Minestrone is a hearty vegetable soup made with carrots, celery, onion, kale, potatoes, and beans simmered in a tomato-based broth. This nourishing soup is wonderful in the winter but is just light enough to eat all year round.
Minestrone is an Italian soup whose ingredients and preparation can vary greatly depending on where you’re located.
Here in the US, many think of the reddish-brown toned minestrone (Progresso brand being the most popular growing up) that’s usually found in a can and includes kidney beans, lima beans, and macaroni.
While in Italy, minestrone is different depending on the region you’re in (ie. in Tuscany, bread is used in minestrone la Ribollita, and in northern Italy rice is included).
But for many Italian-Americans, minestrone was a homemade tomato-based brothy vegetable soup that was loaded with flavor and nutrients and that’s the version I aimed to recreate here.
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Remove the leaves from one bunch of Tuscan kale and roughly chop the leaves. The stems can be discarded or composted.
- Dice 1 large onion, 2 medium carrots, 2 celery ribs, and a 1/4 pound of pancetta. Mince 5 cloves of garlic and a 1/2 cup of flat-leaf parsley. Cube 3 medium-sized Yukon Gold potatoes.
- Heat a large heavy pot or Dutch oven to medium-low and add a 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil and the pancetta and cook until the pancetta has rendered most of its fat.
- Add the celery, carrots, and onion and a sprinkle of salt.
- Cook for 10-12 minutes or until the veggies have softened.
- Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the garlic is very fragrant.
- Add the kale along with 8 sprigs of fresh thyme, 1 15-ounce can of drained lima beans, 1 15-ounce can of drained cannellini beans, and 1 14-ounce can of crushed plum tomatoes. Note: If using whole plum tomatoes, just hand crush or blender pulse.
- Add 1 rind of Parmigiano Reggiano and 8 cups of low-sodium vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, turn the heat down and simmer for 1 hour with the lid partially covering the pot.
- Taste test the minestrone and make any adjustments to salt and pepper.
- Add the potatoes and bring the heat back up to a boil, then lower it to a simmer. Continue to simmer until the potatoes are tender (about 15-20 minutes).
- Taste the soup again and make any final adjustments to salt and pepper. For a thicker soup, mash some of the beans and potatoes against the side of the pot with the back of a spoon. Right before serving, add the fresh parsley to the pot and serve in bowls with grated Parmigiano Reggiano and a hefty drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil. Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!
Top tips for classic minestrone
- Vegetables and beans. We used a combination of Tuscan kale, potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, cannellini, and lima beans/butter beans for our minestrone. Feel free to use different greens or beans if you’d like. Other types of kale work well as would chard, spinach, and savoy cabbage. Use any beans or combination of beans you’d like!
- The fat. We used a combination of pancetta and olive oil to cook our soffritto but if you would like to make this dish vegetarian, simply omit the pancetta.
- Serving minestrone. We love to serve this hearty soup with crusty bread, but you could certainly add some cooked rice or small pasta like ditalini to this classic minestrone to stretch it even further. We also suggest serving with a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil and plenty of grated cheese. Pecorino or parmesan both work well.
- Maximize flavor. As with any of our soup recipes, the flavor of this minestrone soup will be better on the second day. If time permits, make the soup a day in advance and reheat it when you’re ready to serve.
More nourishing soup recipes
Here are a few of our favorite feel-good soup recipes we think you’ll love!
- Tuscan white bean soup – with roasted garlic, pancetta, veggies, and herbs.
- Escarole and bean soup – garlic, escarole, and cannellini beans.
- Italian zucchini soup – Broken spaghetti and zucchini soup.
If you’ve enjoyed this minestrone soup recipe or any recipe on this site, give it a 5-star rating and tell us about it in the comments below.
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Minestrone
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 pound pancetta diced
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 medium carrots diced
- 2 celery ribs diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans drained
- 1 15-ounce can lima beans
- 1 bunch Tuscan kale stems discarded and rough chopped
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 14-ounce can plum tomatoes hand crushed
- 1 Parmigiano Reggiano rind optional
- 8 cups low sodium vegetable stock plus more if needed to thin
- 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes cubed
- 1/2 cup flat leaf Italian parsley minced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large heavy pot or Dutch oven to medium-low and add the pancetta and extra virgin olive oil. Once the pancetta has rendered most of its fat add the onion, celery, and carrots. Sprinkle with salt and cook until soft (about 10-12 minutes).
- Once the veggies are soft add the garlic and cook until fragrant (2-3 minutes) then add the tomatoes, beans, kale, thyme, Parmigiano rind, and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, turn the heat down and simmer for 1 hour with the lid partially covered.
- Taste test and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Add the potatoes and bring the heat back up to a boil then lower it to a simmer. Simmer until the potatoes are for tender (about 15-20 minutes).
- Taste test the soup once more and make final adjustments to salt and pepper. For a thicker soup feel free to mash some of the beans and potatoes with a wooden spoon.
- Before serving, add the fresh parsley to the pot and serve in bowls with parmesan cheese and a drizzle of high-quality extra virgin olive oil. Serve the soup with crusty bread. Enjoy! Note: This soup is much better if it is left to cool and refrigerated overnight but can 100% be enjoyed the same day.
