Easy Minestrone Soup

This amazing minestrone Italian soup is packed with veggies and full of flavor! Whether you make it on the stovetop, in the slow cooker, or in the Instant Pot, you’ll have a hearty, delicious bowl of soup to tuck into!

Do you ever look at a recipe and think it sounds AMAZING, except your picky eaters are probably going to hate it and it’s going to be a waste of time to make it?

I do ALL THE TIME. In fact, when my husband and I first got married, he straight-up told me the only soup he would eat would be Campbell’s chicken noodle. From the can. Period. End of discussion.

Well… being the awesome new wife that I was, I didn’t listen and made him this classic minestrone soup recipe for dinner, and you know what? HE LOVED IT!

Here we are several years later, and he STILL requests this Italian minestrone soup for dinner!

While I don’t know if it’s true for EVERY recipe, making this minestrone was definitely not a waste of time!

CLASSIC MINESTRONE ITALIAN SOUP

I love making this particular minestrone Italian soup because it’s CRAZY easy. You literally dump everything in a pot and let it cook while you happily walk away to do something else.

But I also love this Italaian vegetable soup recipe because:

• My kids love it too, which is saying something for a soup packed with veggies!
• It’s freezer-friendly and easy to double.
• Adaptable for whatever cooking method you want to use: the stove-top, slow cooker, or the Instant Pot.
• It’s super versatile! Use the vegetables, beans, and pasta you have on hand.
• It’s easy to add MORE vegetables!

The best reason to make minestrone Italian soup? You can have it on the table in under an hour! (Less if you prep ahead of time!)

HEALTHY VEGETARIAN MINESTRONE SOUP INGREDIENTS

It feels like you need a lot of ingredients for minestrone soup, but they’re pretty basic and straightforward (and a lot better than Olive Garden!):

• Extra-virgin olive oil. To sauté the veggies.
• Carrots + celery stalks + onion + garlic. The base of your soup flavor.
• Chicken stock. Homemade is best, and Instant Pot Chicken Stock is EASY. Vegetable broth works too!
• Diced tomatoes + white beans. To round out the base of the soup. Cannellini beans, navy beans, and great northern beans are all good options! Red kidney beans work in a pinch too.
• Spices. Bay leaf + sage + salt + black pepper.
• Kale (or spinach). Adding greens to soup is an easy way to up the veggie content!
• Small pasta. Elbow macaroni or small shells are perfect. For my gluten-free friends, try gluten-free pasta like rotini, or omit the pasta and add an extra cup of beans for a delicious gluten-free minestrone soup.
• Parmesan cheese (optional, but good!). Minestrone soup is a perfect opportunity to use the Parmesan cheese rind.
• Tomato paste. But only if you have some leftover in the fridge (and here’s how to freeze tomato paste!). This adds extra tomato-y flavor to the minestrone. If you have extra, here’s a great way to use it up! If you don’t have any, leave it out.

VEGETABLES FOR MINESTRONE ITALIAN SOUP

A note on the vegetables…I listed my standard minestrone vegetables in the list above, but you can pretty much use whatever you want. Here are some other great options:

• Fennel
• Zucchini
• Yellow squash
• Eggplant
• Red bell peppers
• Green beans
• Potatoes
• Peas
• Butternut squash

If you choose to use any of these additional vegetables, add heartier veggies like potatoes and butternut squash with the diced tomatoes, and more tender veggies later on with the beans and kale.

HOW TO MAKE MINESTRONE SOUP ON THE STOVETOP

Step 1. Heat olive oil and garlic in a large soup pot over medium-high heat and sauté until the garlic is lightly browned. Add carrots, onions, and celery and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables start to soften and brown. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 2. Add tomatoes, bay leaf, sage, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then simmer uncovered for approximately 30 minutes.

Step 3. Add the beans and kale and continue to simmer for 20-30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Step 4. About 15 minutes before the soup is ready, cook pasta in a separate pot until al dente. Drain well and serve ½ – ¾ cup of pasta in soup bowls. Ladle the soup over the pasta and sprinkle generously with grated Parmesan cheese. Garnish with fresh basil and red pepper flakes!

Store any leftover minestrone Italian soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in freezer-safe containers to freeze for up to 3 months. I recommend freezing the noodles separately, so they don’t get mushy when you reheat the soup (here’s how to freeze cooked pasta).

MINESTRONE SOU] IN A SLOW COOKER

Step 1. Add everything but the pasta to the slow cooker (I like this slow cooker).

Step 2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours; cook the pasta separately just before serving.

Step 3. Serve the pasta, ladle the soup over it, and sprinkle with cheese.

MINESTRONE ITALIAN SOUP IN AN INSTANT POT

Step 1. Add everything but the pasta to the Instant Pot (I use this Instant Pot).

Step 2. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes and use the quick pressure release. Cook the pasta separately. *

Step 3. Serve the pasta, ladle the soup over it, and sprinkle with cheese.

* If you add the pasta directly to the soup, you can cook for 4 minutes and use quick pressure release.

TO SERVE MINESTRONE SOUP

What goes with minestrone Italian soup? Homemade bread of course!

• No-Knead Overnight Artisan Bread
• 90-Minute Man Bread
• Einkorn Sourdough Bread
• Rosemary Olive Oil Bread
• Garlic Cheese Bread
• Crostini
• Easy Homemade Biscuits

MINESTRONE SOUP RECIPE FAQS

MORE EASY SOUP RECIPES

• Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
• Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup
• Garlic White Bean Soup with Kale
• Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup
• Leftover Pork and Potato Soup
• Instant Pot White Bean Soup with Sausage and Kale