Our go-to classic minestrone soup recipe (with video) (2024)

  • 10 Ingredients
  • 3 Method Steps

10 Ingredients

  • 3 bacon rashers, rind removed, roughly chopped

  • 2 carrots, peeled, chopped

  • 2 celery sticks, chopped

  • 1 desiree potato, peeled, chopped

  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed

  • 1L (4 cups) Massel beef style liquid stock

  • Mutti Polpa Finely Chopped Tomatoes 400g

  • 400g can Coles Red Kidney Beans, rinsed, drained

  • 80g (1 cup) small shell pasta

  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh continental parsley

  • Select all ingredients

3 Method Steps

  • Place the bacon (3 bacon rashers, rind removed, roughly chopped), carrots (2 carrots, peeled, chopped), celery (2 celery sticks, chopped) and potato (1 desiree potato, peeled, chopped) in a large saucepan and stir to combine. Cook over high heat, uncovered, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

  • Add the garlic (2 garlic cloves, crushed), beef stock (1L (4 cups) Massel beef style liquid stock), tomatoes (Mutti Polpa Finely Chopped Tomatoes 400g) and red kidney beans (400g can Coles Red Kidney Beans, rinsed, drained) to the pan, cover and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. (To freeze the soup, see note).

  • Increase heat to high. Add pasta (80g (1 cup) small shell pasta) and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, following packet directions or until pasta is al dente. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into serving bowls and sprinkle with parsley (1/3 cup chopped fresh continental parsley). Serve immediately.

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Recipe Notes

Can minestrone soup be vegetarian?

This hearty Italian minestrone soup recipe can easily be adapted to being a vegan or vegetarian minestrone soup. Simply omit the bacon and cook the vegetables in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. For a vegan version you can sprinkle with some plant-based cheese or nutritional yeast, or with parmesan or pesto for a vegetarian version. As a general rule, most commercial stocks don’t contain meat products – unless you buy a beef or chicken broth. Check the label to be sure. Also small dried pasta rarely contains egg – instead just semolina and water – so it’s naturally vegan.

What are some other minestrone soup recipe twists?

In keeping with the theme of frugal cooking, use this minestrone soup recipe as a blueprint for cooking up whatever you have on hand. The bacon can be swapped with leftover ham bones or a ham hock. If you have cannellini beans in the cupboard, throw them in instead of the kidney beans and other small pasta, even broken up spaghetti can be used. Save your parmesan rind and simmer it with the soup for extra taste, just scoop it out at the end. Try making a crisper-drawer green minestrone by adding zucchini, broccoli and cabbage. Swap the parsley for basil if you have it in the garden. To top it all off, how about using up stale bread by making some garlic croutons. Some like to add extra green beans to bulk up the vegie factor, but we think it's worth using up vegies in your crisper if you don't have green beans (or you're feeding little ones who don't love green beans in their minestrone soup). Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if you please, and enjoy the best minestrone recipe we know!

Can you make classic minestrone soup in the slow cooker?

Sure can! Simply fry off the vegetables as per the recipe and then transfer to the slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients except the pasta, reducing the stock by one cup. Cook for 6 hours on low, adding the pasta in the last hour of cooking. Delicious soup recipes are a must-have in winter, and this is a great minestrone soup to come home to on a cool evening. Better yet, you can freeze leftover soup and have an absolutely delicious dinner awaiting future you.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Nutrition per Serving

%Daily Value#

Nutrition information and Health Score does not include ingredients listed as to serve or any serving suggestions.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.

# The % daily values indicates how much of a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet, based on general nutritional advice for a diet of 2100 calories a day.

* Health Scores are calculated on a 1-10 scale based on nutrient density and USDA (global standard) recommendations for a healthy diet. A higher Health Score indicates a healthier recipe. The value is based on the impact of macronutrients and micronutrients in the recipe.

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Our go-to classic minestrone soup recipe (with video) (2024)

FAQs

What is the thickening agent for minestrone? ›

The secret ingredients for the minestrone soup broth are bacon, parmesan and Worcestershire sauce, and a touch of tomato paste which thickens the broth nicely as well has driving home the tomato flavour.

