Minestrone Soup

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Minestrone is a classic Italian thick soup made from a variety of vegetables, usually with pulses such as beans or chick peas, as well as rice or pasta, all swathed in a rich tomato sauce. In this particular recipe there are 8 different fresh vegetables, 2 types of tinned beans and lots of tomato in passata and paste form. I have also included some anchovies, but these can be omitted if you are looking for a vegetarian or vegan dish. This recipe is a flavour and nutrient bomb. It can be vegan, vegetarian and gluten free and uses minimal oil.

The vegetables and pulses can vary considerably from recipe to recipe which means it is a great dish to adapt and really make your own.

Is it a complicated recipe?

In reading through the instructions below, you may feel that this recipe seems a little convoluted. Sauté this for 10 minutes, that for 5, this for another 2 minutes etc. However, taking the time doing this, really helps develop and enhance the layers of flavour, which takes this soup from delicious to being a real stand out dish. Plus, whilst some vegetables are cooking, you can use the time to prepare the vegetables you will next be adding to the pot, making it a very time efficient way to prepare and cook.

Equally, the list of ingredients may seem very long, but apart from the fresh vegetables, the remainder are probably already in your store cupboard.

Is this recipe vegetarian?

To make it vegetarian, simply omit the anchovies and ensure your parmesan is vegetarian friendly. To make it vegan, omit the anchovies and use a vegan alternative to the parmesan.

Can I add meat to this soup?

If you are wanting to add some meat, try gently frying 100g – 150g pancetta or bacon before cooking the onions, carrot and celery. Also, some crumbled, cooked Italian sausage would make a wonderful garnish for the soup.

Can I play around with the ingredients?

• Vegetables – you can make this soup your own by using your favourite vegetables, or simply vegetables from a fridge raid. When adding vegetables, you will need to consider the order you add them to ensure they are properly cooked. That said, I would always use onion, carrot and celery; the holy trinity of Italian cookery, known as soffritto. But you can certainly customise the rest. Cabbage, for example, is commonly seen in many recipes. Potato is also common; I have replaced it with sweet potato in this recipe.
• Beans – equally with the beans, use different beans or two tins of the same beans. Chick peas can also be added.
• Pasta – I like to use small pasta in my minestrone but you can also use rice or pearl barley. Rice and pearl barley are ideal if you want a gluten free soup, or you can use gluten free pasta.
• Anchovies and parmesan – diets allowing, I always add anchovies and stir some parmesan into the soup; they really help to enhance all the natural flavours and have that wonderful and indescribable unami affect on the soup.

How to make Minestrone Soup

Please see printable Recipe Card below for all the exact quantities.

Collect all the ingredients together

• olive oil
• onion, peeled and chopped. White, brown or red onions, all work.
• ribs of celery, trimmed and chopped
• carrots, washed, trimmed and chopped
• courgette/zucchini, trimmed and chopped. You could also use aubergine/egg plant or squash.
• red pepper/capsicum, trimmed, de-seeded and chopped. You could also use a yellow or green pepper/capsicum.
• garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• anchovies, finely chopped. Omit these if you are looking for a vegetarian recipe.
• dried oregano
• dried thyme
• chilli flakes (optional) I love a little heat in my Minestrone but omit the chilli, if you prefer.
• fine salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• passata or tinned tomatoes
• vegetable stock – if using a stock cube, check it is gluten free, if necessary
• water
• bay leaf
• tomato paste
• parmesan rind – omit if wanting a vegan recipe and check it is vegetarian friendly, if necessary
• cannellini beans, drained and rinsed – or your beans/chickpeas of choice
• borlotti beans, drained and rinsed – or your beans/chickpeas of choice
• sweet potato, peeled and chopped. Or use normal potato.
• green beans, trimmed and chopped. Broad beans would make a delicious replacement, as would shredded cabbage.
• baby spinach, roughly shredded. Or use shredded kale – if so, allow extra cooking time, around 5 – 8 minutes.
• small pasta. I used ditaloni rigati. Use gluten free, if required, or replace with rice or pearl barley. You could also use macaroni/elbow pasta, orzo, farfalline or any small pasta of your choice.
• parmesan, grated. Use a vegetarian parmesan or vegan alternative, if necessary

How to make this incredible soup:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron pan over a moderate heat and cook the chopped onions, celery and carrot for 10 – 15 minutes, stirring from time to time. You can use this time to prepare the remaining vegetables and anchovies.
2. Add the prepared courgette and red pepper to the pan and continue to cook for a further 5 – 8 minutes, stirring from time to time.
3. Add the crushed garlic, chopped anchovies, dried thyme, dried oregano, chilli flakes, bay leaf, ½ teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook for a further 2 – 3 minutes, stirring.
4. Pour in the passata, water, stock, tomato puree and parmesan rind. Bring to a gentle simmer for 20 minutes. Whilst it is cooking you can prepare the remaining vegetables, if not chopped already and drain and rinse the tinned beans.
5. Next add the sweet potatoes, green beans and tinned beans. Cook for 5 minutes and then add the dried pasta. Cook until the pasta is just cooked. How long this takes will depend on the pasta you use. Check the packet for a guide. I used I used Ditaloni rigati and it needed around 12 minutes.
6. Stir in the grated parmesan and chopped spinach. The spinach should quickly wilt and the parmesan melt into the soup – it should only take a minute or two. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
7. Remove the parmesan rind and bay leaf and serve garnished with some additional grated parmesan and some chopped basil or parsley. Whilst it is a meal in its own right, it is also delicious served with some garlic/fresh bread on the side to help mop up the delicious soup.

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Made this recipe?

If you make this recipe, do please tag me on instagram @daffodil_kitchen. You could also leave a comment in the box directly below the recipe.