Minestrone Soup

Name: Minestrone Soup
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 medium yellow onion, diced; 2 medium carrots, chopped; 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced; 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste; Freshly ground black pepper; 3 garlic cloves, grated; 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes; 1½ cups cooked white beans or kidney beans, drained and rinsed; 1 cup chopped green beans; 4 cups vegetable broth; 2 bay leaves; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; ¾ cup small pasta, elbows, shells, orecchiette; ½ cup chopped fresh parsley; Red pepper flakes; Grated Parmesan cheese, optional, for serving

A hearty Italian vegetable soup with onion, carrot, celery, beans, green beans, and small pasta simmered in an herb-flecked tomato broth. Finish each bowl with parsley, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and optional Parmesan.

soup italian vegetarian pasta beans dinner one-pot

Recipe from Love and Lemons

No photo here yet. See photos at the original recipe ↗

Quick facts

Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Servings: 4 to 6
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes

Heads up

Card cook time is 30 minutes, but the steps add up to about 38 minutes of cooking (8 + 20 + 10). Using the card's stated prep (15) and cook (30); no total time is listed on the card.
Black pepper and red pepper flakes have no measured amounts in the source (several grinds / optional for heat).
Page byline also lists Phoebe Moore alongside Jeanine Donofrio; credited here to Jeanine Donofrio (Love and Lemons).
Source presents the recipe as vegetarian; Parmesan is optional for serving. Not tagged vegan—omit the cheese (or use a vegan garnish) for a vegan bowl.

Ingredients

Soup

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion (medium; diced)
2 carrot (medium; chopped)
2 rib celery (thinly sliced)
1 tsp sea salt (plus more to taste)
black pepper (freshly ground; several grinds, to taste)
3 clove garlic (grated)
1 can diced tomatoes (28-ounce)
1 1/2 cup white beans or kidney beans (cooked; drained and rinsed)
1 cup green beans (chopped)
4 cup vegetable broth
2 bay leaf
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
3/4 cup small pasta (elbows, shells, or orecchiette)
1/2 cup fresh parsley (chopped; for serving)
red pepper flakes (optional, for heat; amount not specified)
Parmesan cheese (grated; optional, for serving)

Steps

Cook the soup

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.
Add the garlic, diced tomatoes, beans, green beans, vegetable broth, bay leaves, oregano, and thyme. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Stir in the pasta and cook uncovered for 10 more minutes, until the pasta is cooked through.
Season to taste. Serve topped with parsley, red pepper flakes, and Parmesan if desired.

Notes

Best soon after cooking: the pasta keeps absorbing broth as leftovers sit.
To make ahead, cook the pasta separately and stir it into bowls when serving; or skip the pasta and add an extra cup of beans. Without pasta in the pot, the soup keeps up to 4 days in the fridge.
Source suggestions for swaps: fennel for celery; zucchini or yellow squash for (or with) green beans; fresh Roma tomatoes in summer; spinach or kale near the end; pearled farro or barley instead of pasta; homemade bean cooking liquid in place of some broth.
For a vegan bowl, skip the Parmesan (or use a vegan pesto garnish, as the source suggests).
Source lists a Dutch oven (Staub) under equipment; any large pot works.

Credit

This recipe comes from Love and Lemons by Jeanine Donofrio. Ingredients and amounts match the original recipe card; the summary and steps are in our own words. Visit the original for the full post and photos.

Recipe from Love and Lemons ↗

Added 2026-11-09