Italian Minestrone Soup
Italian Minestrone Soup, an easy delicious and healthy vegetarian soup recipe. The perfect lunch or dinner comfort food dish.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 393kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup borlotti beans (frozen or fresh see also dried beans)*
- ½ head broccoli (break into florets, cut in half if large)
- 1 large potato (cubed)
- 1-2 medium carrots (sliced)
- 1 small stalk of celery (sliced or diced)
- 1 medium zucchini (chopped)
- 1 bunch baby spinach (if desired)
- ¾ teaspoon basil
- ¾ teaspoon oregano
- ½-1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1-2 dashes hot pepper flakes or black pepper (if desired)
- 1 cup tomato puree
- 3-4 cups water ( or broth, homemade or store bought)
- 1 cup dried small pasta
*sometimes I leave out the beans, so add if you wish.
Instructions
- Chop the vegetables into small to medium chunks.
- In a large pot add the olive oil, minced garlic, vegetables, tomato puree, water (enough to cover the vegetables) and spices. Stir to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer (very low boil) for 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are almost tender (not mushy), stirring occasionally. The last 5 minutes, boil 2-3 cups of water in a medium pot. To the large pot add the boiled water (½ the amount or all depending on how thick you like it and be sure to taste for salt, add if needed) and 1 cup of small uncooked pasta.
- Cook on a low boil, uncovered, stirring often until the pasta is al dente. Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese if desired and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
How to store the soup
Any leftover soup should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container. It will keep for up to four days. If you plan on freezing the soup, then freeze it in a freezer-safe container. But be sure to freeze it without the addition of pasta. The pasta will get too mushy and it won’t be very tasty. It will keep for up to four months in the freezer.Nutrition
Calories: 393kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 441mg | Potassium: 1895mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 11720IU | Vitamin C: 134mg | Calcium: 230mg | Iron: 9mg