Vegetable Minestrone Variations (Printable Version)

Hearty Italian soup with seasonal vegetables, pasta, and beans for year-round enjoyment.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium onion, diced
03 - 2 carrots, diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 1 small zucchini, diced (summer) or 1 small butternut squash, diced (winter)
06 - 1 cup green beans, chopped or 1 cup chopped kale/spinach (winter)
07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
09 - 1 medium potato, peeled and diced (optional)

→ Broth & Beans

10 - 6 cups vegetable broth
11 - 1 can (14 ounces) cannellini or borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
12 - 3.5 ounces small pasta (ditalini, elbow, or shells)
13 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ Herbs & Seasonings

14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
16 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
17 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving
18 - Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery; sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in minced garlic, diced zucchini or squash, and green beans or kale. Cook for 3 minutes until fragrant.
03 - Add diced tomatoes, diced potato if using, and bay leaf. Cook for 2 minutes, then pour in vegetable broth.
04 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
05 - Add beans and pasta. Simmer uncovered for 10-12 minutes until pasta and vegetables are tender.
06 - Season with oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Remove the bay leaf and stir in chopped fresh parsley.
07 - Ladle into bowls and top with grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve with crusty bread and extra virgin olive oil.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It stretches whatever vegetables you have on hand, so nothing goes to waste and your grocery budget stays happy.
  • The soup tastes even better the next day because the flavors have time to actually get to know each other.
  • You can make a big batch and eat well for days without feeling like you're repeating yourself.
02 -
  • Don't add the pasta too early or it'll turn to mush—add it in the last 12 minutes so it stays tender but not disintegrated.
  • If you forget to rinse your canned beans, you'll end up with a starchy, cloudy soup instead of a clear broth that lets the vegetables shine.
  • Dried herbs taste completely different from fresh ones—never swap them 1 to 1 or you'll either over-flavor or under-flavor the whole pot.
03 -
  • Keep the broth at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil, so the vegetables stay intact and the flavors develop evenly instead of boiling away.
  • Add fresh herbs at the very end—they're your final word on flavor and they lose their brightness if they cook too long in the pot.
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