One of the things I enjoy during cold weather is smelling a big pot of soup simmering on the stove… there’s just nothing like it! Today I’m sharing one of my favorite healthy soups:  Easy Minestrone Soup.
I was seriously BAD this weekend eating out (ohhhh but it was so good!). Â My weekend menu included pizza, steak with a huge loaded baked potato, cheesy quesadillas and french onion soup loaded with bread and cheese. Â Needless to say, it was definitely time to load up on some healthy veggies.
This soup is full of tomatoes, carrots, celery, onions, green beans, kidney beans and zucchini. Â The most difficult task of this recipe is slicing and dicing the vegetables… easy peasy!
The pasta is added towards the end of cooking… there’s just no way I could skip the pasta. Â I used elbow macaroni but any small shell pasta will do. Â This soup filled up my 6-quart dutch oven about â…” full so it feeds a crowd (8 servings). Â The great thing about this minestrone soup is that any leftovers freeze well, too!
Enjoy!
Easy Minestrone Soup
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 8 servings
Description
A hearty and flavorful soup packed with veggies that comes together in just 40 minutes!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 cup sliced celery (about 2 stalks)
- 1 cup peeled and sliced carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 small zucchini, chopped into 1 inch pieces (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 (15.5 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can green beans, drained
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup small shell pasta (I used elbow macaroni)
- Shredded Parmesan cheese, for topping
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven or soup pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Saute onions, celery and carrots until tender, stirring constantly (about 6 minutes). Add garlic and cook an additional minute, continuing to stir.
- Add chicken broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, zucchini, kidney beans, green beans, oregano, basil, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add macaroni and cook (uncovered) for 7 to 8 minutes, or until macaroni and vegetables are tender, stirring often to prevent macaroni from sticking to bottom of pot. Remove and discard bay leaves before serving.
- Top with desired amount of shredded Parmesan cheese.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Soup
- Method: Boil
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: easy minestrone soup
Inspired by Taste of Home
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Okay, this is awesome. A delicious, wholesome soup that doesn’t take forever and a day to plan out and make! Can’t wait to try this!