Classic Italian Vegetable Minestrone Soup
Easy Italian minestrone is a delicious and healthy homemade vegetable soup to make with pantry staples. Like all soups, this minestrone makes delicious leftovers!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups (256 g) chopped carrots (3 large or 6 small carrots)
- ½ cup (80 g) chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic cloves
- 3 celery stalks chopped
- 1 fennel bulb trimmed and chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes
- 2 15-ounce cans kidney or cannellini beans (or 1 of each), drained
- 1 bay leaf
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- ½ pound (225 g) green beans cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 ½ cups (90 g) small dried pasta elbows, small shells or ditalini
- 2 cups (80 g) dark leafy greens such as spinach chard or kale, roughly chopped
- Grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large (5 or 6 quart) soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and onion and cook 5 minutes, stirring. Add the garlic, celery and fennel and cook a few minutes more to soften.
- Stir in the tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, beans, bay leaf, 2 teaspoons salt and black pepper to taste. Pour in 6 cups water and bring to a simmer. Partially cover the pot and cook 25 minutes at a simmer.
- Add the green beans and pasta. Cook until the pasta is al dente. Turn off the heat and stir in the greens.
- Taste the soup for seasoning. Serve warm with grated cheese.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 232kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 6gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 86mgPotassium: 556mgFiber: 5gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 8428IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 74mgIron: 2mg