Equipment
Ingredients
Soffritto Base
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
- yellow onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery, diced
- 3 garlic, minced
Vegetables and Broth
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 100 g green beans, trimmed and cut into 2cm pieces
- 400 g crushed tomatoes, canned
- 900 ml vegetable broth, low-sodium preferred
Hearty Elements and Seasoning
- 240 g cannellini beans, canned, rinsed and drained
- 100 g small pasta, dry
- 2 g dried oregano
- 2 g dried basil
- 5 g kosher salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly cracked
- 30 g vegetarian hard cheese, grated
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 425 kcal
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbohydrates
- 72 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fiber
- 14 g
- Sugar
- 13 g
- Sodium
- 1781 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 5 mg
- Potassium
- 1395 mg
- Calcium
- 295 mg
- Iron
- 7.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 146 mg
- Phosphorus
- 337 mg
- Zinc
- 3.0 mg
- Vitamin A
- 340 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 29 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 42 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.36 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.28 mg
- Niacin
- 3.0 mg
- Folate
- 105 mcg
- Water
- 381 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Prepare all vegetables by dicing the onion, carrots, celery, and zucchini into uniform, bite-sized pieces to ensure even cooking.
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté until the vegetables are softened and the onions are translucent, about 7 to 8 minutes.
Stir in the minced garlic, dried oregano, and dried basil. Cook for 1 minute until highly fragrant, stirring continuously to prevent the garlic from burning.
Pour in the crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth. Increase the heat to medium-high to bring the liquid to a gentle boil around 100°C/212°F, then immediately reduce the heat to low to maintain a steady simmer.
Add the diced zucchini, green beans, kosher salt, and black pepper. Cover the pot partially and simmer for 15 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the vegetables to become tender.
Stir in the drained cannellini beans and the dry small pasta. Continue to simmer uncovered for another 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked al dente.
Remove the pot from the heat. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning with more salt or pepper if necessary. Ladle into warm bowls and top with a sprinkle of grated vegetarian hard cheese if desired.
Chef's Notes
- Minestrone is a clean-out-the-fridge soup; feel free to swap in seasonal vegetables like butternut squash or kale in the winter, or asparagus and peas in the spring.
- If you have a leftover rind of vegetarian parmesan-style cheese, drop it into the soup during the simmering phase. It acts as an umami bomb and adds incredible depth to the broth. Remember to fish it out before serving.
- For a brighter finish, stir in a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice or a splash of red wine vinegar right before serving to elevate the rich tomato flavor.
- Rinsing canned beans thoroughly is crucial. The packing liquid is starchy and contains excess sodium, which can make the soup broth murky and overly salty.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Pasta will continue to absorb liquid; you may need to add extra broth or water when reheating.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze without pasta for best results. Add fresh cooked pasta when reheating.
Reheating: Warm gently on the stovetop over medium heat until simmering, adding a splash of water or broth if it has thickened too much.
Troubleshooting
Soup becomes too thick and pasta is mushy
Cause: The pasta was cooked directly in the soup and left to sit, absorbing the broth as it rested.
Fix: Stir in additional warm vegetable broth or water a little at a time until the desired soup consistency is reached.
Prevention: If making ahead of time or expecting leftovers, cook the pasta in a separate pot of boiling salted water and add it to individual serving bowls instead of the main pot.
Vegetables are unevenly cooked
Cause: Vegetables were cut into drastically different sizes, causing smaller pieces to turn to mush while larger pieces remained crunchy.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once cooked, but simmering slightly longer may soften the hard pieces at the expense of the softer ones.
Prevention: Take time during the prep phase to dice the carrots, celery, onion, and zucchini into uniform pieces.
Cultural Context
Minestrone translates roughly to big soup in Italian, historically rooted in the rural peasant tradition of cucina povera. It was traditionally prepared to utilize leftover vegetables, legumes, and whatever was abundantly growing in the garden. Because there is no fixed, authoritative recipe for minestrone, it beautifully reflects the changing seasons and diverse regional agricultural landscapes of Italy.
