vegetable soup

This Soup can Work as a Meal

Minestrone soup originated in Italy and translates to “big soup”. This is because typically it is made with an abundance of vegetables. Minestrone is a hearty vegetable soup that is made with a base of carrots, onions and celery. It also has pasta mixed in with the vegetables. Typically the vegetables used are whatever is in season. Sometimes the soup is very chunky and other times it is slightly thinner.

This Minestrone soup recipe could just as easily be called a Vegetable Stew. I add tons of broccoli, carrots, white beans, yellow squash and pasta so it is quite filling. Serve a smaller portion as an appetizer or a larger portion as a main dish for lunch or dinner. I love the spice that the pesto and touch of chili pepper add to the dish. I only put a touch of red pepper in the soup but you can add more if you like your food spicier.

This Minestrone Soup is super healthy. It’s loaded with vitamins and there is very little oil and absolutely no butter. The depth of flavor comes from the vegetables, spices and tomatoes simmering together. Feel free to add other vegetables to the soup like peas, string beans or kale. Use what you have in your refrigerator. The minestrone soup will be ready in about an hour and a half. You need to give it the time for all the flavors to come together. You will absolutely love the way your house smells when you are making this soup. My kids always come into the kitchen to see what’s cooking. I refrigerate the leftovers in individual portions so it is super easy to pop a bowl into the microwave for a healthy lunch or dinner.

You can refrigerate the vegetable soup for five days or put it in the freezer for up to two months. It is always a great idea to keep some soup in the freezer so you have a healthy meal to serve on a cold night.

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Hearty Minestrone Soup

Vegetable Soup with Pasta

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Total Time1 30

Course: Soup, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Soup, vegetarian

Servings: people

Calories: 217kcal

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
15 oz can white beans
¼ lb broccoli florets cut bite sized
1 yellow squash cut into cubes
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
2 cups water
1½ tbsp pesto
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
½ tsp oregano
1 bay leaf
¼ lb penne pasta cooked firm and cut in half

Instructions

heat olive oil in a large stock pot
add onion, carrot and celery and saute until onion is soft and translucent
stir in white beans, broccoli and yellow squash
add crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth and water
add pesto and remaining spices
simmer for 45 minutes stirring occasionally
add pasta and simmer for another 15 minutes
Remove bay leaf and discard
Spoon into bowls and serve with grated Parmigiana Reggiano on top

Notes

You can substitute a shorter pasta like Ditalini if you do not want to cut the penne in half.

Nutrition

White Beans and Kale make this soup a meal

A hearty soup is so perfect to prepare in the Fall and Winter months. This Tuscan White Bean soup has kale added to it so it is delicious and super healthy and packed with vitamins. I know that often when you think about making soup you imagine hours at the stove but this soup is very easy to prepare and can be ready in one hour. I use canned Cannellini beans so that I do not need to soak the beans for hours before starting to make the soup. I also use frozen chopped organic kale that I always keep in my freezer. You can absolutely use dry beans and soak them as directed and you can use fresh kale if you prefer. I wanted to simplify the recipe so that you had most of the ingredients already in your kitchen ready to go when you decide to make soup. In the Winter months I like to keep some vegetables like spinach and kale in my freezer so I always have the ability to throw together a soup, pasta or omelette if I get hungry and don’t feel like going out in the cold. You can buy packaged vegetables or buy fresh and freeze your own. Every Fall I buy ears of fresh corn at the farmer’s market and cut the kernels off and freeze small pre-portioned bags. The corn can be used all winter long and is perfect for sautéing with butter or adding to stews, pasta or salads.

I use chicken broth in this recipe and prosciutto but you can leave out the prosciutto and use vegetable broth if you would like to keep the soup vegetarian and vegan. The key to making the soup creamy and delicious is to puree one can of beans with 2 cups of the broth before adding the rest of the beans. So one can is pureed with some of the simmering broth and put back into the soup and then the other can of beans is drained and added whole to the soup. The result is a heartier soup with an ample amount of whole Cannellini beans. Please be careful during this step because broth will be hot.

After you add the beans it is time to add the kale. The soup is almost done at this point so you should taste it to see if you need to add more salt and pepper.

Can I Make This Soup Ahead of Time?

Yes! You can keep this soup for 5 days in your refrigerator. You can also freeze the soup if you want it to last longer. I do not like keeping soup frozen for more than 2 months so remember to write the date on the container before putting it in the freezer. This is a good habit anytime you put leftovers in the freezer or refrigerator.

What Should I Serve The Tuscan White Bean Soup With?

Serve this soup with a good amount of fresh grated Parmigiana Reggiano on top, some crusty Italian bread, a simple salad and you have a delicious, easy meal.