This favorite Italian soup is made with fresh seasonal vegetables, often with the addition of pasta or rice. Common ingredients include beans, onions, celery, carrots, stock, and tomatoes. There is no set recipe for minestrone, since it is usually made out of whatever vegetables are in season. It can be vegetarian, contain meat, or contain a meat-based soup base (such as chicken stock).
Video: How to Make Minestrone Soup
When It Comes to Minestrone, Improvise!
So, what you put in your minestrone is really up to you. Don’t like beans? Leave them out. Love pasta? Put some in (we recommend small pasta like ditalini). Minestrone really is all about improvisation. But where to start? Here is a hearty base minestrone soup recipe, with plenty of white beans, zucchini, cabbage, tomatoes, carrots, celery, and onions. It’s one of our favorite soups to make when the weather turns cool.
How to Store and Freeze Minestrone
Minestrone leftovers can be refrigerated for about a week and reheated either in the microwave or over low heat on the stove top. The soup also freezes fairly well, though the vegetables tend to be softer after freezing and reheating. Note that pasta does not freeze well, so if you’re planning on adding some, it’s best to freeze the soup without the pasta and then add it after thawing and reheating. So, when do you add pasta to minestrone? If you want everything to cook in one pot, about 10 minutes into simmering the vegetables in Step 3. You’ll probably need to add 1-2 more cups liquid bit by bit, since the pasta will absorb some. For more control over doneness, boil the pasta separately in stock or water, then drain and add to the finished soup. As leftovers sit, pasta absorbs broth and gets soft. To keep this from happening, boil it separately, drain, and add the cooked pasta as needed when you serve the soup. It’s best to freeze the soup with no pasta; add it after thawing and reheating.
What to Serve With Minestrone Soup?
You can’t go wrong with crusty bread. And a big dollop of pesto floated on each bowl right at serving time is heavenly! If you want more meat, try adding Italian sausages to the soup, or have them on the side.
Check Out Our Other Minestrone Recipes
Chicken Minestrone with Basil Pesto Summer Minestrone Spring Minestrone Vegan Chickpea Minestrone
If starting with dry beans, soak about 3/4 cup of dry beans overnight in cold water (or pour boiling water over the beans and soak for 1 hour). Drain. Cover with a couple inches of salted water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for an hour, or until tender enough to eat. Then drain and use in this recipe as directed. Add the bay leaf, thyme, fennel seeds. Add the potato, cabbage, zucchini, and tomatoes. Add the chicken stock. Serve with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese.
