Minestrone Soup Recipe

We've all been there — you don't know what to make for dinner with what you have on hand. This is why you need the minestrone soup recipe Sher Castellano developed along with Mashed. As she told us, this hearty meal "is an everyday, anytime kind of soup." She adds minestrone is known "for its rustic proportions." In other words, you won't need any special knife skills to chop whatever vegetables and greens are already hanging out in your kitchen. 

Indeed, this versatile soup comes together easily without a trip to the market or an Instacart order. Plus, you can serve your soup with salad, crusty bread, or on its own, according to Castellano, who adds that her recipe makes delicious leftovers. "This soup can be stored up to three days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Or it can also be frozen," she told us. So, make this soup now and enjoy it all week. You're welcome.

We love how you can make this colorful, flavorful, super-healthy minestrone soup with your leftover veggies and pantry staples and that you'll cook up a different creation each time. To start, simply get out your olive oil, a yellow onion, which is to be diced small, carrots, celery, garlic, and either chicken or veggie broth. Next, grab two bay leaves, a can of whole tomatoes with its juice — Castellano told Mashed, "I prefer Cento San Marzano with basil" — as well as kale, spinach, or whatever greens are in your fridge or freezer, a can of beans, sea salt, and pepper.

About the beans, which Castellano says you should drain and rinse first, she notes, "Kidney beans are traditional in minestrone, but any kind of beans will work." She also told us that to bulk up the soup, adding in any small-cut pasta does the trick!

Get your minestrone soup base going by first heating the olive oil in a large pot placed over low-to-medium heat. After chopping up your onion, carrots, and celery, you will add them to the pot and sauté those veggies for about seven minutes. Next, add in the minced garlic — jarred works fine, FYI — and cook until fragrant, about three more minutes, with Castellano telling Mashed that home cooks should "use low heat to avoid burning." 

Now that your kitchen smells beyond heavenly and your stomach is growling, go ahead and add in the chicken or veggie broth — this is really your preference — plus two bay leaves for flavor, the whole peeled tomatoes with their juice, and the salt and pepper to taste. At this stage, you can crank up the heat to medium–high with the goal of bringing your soup up to a boil. 

Once your minestrone soup has reached a boil, Castellano instructs home cooks to lower the heat and simmer the soup for an additional ten minutes so the flavors can combine. At this stage, you will add in your kale or greens of choice and the beans, simmering the minestrone for about five more minutes so the beans heat through. If you are using pasta, this is the perfect time to add it in.

Once the soup is done, Castellano recommends serving it warm with black pepper "and grated Parmesan cheese if desired." Add some red pepper flakes too if you want to turn up the heat on your nutritious meal. Oh, and don't forget to "remove bay leaves before serving." Now, enjoy your homemade soup with a crusty baguette, a salad, or solo. Enjoy!