What is Olive Garden minestrone soup made of? ›

2 (15 ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained 2 (15 ounce) cans small white beans or 2 (15 ounce) cans great northern beans, drained 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes 1/2 cup carrot (julienned or shredded) 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper ...

What is the best ingredient to thicken soup? ›

Add flour or cornflour

You can also use flour or cornflour to thicken a soup. Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer.

Why is minestrone soup so good? ›

Made with lots of vegetables, greens and various beans, this dish can provide you with super nutrients that slow aging and help you stay fit. Minestrone has always been a symbol of traditional Italian cuisine and the Mediterranean diet. Made with vegetables, greens and beans, it is a super-healthy mixture.

What gives vegetable soup that depth of flavor? ›

Dried herbs and seasonings: homemade seasoned salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and dried bay leaves lend flavor to the soup.

What's in Campbell's minestrone soup? ›

Each satisfying spoonful of Campbell's® Condensed Minestrone Soup brims with a bounty of farm-grown veggies—from carrots, potatoes, green beans, peas, tomatoes, zucchini and more! —combined with beans and enriched pasta shells. You'll find comfort in this Italian classic.

What is the most popular soup at Olive Garden? ›

Zuppa Toscana – Olive Garden Copycat (VIDEO) Zuppa Toscana is Olive Garden's most popular soup. This one-pot, homemade Zuppa Toscana recipe is hearty and loaded with Italian sausage, kale, bacon and potatoes.

Does minestrone soup contain potatoes? ›

Minestrone soup is essentially just a heartier version of vegetable soup. Instead of only having vegetables, herbs and broth, this easy minestrone soup recipe packs extra nutrients from the potatoes, pasta and kidney beans. It's a delicious lunch or dinner that will keep you full and satisfied.

What does minestrone mean in Italian? ›

The word minestrone, meaning a thick vegetable soup, is attested in English from 1871. It is from Italian minestrone, the augmentative form of minestra, 'soup', or more literally 'that which is served', from minestrare, 'to serve', and cognate with administer as in 'to administer a remedy'.

What is the difference between minestrone and fa*gioli? ›

The answer is that traditionally, yes, there's a difference, even if you can't spot it right away. While Pasta e fa*gioli tends to be a thick and hearty bowl of beans and pasta, the thing it lacks is chunks of veggies. That's where Minestrone comes in…to fill the veggie void left by its country cousin.

What's the difference between minestrone and vegetable soup? ›

Minestrone soup is unique because it typically includes beans, pasta, or rice, as well as vegetables, and the ingredients are always left chunky (it's never blended), making it a heartier option. Vegetable soups are usually simpler and don't typically include beans or pasta, and you could have a blended vegetable soup.

What starch-based thickening agent is used when preparing the minestrone? ›

Here's another trick: let the soup simmer without a lid for an extra couple of minutes. The excess liquid will evaporate, making your soup thicker. Alternatively, mix a thickening agent like arrowroot powder with cold water and stir it into the soup when it's almost done cooking. Cornstarch will do the trick, too.

What ingredient is used as a thickening agent? ›

Cornstarch. Cornstarch is the most common thickening agent used in the industry. It is mixed with water or juice and boiled to make fillings and to give a glossy semi-clear finish to products. Commercial cornstarch is made by soaking maize in water containing sulphur dioxide.

What are the two main thickening agents in soup? ›

cooking sauce or soup. Arrowroot starch thickens very quickly and it is unnecessary to bring the mixture to a boil for it to work. Cornstarch, on the other hand, requires heating the mix- ture to a boil to fully thicken the mixture and to avoid any “starchy” taste or texture in the fin- ished product.

How do you thicken Italian soup? ›

Whisk together equal parts cornstarch (or arrowroot) and water or broth, then whisk it into the pot of soup. A good ratio to get to a pleasant thickness without your soup tasting goopy or heavy is one tablespoon. slurry to 4 cups of soup.

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