!
In a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot, sauté the onion, carrot and celery in olive oil.
Add the potatoes, seasonings and tomato paste. Cook, while stirring, for 2 minutes to cook off some of the raw tomato flavor. This step is key for developing a soup with deep, rich flavor, so don’t skip it!
Stir in the broth, diced tomatoes and zucchini. Then bring the soup to a boil. Cover the pot and cook at a simmer for 20 minutes.
Stir in the pasta and beans. Then cover the pot again and simmer until the pasta is cooked to al dente and the vegetables are tender. Stir the soup every few minutes to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Taste the soup and season it with additional salt and pepper if needed. Then serve and enjoy! I like to serve this soup with some grated Parmesan cheese on top. You can also stir in a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten up the flavors, or a pinch of red pepper flakes for a bit of heat.
Recipe Variations
This is a great clean out your fridge/freezer/pantry recipe, and you can toss in whatever veggies you need to use up. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Vegetables: Try green beans (fresh or frozen), spinach, cabbage, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, yellow squash or peas. If using spinach, stir it into the soup after the soup simmers. Frozen peas can be stirred in along with the pasta and beans.
- Grains: Try adding barley, farro or rice instead of pasta. I recommend cooking these grains in a separate pot and then stirring the cooked grains into the finished soup.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, omit the pasta or substitute it with brown rice. Since brown rice takes longer to cook than pasta, add it to the soup along with the broth, tomatoes and zucchini, or cook it in a separate pot.
- Prefer to use your Instant Pot? Try my Instant Pot Minestrone Soup.
What to Serve with Minestrone Soup
Here are my go-to’s for serving with this minestrone soup:
- I always have some kind of bread on the table, either homemade sourdough, Garlic Knots, Homemade Breadsticks or Garlic Bread.
- For a soup and salad dinner, try my Italian Chopped Salad or my simple Green Salad.
Storage & Reheating Tips
The flavors of this soup are even better on the second day, after they’ve had time to meld. The pasta will soak up more of the broth over time, which creates a deliciously thick and hearty soup. I love it this way, but feel free to stir in a little more broth when reheating leftovers if you prefer a more brothy soup.
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Let cool completely and then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. The texture of the pasta and vegetables will be softer after freezing and reheating.
- To Reheat: Reheat in a covered pot on the stove over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Or reheat in the microwave.
More Favorite Soup Recipes
Try one of these homemade soup recipes next:
Made this recipe? I’d truly appreciate if you leave a comment and star rating below! Your review will help others who want to try this recipe. Thank you! 💛
Best Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds or half rounds
- 3 ribs celery, chopped
- 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, unpeeled, chopped into ½-inch pieces, approximately ½ pound of potatoes
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 6 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 28 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 medium zucchini, chopped into ½-inch pieces
- ¾ cup dry short pasta shapes, such as ditalini, small shells or elbow pasta
- 15 ounces cannellini beans, kidney beans or small white beans, rinsed and drained
- grated Parmesan cheese, optional, for serving
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring often, for about 8 minutes.3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 medium yellow onion, 3 medium carrots, 3 ribs celery
- Add the potatoes, garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and tomato paste. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, 4 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ cup tomato paste
- Add the broth, fire roasted diced tomatoes and zucchini. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.6 cups low sodium vegetable broth, 28 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes, 1 medium zucchini
- Stir in the pasta and beans. Simmer, covered, stirring every few minutes (to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot), until the pasta is cooked to al dente and the vegetables are tender, about 8-12 minutes. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.¾ cup dry short pasta shapes, 15 ounces cannellini beans, kidney beans or small white beans
Notes
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- This recipe is easily adaptable to use other vegetables. Try green beans (fresh or frozen), spinach, cabbage, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, yellow squash or peas. If using spinach, stir it in at the end, once the soup is done cooking. Frozen peas can be stirred in along with the pasta and beans.
- You can add brown rice, barley or farro instead of pasta. Since brown rice takes longer to cook than pasta, add it to the soup along with the broth, tomatoes and zucchini or cook it in a separate pot. Cook barley or farro in a separate pot and then stir into the cooked soup.
I originally shared this recipe in February 2022. Post updated October 2025 with more helpful information, but the same great recipe.
We tried this recipe before, and it was amazing! We weren’t sure if we could find it again, but did because we recognized the ingredients. Exceptional soup, so glad we can make it again and put in the freezer for this winter!
So easy, so good and so forgiving. While making it, I didn’t put in all the vegetable broth at the beginning but added at the end without affecting the flavor. Definitely a keep and will make again!!
I can’t find Fire Roasted Tomatoes in my grocery store in Ontario. Where do you get it?
Most grocery stores here carry them. You could try Amazon, or you can substitute regular diced tomatoes.
I made this for National Homemade Soup Day. I didn’t have Yukon Gold potatoes, so I subbed a half head of cabbage. It was easy and quick to make with terrific flavor!
Love this delicious, easy and versatile soup! It is really hearty and has tons of flavor and was just perfect with some homemade sourdough bread.
This was delicious. I loved the variety of vegetables, but none of them were
Overwhelming. I made it with my daughter who was skeptical, but ended up loving it. And my husband said 5 out of 5
Delicious recipe. The soup packs a lot of flavor and makes the whole house smell wonderful. It did take longer than the estimated time on the recipe, so be sure to allow more than one hour from start to finish.
This was absolutely the best Minestrone soup I have ever made! I was hesitant with the potatoes, but followed along and it was an important part of the soup, as mentioned! I didn’t have fire-roasted tom’s on hand, so just used regular and in place of oregano, I used rosemary… I’m just a huge fan of it, so there you go! Added 1/3 cup of orzo pasta, and red kidney beans. I was concerned the soup was too thin, but in following the order of adding ingredients, the soup seemed to thicken up as I went along. I could NOT stop eating it!!! Thank you so much!! Wonderful recipe!
This was my first time making this soup and it was delicious! The grated Parmesan cheese on top was just the right touch!
Excellent hearty soup! Love the mix of flavors – perfect for a cozy fall night:)
I have made this three times since I saw the recipe in the October challenge, but I kept forgetting to send a picture. I love this soup.
Mahalo from Hawai’i
Lelepoki
Amazing soup!! I’ve been following you for a few months and made some of your recipes. YUMMO! Thanks so much!