The Best Minestrone Soup

If all were right in the world, there would be as many recipes for minestrone—the Italian soup of simmered mixed vegetables and beans—as there have been individual pots of it cooked. That's because it's really more of a process than a fixed recipe. It's a hearty, easy, delicious meal that you can make with a couple of pantry staples and whatever fresh vegetables you happen to have on hand.

subheading: For the Beans (see note):

8 ounces ( 225 g) dried cannellini, borlotti, or kidney beans

Kosher salt

1 medium onion, split in half (about 6 ounces; 175g)

1 medium carrot (about 3 ounces; 85g)

2 celery stalks (about 3 ounces; 85g)

2 medium cloves garlic

1 large sprig rosemary

2 to 3 sprigs parsley

1 bay leaf

subheading: For the Soup Base:

2 tablespoons (30ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 6 ounces; 175 g)

1 medium carrot, peeled and finely diced (about 3 ounces; 85 g)

2 celery stalks, finely diced (about 3 ounces; 85 g)

1 tablespoon (15ml) minced fresh rosemary leaves

2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons; 12 g)

1 pound ( 450 g) ripe Roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped (see note)

1 Parmesan rind (optional; see notes)

subheading: To Finish:

1 cup dried small pasta, such as ditali, macaroni, or orecchiette (about 3 ½ ounces; 100 g)

1 medium zucchini, cut into bite-size pieces (about 4 ounces; 115 g)

1 medium summer squash, cut into bite-size pieces (about 4 ounces; 115 g)

4 ounces green beans, cut into ½-inch lengths (about 115 g)

4 ounces spinach, roughly chopped (about 4 cups loosely packed leaves; 115 g)

Chopped fresh herbs, such as basil, parsley, or rosemary, for serving

Freshly ground black pepper

Note: Ingredients may have been altered from the original.

Directions at seriouseats.com

Never lose a recipe again, not even if the original website goes away! Use the Copy Me That button to create your own complete copy of any recipe that you find online. Learn more! It's free!

Page footer