Minestrone soup
A thick Italian vegetable soup with beans, small pasta and tomato. Filling, cheap and great for using up veg.
- Prep
- 15 mins
- Cook
- 40 mins
- Total
- 55 mins
- Serves
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Cost
- Budget
Recipe: Minestrone soup
Minestrone soup
Ingredients
For the soup
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery sticks, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 courgette, diced
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 can chopped tomatoes, 400g
- 1.5l vegan vegetable stock, some stock cubes contain milk; check the label
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 can cannellini or borlotti beans, 400g, drained
- 80g small pasta shapes, egg-free dried pasta, or broken spaghetti
- 100g cavolo nero or savoy cabbage, shredded
- salt and black pepper, to taste
Kitchen kit
- Large saucepan or stockpot Search Amazon for large stockpot
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Method
-
Step 1: Soften the veg
Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion, carrot and celery gently for 10 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and courgette and cook for 3 minutes.
-
Step 2: Simmer
Stir in the tomato purée, then add the tomatoes, stock, oregano and bay leaf. Simmer for 15 minutes.
-
Step 3: Add the pasta and beans
Add the beans and pasta and simmer for 8–10 minutes until the pasta is just tender, adding the greens for the last 4 minutes. Add more water if it is too thick.
-
Step 4: Serve
Remove the bay leaf, season and serve with a drizzle of olive oil.
Tips
- The pasta keeps absorbing liquid; loosen leftovers with water when reheating.
Storing & reheating
Cool, cover and refrigerate within 2 hours; eat within 2 days; reheat once until steaming hot.
Freezing
Freeze for up to 3 months, ideally without the pasta (cook fresh pasta when reheating). Reheat until steaming hot.
Variations
- Add a few rashers of chopped smoked bacon or pancetta with the onions (no longer vegetarian).
- Not vegan: top with grated Parmesan or a spoonful of pesto.
Allergies: Always check the labels of the ingredients you buy for allergens — our dietary tags are a guide, not a guarantee.
From feeed.co.uk/recipes/minestrone-soup/ · Checked 17 October 2026
Questions people ask
Gluten-free?
Use gluten-free pasta or rice, and check your stock.
Sources & inspiration
Checked 17 October 2026. Written in our own words; we checked proportions, technique and food safety against:
