Minestrone Soup Quick Healthy Soup Recipe Wellplated Com

The farmers market is my happy place and it continually inspires my cooking for a few reasons.

Number one, the produce is abundant, affordable, and so fresh it was often picked that morning.Number two, because I wind up with so many veggie impulse buys, I have no choice but to work them into our menu.

This minestrone soup is my latest farmers market love story (and this Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup its long-awaited follow-up sequel). When the nights start to get chilly and the days become shorter, nothing seems to warm my soul better than a bowl of healthy minestrone soup. It’s a recipe I love for its wholesome ingredients and versatility. There are really no rules when it comes to minestrone. Use whatever veggies you have on hand, add some beans, cooked pasta, and a little meat (if you so desire), and let it simmer in stock until a rich, hearty soup comes together. I always serve minestrone soup with a heap of freshly grated Parmesan and toasted baguettes. Why? Because it’s the right (and delicious) thing to do.

How to Make Minestrone Soup

Loaded with in-season veggies, tender white beans for healthy protein, whole grain noodles for tummy-filling fiber, and a smattering of crisp bacon, minestrone soup is a comforting, quick, budget-friendly meal.

Minestrone soup isn’t so much a rigid, specific recipe as it is a loose term for Italian vegetable soup with ingredients that change throughout the seasons.Pasta fagioli however refers to a more specific soup recipe that puts a greater emphasis on the beans and pasta and less of a focus on the vegetables. You can try my favorite version in my cookbook.

The Ingredients

Bacon. A little smoky, salty bacon goes a long way toward flavoring this soup with a little meaty richness.Butternut Squash. Packed with vitamin A, vitamin C, and fiber, butternut squash lifts this recipe from basic to superfood status. Kale. Our second nutritional powerhouse in this healthy minestrone recipe that packs on additional vitamin A, vitamin C, PLUS a hefty dose of vitamin K. (Love kale? Try my Crockpot Tortellini Soup.)

Cannellini Beans. Contribute creaminess, additional fiber, and a little plant-based protein.

Pasta. To add some whole grain goodness, I select a whole wheat pasta of a shortcut variety like elbow macaroni, rotini, radiatori, shells, or ditalini.Carrots + Celery + Onion. A classic trio of vegetables used in countless soup recipes (like this Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup).Garlic. For essential flavor.Chopped Tomatoes. Add color, flavor, depth, and acidity.Chicken Stock. The liquid base of minestrone.

Bay Leaf. My secret to ingredient for elevating even the simplest of soup recipes (like this Instant Pot French Onion Soup) to the next level.Thyme. For an aromatic woodsy flavor.Parmesan. Just a sprinkle (or two…okay three) of freshly grated Parmesan is the perfect finish to this quick minestrone soup.

The Directions

Storage Tips

To Store. Leftovers may be kept in your refrigerator for up to 5 days.To Reheat. Warm on the stovetop or in the microwave until steaming.To Freeze. Freeze minestrone soup for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe

Dutch Oven. For everything from soups, stews, braised meats, and bread.Large Pot. For boiling the pasta to al dente perfection.Chef’s Knife. Perhaps the single most important asset in any kitchen.

Minestrone soup is my does-it-all winter happy place. What’s yours?

SpinachSwiss ChardZucchiniLeeksSweet Potatoes

Place rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Brush both sides of each baguette slice with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Cook until golden and toasted, about 6 minutes. Serve warm with soup.

Keeping the cooked pasta separate from the soup rather than mixing it into the pot of soup.This will prevent the pasta from becoming mushy as it is stored. Mix in cooked pasta while reheating the soup.