Hearty Minestrone Soup Recipe

When it comes to soup, minestrone is one of the most popular ones out there and it's packed full of wonderful ingredients as well as a flavorful broth. This wonderful soup consists of mainly veggies but it also boasts pasta, making it incredibly filling. Another plus? There's no doubt that it's one of the best soups that you can use to dunk in your breadsticks or pretty much anything else.

Recipe developer Miriam Hahn came up with this easy and delicious recipe that hits the spot, especially in the cooler months. "I love so many things about this soup but first off, it is filled with super healthy ingredients that taste so delicious," Hahn raves. "Also this is a great meal prep soup. The recipe make a large amount which you can enjoy all week or fill up some mason jars and freeze!" But what makes the soup so hearty? "The beans and the potatoes make this a very hearty soup. It is thick, like a stew and really fills you up," Hahn explains. So, you could easily serve this for a meal and it's more than enough to fill you up. 

You will need to grab quite a few things from the store for this recipe. Be sure to get onion, garlic, carrots, celery, oil, a russet potato, diced or fire-roasted tomatoes, vegetable broth, water, small pasta, pre-made pesto, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt, pepper, white beans, and spinach. The recipe includes additional ingredients like fresh basil, flaky salt, and croutons.

Grab a cutting board, a sharp knife, and all the veggies. Slice and dice the veggies as you wish, making sure to cut the russet potatoes a little smaller, so they cook in the same amount of time it takes to cook the pasta. In general, potatoes take a little longer to cook, especially when they're in large pieces.

"You can actually swap out any of the veggies based on what you have and like," Hahn shares. "Green beans are a typical add-in but you can also use broccoli, zucchini, or asparagus. If you don't have spinach on hand, you can use chard, kale, arugula or collard greens. Great soup to clean out the produce bin for! I like to use fresh basil for topping but you can also use fresh Italian parsley or fresh oregano or thyme. Fresh herbs boost the nutrition content too!" 

Take out a stock pot and place it on your stove. Drizzle in the oil and crank up the heat to medium-high. Once the pot gets nice and hot, you can add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Cook them together for 8 minutes, stirring frequently so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot and burns.

Now, toss in the potatoes, tomatoes, broth, water, pasta, pesto, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Crank up the heat to bring the mixture to a boil. "The secret ingredient is the pesto which packs a ton of flavor in this soup," Hahn shares. "You can use a store bought type or if you have basil growing like crazy you can whip up this pesto." 

Once you see bubbles reach the top of the surface, lower the heat to medium-low and cook for another 10 minutes. "The only thing to watch out for is the cook time on the pasta and potatoes," Hahn says. "You want those similar in size so they cook together. If you have leftover cooked pasta, you can add that in at the end." 

Please note that you can add 1-2 cups more broth or water if you want to make the soup more "brothy."

Reduce the heat to low before you add the beans and spinach. Once the spinach wilts, you can remove the soup from the heat.

The last step in any recipe is the best one because it means you finally get to enjoy the finished product. This soup is great served as a bowl for the main course or it would make a great side if you want to serve in a cup. You can top with fresh basil, flaky salt, and croutons if you wish.

Hahn suggests serving the soup with bread or breadsticks. She adds, "It is a complete meal on its own or a great starter for just about any entree." Another great part? You can stretch anything that's left. "Leftovers last all week in the fridge. If you freeze this soup, let it cool then fill up mason jars or containers, leaving some space that the top for expansion," Hahn shares. "When defrosting, I just pull out of the freezer and put in the fridge the night before. Then it is totally ready for a quick heat up."