Minestrone Soup

Whether I'm looking for a hearty lunch or a comforting dinner, it’s difficult to beat a big bowl of minestrone, topped with a mountain of grated Parmesan and served with a hunk of crusty sourdough bread. It’s one of the most nourishing, fulfilling, deeply satisfying soups you’ll encounter. The deep, rich tomato broth combined with the mirepoix veggies, zucchini, shells, and kale ensures variety in every spoonful. Once you’ve tried my recipe, you just might become your family’s very own minestrone connoisseur.

What Is Minestrone Soup?

Filled with beans, greens, pasta (or rice), and chunky vegetables in a richly flavored tomato broth, this hearty soup is pure Italian comfort food. No single recipe dictates minestrone, so it can easily accommodate nearly any seasonal ingredients you have on hand. What sets it apart from your run-of-the-mill veggie soup is the use of a Parmesan rind (you do save your rinds, right!) to infuse the broth with megatons of savory umami flavor.

How To Make Minestrone Soup

INGREDIENTS

• The pasta: I went with small shells because they are great at absorbing the flavors of the soup, and I love the way they cup the broth—like miniature soup bowls! Ditalini—a small, tube-shaped pasta—is traditional in Italy and well worth giving a try.
• The mirepoix: So many soups rely on the onion to carrot to celery ratio (two parts onion to one part each celery and carrot), and minestrone is one of them. The onion is cut into medium pieces that hold up throughout the duration of cooking but also slightly melt into the broth. Make sure to cut the carrots and celery the same width so they can cook evenly together. Tip: You don’t need to peel your carrots. Just give them a good scrub and trim the ends.
• The tomatoes: Make sure you’re purchasing good-quality canned tomatoes, even if it means spending an extra buck. I recommend Cento or Bianco di Napoli brands, but brands that state “DOP,” or protected designation of origin, are bound to be good.
• The broth: There are so many chicken broth brands made with yeast extract, sugar, and vegetable concentrate. What does all that have to do with chicken broth, anyway? Kettle and Fire, Swanson, and College Inn are few quality brands worth seeking out.
• The cheese: Use your Parmesan rind to add a little more salty-savory character. Don’t remove it once the soup has come off the heat either—leave it in to keep the flavor going. If you happen to have leftovers, store the rind right in the soup.
• The beans: No need to drain the liquid—add the entire can. The bean broth will give the soup a bit of extra body.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

This soup, like many soups, starts with a mirepoix of onion, celery, and carrots. In a minestrone, however, these aromatic vegetables are left nice and chunky, so they remain toothsome. Cook the mirepoix just until softened, not browned, and be sure to season it generously with salt.

Once mirepoix vegetables are tender, add the tomato paste. Like Parmesan, tomato paste is an umami bomb—especially when given a chance to caramelize. So, stir in the tomato paste and be sure to cook it until it has darkened to a brick red. That done, add the chicken broth, canned tomatoes, and Parmesan rind (I know it's optional, but don't skip it!) and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the soup is slightly thickened.

Almost finished! Add zucchini and the beans and cook until the zucchini is tender. Stir in the kale, basil, and cooked pasta and you're done!

Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, and pass the Parm!

Full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• What do I do with the Parmesan rind? Think of the rind like a cheesy bay leaf—it contributes tons of flavor but makes for lousy eating. In other words, the rind belongs in the soup pot, not the soup bowls.
• What’s the difference between minestrone and pasta e fagioli? Ingredient-wise, the two vegetable-centric tomato-and-broth-based soups are on similar planes. Both start with a mirepoix of onions, celery, and carrots, but minestrone tends to be lighter and more brothy, while pasta e fagioli is more starchy and stewy.

Variations

Looking to get creative with this classic soup? Bulk it up with our creamy tortellini minestrone, or turn to our copycat Olive Garden minestrone soup if you want to make that version in the comfort of your own home.

Storage

All of that broth makes you full a little faster, so unless you’re making a tiny batch for two, you might have some leftovers. Store this soup in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Freeze up to 2 weeks in individual containers, bring to room temperature, and reheat over medium-low heat.