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The Secret Ingredient That Makes This Minestrone Soup Recipe So Good!

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My favorite part of this Minestrone Soup Recipe is the thicker broth created by a mixture of broth and pureed white beans. This is a simple trick that brings tons of flavor and

Minestrone Soup in a crock with a spoon

My Tips For the Best Minestrone Soup Recipe Around!

Recipes are obviously super helpful, but I love to share my extra thoughts on the recipe, swaps you can make, and other tips I have right here.

  1. Choosing the Right Vegetables: While the recipe calls for onions, celery, garlic, and zucchini, feel free to get creative with your vegetable choices. Don’t hesitate to add other favorites like carrots, bell peppers, or green beans for extra color and flavor.
  2. Bacon Grease for Flavor: If you have leftover bacon grease. Go ahead and use that to cook up your vegetables. It adds a delightful smoky flavor to the soup. However, you can easily substitute it with olive oil for a vegetarian option.
  3. Beans for Thickness: The secret to this minestrone’s heartiness lies in the bean mixture. Blending white beans with chicken broth creates a creamy texture without the need for heavy cream or flour.
  4. Seasoning to Taste: Don’t forget to season your soup with salt and pepper to your liking. Consider using your favorite seasoned salts or spice blends to add an extra layer of flavor. Always remember to taste your food before serving it, everyone’s tastes are different. You really want to make the recipe yours!
  5. Spinach and Pasta Last: To retain their freshness and vibrant green color, add the diced zucchini, fresh or defrosted frozen spinach, and cooked pasta during the final 10 minutes of simmering.
  6. Serving with Pasta: Placing the cooked pasta in the bottom of each bowl and ladling the soup over it ensures that the pasta stays perfectly al dente. I’ve added pasta straight to my soup before and that is just fine if you’ll eat it all in one day. However, if you don’t plan to finish it all, the pasta gets really water logged in the fridge and the soup is just not as good if you store it together. Another benefit to this is, you have control over how much pasta to add to each serving.
  7. Optional Garnish: I sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top of each serving because I just love parm! It provides a delightful finishing touch. Feel free to skip this step for a dairy-free version.

Now that you’re armed with these tips, you’re ready to embark on your minestrone-making adventure. Let’s turn up the heat and savor the magic of this delightful Stovetop Minestrone Soup!

For more soup recipes check out these videos:

MORE SOUP RECIPES TO TRY

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minestrone soup in a bowl with a spoon

Minestrone Soup

  • Author: Maria Ronan
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
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Description

This homemade stovetop minestrone soup is the ultimate comfort food for a chilly winter day, loaded with nutritious vegetables and beans. Try this hearty soup recipe for a delicious and satisfying meal.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 stalks of celery
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1/4 cup minced parsley
  • 1 diced zucchini
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (or bacon grease)
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 1 can drained and rinsed white beans (cannellini beans)
  • 1 cup chicken broth (for bean mixture)
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups fresh or defrosted frozen spinach
  • 1 cup ditalini pasta
  • Grated Parmesan cheese (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

  1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil (or bacon grease) over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, celery, and garlic. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the vegetables start to soften.

  2. Add 3 cups of chicken broth and a can of diced tomatoes to the pot. Stir to combine.

  3. In a blender or using a hand blender, blend 1 cup of chicken broth with the drained and rinsed white beans until smooth. Pour this bean mixture into the soup.

  4. Add dried rosemary, bay leaves, dried basil, minced parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir everything together.

  5. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and let it simmer for about 40 minutes.

  6. After 40 minutes, remove the cover, and add the diced zucchini and 2 cups of fresh or defrosted frozen spinach. Cover and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

  7. While the soup is simmering, cook the ditalini pasta separately according to the package instructions.

  8. Remove the bay leaves from the soup.

  9. To serve, place a desired amount of cooked ditalini pasta into each bowl, then ladle the soup over the pasta.

  10. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 35

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