My easy, Italian-style minestrone soup recipe is made with seasonal vegetables, fennel, rosemary, white beans and leafy greens simmered to perfection in a light and delicate tomato broth. My secret? I use a vegetable chopper to cut my prep work in half. It’s a soup season staple!
Every recipe is different. That’s what I love about minestrone soup. There’s no set way to make it. The idea is to use fresh, seasonal ingredients and make it your own. What makes my recipe unique?
No canned tomatoes. No fresh tomatoes. One tablespoon of rich, double concentrated tomato paste creates a light and delicate tomato broth. It’s not acidic or tomato heavy at all.
Additional noteworthy ingredients include Yukon Gold potatoes, shredded seasonal greens such as Tuscan kale and cabbage, and thick-cut bacon for a subtle smoky base- just a slice. I love the combination of warm, smoky bacon with a sprig of fresh rosemary while everything cooks in the pot!
To serve, I like to finish the soup with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, salty Pecorino Romano cheese, a few chunks of crusty sourdough bread and then pretend I’m in Italy. Sometimes, I’ll add a dollop of my classic Italian basil pesto too.
Ingredients You Will Need:
- Olive Oil
- Thick-cut bacon or pancetta
- Onions
- Carrots
- Celery
- Fennel
- Garlic
- Rosemary
- Yukon gold potatoes
- Tomato Paste
- Chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
- White beans
- Tuscan Kale
- Cabbage
- Elbow macaroni
Emilie’s Tips:
- This soup is only as good as your ingredients, so select the best seasonal ingredients you can afford. If you are a CSA member, this soup is perfect to make with your weekly boxes.
- Carrots: I’m very particular about this. Opt for carrots in bunches sold with their leafy green tops, not the ones in a bag. Their flavor is lighter, sweeter and more delicate. Makes a huge difference in this soup.
- Kale: I use Tuscan kale also knowns as cavolo nero, which literally translates to “black cabbage.” It’s mild in taste and very tender.
- Green Cabbage: You’ll only need a small chunk. It’s soft and sweet when cooked, do not omit. Save the rest to make this Chinese chicken cabbage salad.
- Prep work: Soup of any kind takes time. Use this vegetable chopper to slash your prep work in half. And if you need a good vegetable peeler, get this one (make sure it’s the silver pro swivel series, not the all black regular one).
How To Make It
To avoid redundancy, I’m sharing the recipe instructions at a glance here to give you a basic idea of what to do. The full printable recipe is down below- keep scrolling.
At a glance: Sauté the bacon and veggies (onions, carrots, celery, fennel, garlic and rosemary) in olive oil for 8-10 minutes. It will smell amazing. Add the tomato paste, stock and potatoes. Simmer for 20 minutes until the potatoes are slightly tender. Add the white beans and shredded greens. Cook for 30 minutes to meld the flavors together. Meanwhile, cook the elbow macaroni separately. Add the pasta to your individual soup bowls right before serving, only. Top with a dollop of my classic Italian basil pesto, optional. Enjoy!
More Italian Soup Recipes To Try:
This recipe is part of 6-part mini series featuring warm and cozy Italian soups, perfect to serve with homemade sourdough bread. Click on the links below to gain access to the next recipes in the series.
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Go-To Italian Minestrone Soup
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: Served 6
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove-top
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
My brothy, Italian-style minestrone soup recipe is made from onions, carrots, celery, garlic, fennel, bacon, rosemary, white beans and leafy greens simmered to perfection in a light and delicate tomato broth. It’s a soup season staple.
Notes & Tips:
Below are a few ingredient brands, tips & recommendations:
- Carrots: Buy the ones with the leafy green tops still attached (not the ones in the bag). They’re milder and sweeter, perfect for this delicate soup.
- Tomato Paste: Get the kind in the tube for convenience, not the can. Good brands include Cento & Mutti.
- Chicken Stock: You need a light-colored chicken stock or broth (some are really dark and strong flavored). I use Trader Joe’s organic chicken bone broth which comes in a black pouch, not a box, and is found in the refrigerator section. It’s light in color, has great ingredients, and has a subtle taste that does not overpower. You can also use your favorite vegetable stock, store-bought or homemade. If using my homemade vegetable stock recipe, please double it so you have enough.
- Vegetable Chopper: If you want to cut your prep time in half, use this chopper.
- Pro Vegetable Peeler: This vegetable peeler is top notch. There’s something about this one- it’s got a great weight to it, and it makes peeling veggies a breeze. I love mine.
- Understanding vegetables size: The veggies I use for this soup are are approximately “medium” in size. So for an example, a medium, not gigantic green cabbage; a celery stick that is not as long as my arm; Yukon Gold potatoes that are not the size of yams etc. Use your judgement. Always have extra stock on hand if you need to loosen up the texture of the soup.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 strip good quality thick-cut bacon, rough chop
- 1 onion, 1/2-inch dice
- 1 celery stick, 1/2-inch dice
- 2 carrots, 1/2-inch dice
- 1/2 small fennel bulb, 1/2-inch dice
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 rosemary sprig
- 1 rounded tbsp. tomato paste
- 2 small Yukon Gold potatoes, 1/2- inch dice
- 6–7 cups light colored chicken stock or broth, plus more as needed (see Notes & Tips above)
- 1/2 bunch Tuscan kale, shredded
- 1/4 chunk green cabbage, shredded
- (1x) 15 oz can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained or 1.5 cups home-cooked white beans from scratch
- 1/2 cup elbow macaroni
- Salt & pepper
- Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
- Basil Pesto, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, warm the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the bacon, onions, celery, carrots, fennel, garlic cloves and rosemary sprig. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for 8-10 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste; stir for 30 seconds to combine.
- Add a splash of chicken stock to deglaze the bottom of the pot, scraping up any brown bits stuck to the bottom. Then add the rest of the stock.
- Add the potatoes.
- Place the lid on top slightly ajar, and bring the soup to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the kale, cabbage, and beans.
- Continue to cook for 30 minutes or more, until the soup reduces slightly and the flavors meld together.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- If serving right away, portion the soup into bowls, adding some of the reserved cooked pasta. Drizzle with olive oil, shave some Pecorino cheese on top, and add a dollop of basil pesto, if using.
Note: If not serving right away, this soup can be stored in the fridge (without the pasta) for 4 days; in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Comments
Beverley Press says
Hello lovely I’m going to make this when my family come to visit in November. A delicious and comforting soup reminds me of cosy family nights together around the table. Just enjoying each other’s company xoxo
Emilie Raffa says
I can just picture this, Beverley 🥰 It reminds me of cozy nights too. I hope you enjoy!
Gisela says
I will cook this today. It seems similar to something my German mother cooked regularly on a Saturday. ! It always was very satisfying and delicious.
Also waiting for your other soup recipes………..I am addicted to soups.
G.
Emilie Raffa says
I love this! There is something about soup, whether it’s the memories, the feeling, the taste- that is just so comforting. I hope you enjoy Gisela!