Minestrone soup: Recipe for a healthy and hearty Italian classic

Name: Minestrone soup: Recipe for a healthy and hearty Italian classic
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 medium onion, finely chopped; 2 cloves of garlic, chopped; 2 carrots, sliced into rounds; 1 celery stalk, chopped; 2 medium potatoes, diced; 1 small zucchini, diced; 200 g tomatoes (fresh, chopped or tomato purée); 200 g cooked beans (white, red or borlotti, drained); a handful of small pasta or 2 tablespoons of rice; 1.2–1.5 l vegetable or chicken broth; (can be replaced with water); 2 tablespoons olive oil; salt to taste; freshly ground black pepper to taste; 1 bay leaf; a pinch of dried oregano; a pinch of dried or fresh basil; fresh parsley, chopped; grated Parmesan; olive oil

i-Recipe.comRecipesMinestrone soup: Recipe for a healthy and hearty Italian classic

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Easy to prepare
4 serving
45 minutes

Jan, 09. 02. 2026

Print recipe

Minestrone is a great „everything“ soup – it warms you up, fills you and, thanks to the vegetables and legumes, is also ideal as a light lunch. If you want to have other tried-and-true soup options on hand, check out vegetable soup with homemade halušky, for a classic for cold days hearty lentil soup and when you need something really substantial, the best pea soup.

For 4 serving

Ingredients

Vegetables:

1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 carrots, sliced into rounds
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 medium potatoes, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
200 g tomatoes (fresh, chopped or tomato purée)

Legumes and accompaniment:

200 g cooked beans (white, red or borlotti, drained)
a handful of small pasta or 2 tablespoons of rice

Liquid:

1.2–1.5 l vegetable or chicken broth
(can be replaced with water)

Seasoning:

2 tablespoons olive oil
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
a pinch of dried oregano
a pinch of dried or fresh basil
fresh parsley, chopped

For serving (optional):

grated Parmesan
olive oil

Preparation procedure

Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the onion and sauté it over medium heat until it becomes translucent. Add the garlic, carrot and celery and briefly sauté to release the aroma of the vegetables.
Add the tomatoes or tomato purée and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3–5 minutes so the flavors meld and the base thickens slightly.
Pour in the broth, add the potatoes, beans, bay leaf, oregano and basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Towards the end of cooking add the zucchini and the pasta or rice. Cook another 8–10 minutes, until the pasta is soft and the soup has a typically thicker consistency.
Remove the soup from the heat, take out the bay leaf and stir in the chopped parsley. Add a few drops of good-quality olive oil to taste, if desired.

Number of servings

4 servings

Total preparation time

approx. 45 minutes

Recipe conclusion

Minestrone soup is an ideal choice for anyone looking for a healthy, tasty and at the same time filling meal. Thanks to the combination of vegetables, legumes and herbs, it provides the body with sufficient nutrients and energy. It tastes great fresh, but is even better the next day, when the flavors have had time to develop. It works as a light lunch or dinner and you can easily adapt it to what you have at home.