Name: Quick and Easy Minestrone Soup - Printable Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 5
Cuisine: English
Ingredients: Large Saucepan; 1 tbsp Olive Oil; 1 x Medium Carrot, peeled & diced into small cubes; 1 x Small Courgette, diced into small cubes; 3 x Sticks of Celery, diced into small pieces; 1/2 Small Onion, peeled and diced; Salt & Pepper; 2 x Garlic Cloves, peeled and minced; 1 x 400g (14 oz) Tin of Tomatoes; 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning; 2 tsp Dried Basil; 450 ml (1 + 3/4 Cups) Vegetable Stock; 1 x 400g (14 oz) Tin of Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed; 75g (1 Cup) Ditali Pasta *; 250ml (1 Cup) Water

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If you’re looking for a quick and easy minestrone soup recipe that’s packed full of flavour and goodness, you’re in exactly the right place! From stove top to table in just 35 minutes – this minestrone soup is perfect as a midweek meal or healthy lunch.

There’s something so comforting about a hearty minestrone soup isn’t there? It’s like a big, healthy cuddle in a bowl! Literally filled to the brim with healthy ingredients, this minestrone soup recipe is 100% what you need in these cold Winter months.

If you’re more of a set it and forget it kind of person, you should check out my slow cooker vegetable soup recipe.

It’s also low in calories, suitable for vegans and really simple to make gluten free (just use gluten free pasta). Minestrone soup is also a great recipe to use up any leftover vegetables you might have! You basically can’t go wrong with this marvellous soup.

How to freeze minestrone soup

You can freeze minestrone soup but, what you need to know, is pasta which has been cooked doesn’t freeze well – it kind of ruins the texture. So the trick is not to add the pasta before hand.

Make the recipe as instructed but don’t add the pasta and don’t do the final boil.
Allow to cool completely and freeze at this point.
When you want to eat some, defrost thoroughly for approx 5-6 hours (or overnight) in the fridge.
Place the minestrone in a pan, add the pasta and bring to the boil.
Cook as per the pasta packet instructions. You may need to add a little more vegetable stock or water.

Other soup recipes you might like…

Minestrone soup recipe tips

Prepare all your ingredients and read through the recipe before you start. This hugely decreases the chance of mistakes!
To guarantee even cooking, make sure you chop the vegetables into small pieces or cubes.
Taste and season the minestrone throughout the cooking process, not just at the end.
Use a good quality vegetable stock as this will be a strong flavour within the soup.
Make sure your dried herbs are in date! This may sound daft but they really do lose a lot of flavour over time.
Don’t have/can’t get ditali pasta? You can use any small pasta in it’s place.

Quick and Easy Minestrone Soup – Step by Step Picture Recipe

Here is what you will need to serve 4-5.

(For a printer friendly version, see the recipe card at the end of this post)

Ingredients

1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 x Medium Carrot, peeled & diced into small cubes
1 x Small Courgette, diced into small cubes
3 x Sticks of Celery, diced into small pieces
1/2 Small Onion, peeled and diced
Salt & Pepper
2 x Garlic Cloves, peeled and minced
1 x 400g (14 oz) Tin of Tomatoes
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
2 tsp Dried Basil
450 ml (1 + 3/4 Cups) Vegetable Stock
1 x 400g (14 oz) Tin of Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed
75g (1 Cup) Ditali Pasta *
250ml (1 Cup) Water

Essential equipment

Large Saucepan

*You can use any small pasta that you have in your cupboards / can find at your local shops.

Preparation

First thing’s first, read through the ingredients list and prep all those vegetables as listed. (i.e. peel and dice the carrot etc.) It’s much easier to do this before you start a recipe!

Instructions

Right, onwards my friend… Heat your large saucepan over a medium heat, then when the pan is hot, add the olive oil (1 tbsp).

Next, throw in the carrot (1 x medium, diced into small cubes), courgette (1 x small, diced into small cubes), celery (3 x sticks, diced into small pieces) and onion (1/2 x small, finely diced). Season well with salt and pepper then give it all a really good stir.

Carrot, courgette, celery and onion frying in a large saucepan

Then allow the vegetables to cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, until they’ve softened. Make sure you stir this quite frequently to stop anything from catching and burning on the bottom.

Now it’s time for a little flavour – add in the garlic (2 x cloves, peeled and minced) and give it another good stir.

Carrot, courgette, celery, onion and garlic frying in a large saucepan

Let this cook, stirring often, for about 1 minute – until it starts to get fragrant.

Next, add in the tinned tomatoes (1 x 400g | 14 oz tin), Italian seasoning (1 tbsp), dried basil (2 tsp) and a little more salt and pepper.

Vegetables, tinned tomatoes and herbs cooking in a large saucepan

Give everything a really good stir through and it should look a little something like this…

Time for the remaining ingredients – add in the vegetable stock (450ml | 1 + 3/4 Cups), kidney beans (1 x 400g | 14 oz tin drained and rinsed), ditali pasta (75g | 1 Cup) and water (250ml | 1 Cup).

If you are planning on freezing this soup, do not add the pasta! See the ‘how to freeze minestrone soup’ section towards the start of this post.

Minestrone soup simmering in a large saucepan

Then bring your minestrone soup back up to the boil and simmer for 10 – 12 minutes (or as long as the pasta packet instructions say to) until the pasta is cooked to your liking.

When the pasta is cooked, it should be thick and chunky. If you like your minestrone a little thinner, just add some more vegetable stock. Be sure to have a taste and check the seasoning at this point too.

Divide between 4 – 5 bowls and serve immediately. If you want to freeze some for another day – see the ‘how to freeze minestrone soup’ section towards the top of this post.

Et vous voila! You have officially nailed this minestrone soup recipe – congrats! Not that there was ever any doubt, I mean, you are pretty darn awesome!

Have you made this recipe?

Will this gorgeous minestrone soup be making it’s way into your home? I’d love to know if it is! Send me your pics and comments on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or email me at emma@kitchenmason.com.

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