Description
A hearty and easy minestrone soup packed with fresh vegetables, beans, and pasta, simmered to perfection in a flavorful tomato broth. Perfect for a comforting meal any day.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 3 medium celery ribs, diced
- 4 medium carrots, diced
- 3 medium zucchini, diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
Soup Base
- 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 6 cups vegetable broth
Beans and Pasta
- 1 (15 ounce) can white cannellini beans, undrained
- 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, undrained
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni or shell pasta
Seasonings and Garnish
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Heat the fats: Heat 2 tablespoons salted butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large 6-quart soup pot over medium heat.
- Sauté onions: Add 1 medium diced white onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to soften.
- Add vegetables and garlic: Stir in 3 diced celery ribs, 4 diced carrots, and 3 diced zucchini; cook for 8 to 10 minutes until vegetables begin to soften. Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute.
- Add liquid and seasonings: Mix in 28 ounces diced tomatoes (with juice), 15 ounces tomato sauce, 15 ounces white cannellini beans (with liquid), 15 ounces kidney beans (with liquid), 6 cups vegetable broth, 1 tablespoon dried basil, and 1 tablespoon dried oregano. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat.
- Cook pasta: Add 8 ounces elbow macaroni or shell pasta. Reduce heat to medium-low and maintain a gentle boil for 10 to 12 minutes, or until pasta is tender.
- Add spinach and season: Stir in 1 cup baby spinach during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Season soup with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Serve: Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese if desired. Serve hot.
Notes
- You can substitute gluten-free pasta to make this soup gluten free.
- Use low-sodium vegetable broth and reduced-sodium canned beans for a lower salt version.
- To make it vegan, omit the parmesan cheese or use a vegan cheese alternative.
- Fresh herbs like basil and oregano can be used instead of dried, add at the end for best flavor.
- Leftovers store well and taste even better the next day after flavors meld.
- Adding a squeeze of lemon juice before serving brightens the flavors.
