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Three bowls of minestrone soup with a small bowl of pesto on the side.
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5 / 5 votes

Old-Fashioned Minestrone Soup

This old-fashioned minestrone soup is chock-full of carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, kale, zucchini, beans, and pasta...but gets an unexpected drizzle of pesto that transforms a frugal veggie-bin soup into something special.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 348

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium (about 9 oz) onion, diced to 1/2 inch (12 mm)
  • 1 large (about 3 oz) carrot, peeled and diced to 1/2 inch (12 mm)
  • 2 medium (about 4 oz) celery sticks, diced to 1/2 inch (12 mm)
  • 3 1/2 ounces red potato, peeled and diced to 1/2 inch (12 mm)
  • 2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 5 1/2 ounces zucchini, diced to 1/2 inch (12 mm)
  • One (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, undrained
  • 6 cups water or vegetable stock, plus more if needed
  • One (14-ounce) can borlotti or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 3 1/2 ounces tiny pasta shells, such as ditalini
  • 3 1/2 ounces green beans, cut into 1-inch (25-mm) lengths (or substitute asparagus)
  • 3 1/2 ounces lacinto kale, stems trimmed and leaves roughly chopped
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons store-bought or homemade pesto, for serving
US - Metric

Instructions

  • In a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the oil.
  • Add the onion, carrot, celery, and potato, and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 10 minutes.

    ☞ TESTER TIP: If your vegetables stick to the saucepan, toss in a splash of water.

  • Add the garlic and zucchini and cook for 2 minutes.
  • Stir in the tomatoes and water or stock and simmer, uncovered, for 25 minutes.
  • Add the borlotti or cannellini beans, pasta, green beans, and kale, and cook until the beans, pasta, and vegetables are tender, adding more stock or water if a thinner consistency is desired, about 12 minutes.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Divvy the soup among 4 bowls and stir a tablespoon of pesto into each portion to swirl. Serve right away. And accept accolades on how darn lovely something so exceptionally healthy can be.

Notes

  1. Storage and reheating--Leftover soup can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The pasta may absorb more liquid as it sits, so add a splash of broth or water when reheating it to loosen the soup.
  2. Freezing--We don't recommend freezing this soup as the potatoes and pasta may become mushy after thawing and reheating.
  3. Dietary--This is suitable for dairy-free, vegan, and vegetarian diets. To make it gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 1945mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 11g