This hearty minestrone soup is thicker than most minestrone soups. Brimming with colorful vegetables, protein-rich beans, and aromatic herbs, it’s as delicious as it is satisfying. Feel free to add rice or pasta to the soup, too, and serve it with a slice of rustic homemade bread for a filling vegetarian meal. You’ll love this soup’s uniquely rich texture—every spoonful is different!
This is vegetable soup and you’re right, it’s not flashy in the slightest. Still, I’m singing its praises because a bowl of this cozy soup is not only healthy, warm, and wholesome, its savory flavors and thickness will keep you full and satisfied.
One reader, Megan, commented: “I’ve been searching for a few years for the perfect minestrone recipe. I’ve tried a lot of the online recipes, 6 in total over the years (they were all bland with almost no flavor!!). This recipe is the one I’ve been searching for!! Full of flavor, my hard-to-please family all loved it too. ★★★★★“
I originally published this recipe in 2018. We’ve loved it on cold winter days, especially served in giant homemade bread bowls. It’s a soul-warming vegetarian soup that can easily be vegan by using vegetable broth and skipping the optional parmesan cheese topping.
This Is a Thick Minestrone Soup
This minestrone soup is much heartier than what we’re used to—almost like a chili—which is why I love it so much. The pasta/rice soaks up a lot of liquid, which helps thicken it up. I add a 6-ounce can of tomato paste (not the double-concentrated kind), which is more than most minestrone soup recipes. I also throw in fresh zucchini, carrots, celery, and spinach, plus lots of canned beans. There’s also garlic, onion, diced tomato, and a hefty dose of seasoning. There’s so much color and texture in 1 spoonful, how can you not be satisfied?!
Substitution Suggestions
This soup is pretty forgiving. Just as we do when making this biscuit vegetable pot pie, play around with the vegetables you use based on what you like. Here are the substitutions I’ve tried over the last several years, so I know they work wonderfully.
- Zucchini: You can leave this out, or use another squash instead. I’ve also used chopped mushrooms in its place.
- Kidney Bean & Butter Beans: I love this blend of beans, but you can use all kidney or all butter beans instead. Or substitute one or both for chickpeas, cannellini, borlotti, or great northern beans. Or substitute one for a drained can of corn.
- Green Beans: You can use chopped fresh green beans or frozen green beans instead. When I do this, I usually use around 1 and 1/2 cups. Add it when you add the other beans—they have enough time to cook and soften. No need to thaw if using frozen.
- Skip the Pasta/Rice: You can skip the pasta/rice. No changes needed. The soup will be a little more broth-y.
- Spinach: Feel free to use chopped fresh kale instead, or leave it out. If you want to use frozen spinach, add it in 10 minutes before the end of cooking instead of 5.
- Add Meat: Feel free to add 1 lb. of ground chicken, turkey, or beef. Cook it with the celery/carrots in step 1. Skip 1 can of the beans, and you may want to add another 1 cup (240ml) of broth. Or add 1–2 cups pre-cooked meat, such as chopped/shredded rotisserie chicken or ham, when you stir in the spinach. Sometimes I even add thinly sliced chicken sausage.
Whichever vegetables you use, I recommend sticking with the seasonings, tomato paste, and broth; these all make up the flavorful tomato base of the soup.
How to Freeze Minestrone Soup
This soup freezes wonderfully! Freeze in a large freezer container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator the day before eating, then reheat on the stove until warm.
Can I Make This in a Slow Cooker?
If you want the minestrone soup to cook all day, here are the slow cooker directions. I also included these in the recipe card below. Prepare the soup through step 1 on the stovetop. Transfer to a slow cooker, then add everything else except for the rice/pasta and spinach. Allow to cook for 2 hours on low, then add the rice/pasta and spinach. Cook on low for 1 more hour.
Serve in bread bowls or alongside soft dinner rolls, artisan bread, brown butter sage dinner rolls, homemade breadsticks, or olive bread. Or, try a new favorite, grilled cheese sandwiches on homemade whole wheat bread.
Print
Thick & Hearty Minestrone Soup
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Yield: serves 10
- Category: Soup
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
This hearty minestrone soup is thicker than most. Brimming with colorful vegetables, protein-rich beans, and aromatic herbs, it’s as delicious as it is satisfying. You’ll love this soup’s uniquely rich texture—every spoonful is different!
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup (130g) diced yellow onion (1/2 of a large onion)
- 1 cup (120g) sliced or diced carrots (1–2 large carrots or a handful of baby carrots)
- 1 cup (120g) sliced or diced celeryÂ
- 1 cup (130g) sliced or diced zucchini
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning*
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 6–7 cups (about 1.5L) vegetable or chicken broth*
- 2 cups (480ml) water
- 2–3 teaspoons red wine vinegar*
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 (15.5-ounce/439g) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed*
- 1 (15.5-ounce/439g) can butter beans, drained and rinsed*
- 1 (15.5-ounce/439g) can green beans, drained and rinsed*
- 1 (14.5-ounce/411g) can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
- 1 (6-ounce/170g) can tomato paste
- 1 and 1/3 cups uncooked rice (about 290g) or orzo pasta (240g)*
- 3 cups (120g) fresh spinach, chopped
- optional: grated parmesan cheese and fresh thyme, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large stockpot or dutch oven. Add the onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6–7 minutes as the vegetables soften up and let out some juices.
- Add broth, water, red wine vinegar, bay leaf, all the beans, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, then add uncooked rice or pasta. Cover and simmer for 35 minutes. Stir in the chopped spinach and simmer for 5 more minutes. Remove bay leaf.
- Serve soup warm in homemade bread bowls (or regular bowls, of course!) and top with fresh parmesan cheese, if desired.
- Keep leftovers in a large covered container in the refrigerator for up to a week. To reheat, simply pour into a pot over medium heat and cook until warm. Feel free to add more broth to the leftovers as it cooks if it is too thick—I always do. (It thickens in the refrigerator as the veggies and rice/pasta soak up the liquid.)
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions—Freezing: Soup freezes wonderfully! Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator the day before eating, then reheat on the stove until warm.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Large Pot or Dutch Oven (such as this Le Creuset Dutch Oven or Lodge Dutch Oven)
- Zucchini: You can leave this out, or use summer squash instead. I’ve also used chopped mushrooms in its place.
- Italian Seasoning: If you don’t have Italian seasoning, you can use any combination of Italian spices that you like. Dried basil, rosemary, oregano, etc.
- Broth: Anywhere between 6–7 cups (about 1.5L) of broth is great. I use 7, and then add a little more when I reheat leftover soup. The rice or pasta soaks up a lot of liquid.
- Vinegar: The vinegar balances out all the flavors. A few splashes of a dry-ish red wine works too!
- Kidney Bean & Butter Beans: I love this blend of beans, but you can use all kidney or all butter beans instead. Or substitute one or both for chickpeas, cannellini, borlotti, or great northern beans. Or substitute one with a drained can of corn.
- Green Beans: You can use chopped fresh green beans or frozen green beans instead. When I do this, I usually use around 1 and 1/2 cups. Add it when you add the other beans—they have enough time to cook and soften. No need to thaw if using frozen.
- Rice/Pasta: Use brown or white rice or any dry pasta you like best. Stick with smaller-shaped pasta so it fits on your spoon—I usually use orzo. You can also skip the rice/pasta. The soup will be thinner.
- Spinach: Feel free to use chopped fresh kale instead, or leave it out. If you want to use frozen spinach, add it 10 minutes before the end of cooking instead of 5.
- If You Want to Add Meat: Feel free to add 1 lb. of ground chicken, turkey, or beef. Cook it with the celery/carrots in step 1. Skip 1 can of the beans, and you may want to add another 1 cup (240ml) of broth. Or add 1–2 cups pre-cooked meat, such as chopped/shredded rotisserie chicken or ham, when you stir in the spinach. Sometimes I even add thinly sliced chicken sausage.
- Slow Cooker Instructions:Â Prepare the soup through step 1 on the stovetop. Transfer to a slow cooker (affiliate link), then add everything else except for the rice/pasta and spinach. Allow to cook for 2 hours on low, then add the rice/pasta and spinach. Cook on low for 1 more hour.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 and 1/2 cups
- Calories: 171
- Sugar: 6.7 g
- Sodium: 615.3 mg
- Fat: 3.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 29.6 g
- Protein: 6.7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
I’ve made this several times this winter. My only changes were to use ditalini pasta and canceling beans for butter beans. I also add parmesan cheese rinds to thicken the broth. Very tasty!
Loved it! I used chickpea pasta to add protein and it gave it a nice consistency.
I made this soup for a meatless Friday even at church…7 batches! Done in turkey roasters. It was a big hit
This turned out really quite good. I used flat leaf kale instead of spinach and fresh green beans instead of canned. I also added a bit more tomato paste, but I was really happy with the results. The broth is rich, and I’m not usually a broth soup person. Will definitely make again.
I CAN’T WAIT to make this dish! I searched for a minestrone recipe with chicken and red wine and I see the notes about adding the meat but wondering if I can add red wine as an ingredient. I’m a rather amateur cook and saw the substitution of the red wine vinegar but was thinking adding red wine as an ingredient might mean more than a few splashes..? If so, how much red wine would you recommend and when to add it during cooking plus anything I’d need to exclude/substitute to allow for it.
By the way, I absolutely LOVE your page! Now that I’ve discovered it, I’ll be scrolling through and trying so many of your recipes. I really appreciate the way you list the volume/weight of the ingredients so it can be followed by anyone anywhere in the world and the very descriptive instructions and notes, hints and tips plus the cook mode toggle is wonderful so I’m not having to unlock my iPad every time I look back to it. You really have thought of everything! Thank you xo
Hi Kathryn, thank you for the message! We haven’t tried red wine, but if you do, please let us know how it turns out!
Thanks for your quick reply, Michelle. I’m actually after a recommendation from you for how much red wine and when to add it during cooking. Also wanting to know if there’s anything I should exclude from the ingredients to allow for the wine..?
Hi Kathryn, you could add some when you add the water. I do not know the best amount, as I haven’t tested it. Let me know what you try!
DELISH! I love all of the various veggies and the seasonings were perfect. I added some white miso paste for more umami and cooked the pasta separately and added to the minestrone just before serving. I usually make enough for having another day, and adding pasta just before serving helps to keep it from absorbing all of the broth while sitting for a day or two. Thanks for such a wonderful recipe.