Notes
- Feel free to change up the veggies or beans. Savoy cabbage, chard, and other types of kale all work well.
- Serve with crusty Italian bread, parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese, and a hefty drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in each bowl.
- Minestrone can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I love this minestrone recipe. I kept it vegetarian and added a couple of bay leaves.
And kudos for getting a 7.5 rating from a young person. Most don’t like vegetables so IMO you’re doing great. I give it a 10.
So happy you enjoyed, and thanks for the comment!
Really enjoyed it esp with the addition of Lima beans. My new favorite minestrone recipe. Will try with Roman beans next time.
Hi Maryann, we’re so happy you enjoyed the recipe and thanks for the comment!
Delicious soup; even my picky “meat and potatoes” husband liked it. The only change I made was spinach in lieu of kale because that is what I had on hand. I will make again
Hi Karen, it’s great to hear you and your husband enjoyed the minestrone. Thank you for the comment!
Fantastic recipe I never made anything with kale so I loved trying something new
Hi Bridget, we’re so happy you enjoyed the minestrone and really appreciate the comment!
I literally cannot wait to make this soup! Tonight! I recently watched the Netflix Documentary series called “Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones” and one of the areas they focused on was Sardinia. With emphasis on less meat and more vegetables and legumes, one of the main reasons for longevity in that Blue Zone is the fact that they eat Minestrone soup several times a week! Thank you for this recipe!
Hi Karen, thanks for the comment and hope you enjoy the minestrone!
Great recipe & very clear instructions! Bravo 🙌
Hi Brian, so happy you linked the minestrone and really appreciate the comment!
My go to recipe for
Minestrone .
I do substitute fine chopped cabbage for the kale.and Roman(strawberry)beans for the Lima.
Hi Carol, so happy you enjoyed the recipe and thanks for sharing your substitutions!
Our KofC council made this for our whole parish one Friday during Lent (omitting the pancetta, of course) and it was a runaway success. We prepared it the day before and just like you say, it’s even better on the second day. Many people were asking for the recipe so I dutifully pointed them all here. Thanks especially for the feature on your website that recalculates the shopping list based on the number of servings as it was very helpful in multiplying the recipe for such a large group.
Hi Michael, thanks for the comment. I’m so happy you all enjoyed the minestrone and that you found the recipe to be helpful!
Hey Jim! My family enjoys your recipes but I can’t help but notice this minestrone recipe has a very inaccurate cook time. It’s listed as an hour but the time to cook pancetta+veggies+simmer+potatoes is closer to an hour 45 than an hour. Can you please try and make those times a little more accurate, I go off of them when I’m trying to fit in dinners throughout the week. Thank you so much!
Hi Bob, You’re right, it should have been 1 hour and 50 minutes total including cooking and prep time. I’ve corrected this and appreciate you pointing out the error. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
I really want to make this recipe but I don’t like beans. Do you have any suggestions on what to substitute them with?
Hi Zabi, you can make this without beans. You can either increase the amount of potatoes, or add a small shaped pasta.
Can I make it vegetarian without the meat?
Hi Linda, yes, please see the section on “the fat” in the top tips section for more info on making this vegetarian.
Extremely delicious. I would just minus potato and add digitale pasta.
Hi Denise, so happy you enjoyed and thanks for the comment!
I just made this with the intention of having it tomorrow night, but it smelled so divine- we had to eat right away. This is so delicious and was perfect in this cold night in Maryland. I made it exactly as the recipe stated. I wouldn’t change a thing. Thanks so much for this great recipe.
Hi Hannah, so happy you enjoyed the minestrone and really appreciate the comment and review!
I made this soup today. It is so good!! This is the Minestrone recipe I’ve been searching for😃
Hi Gail, thanks for the comment and so happy you enjoyed it!
Another winner!!! I’m sure your son will become a soup lover over time.
Hi Deanna, thanks so much for the comment and so happy you enjoyed it!
Hi – When do you add the thyme?
Hi Jane, the thyme should be added at the same time as the kale. I just updated the instructions to reflect that. Thank you!
I simply love your recipes. I am trying the minestrone today, but was wondering, do I drain the lima beans too? I made your baked ziti this week and it was amazing!! Thank you for such fantastic recipes!!
Hi Jane, thanks for the comment and so happy you’re enjoying the recipes. Yes, you can drain the lima beans.
It was yummy, thank you
Hi Donna, so happy you enjoyed this one and thanks for the comment!
Jim,
We made it last night and it was delicious. It was the BEST minestrone we’ve ever had and made. And we’ve made a few. Keep up the great recipes
Thanks,
Peter
Hi Peter, so happy you enjoyed the minestrone and really appreciate the comment!
Spot on as always. My dad was born 1894 in southern Italy. He emigrated to.the US around 1811. My mom was born here, but her parents were immigrants from Italy as well. So I am 100% Italian! Jim’s recipes and videos are really legit!
Hi Yolanda, so happy you’re enjoying the recipes, and thanks for the comment!
You provide me and my family with so many wonderful dishes
Some sweet and savory some hearty and robust. All are mouth desiring dishes. So many different mouth watering and refreshing dish they have me calling up other family members for a fest of “This Dish Has Took The Cake” kind of thing. They are fabulous thanks guys for taking the time to bring 🇮🇹 right into our home here in 🇺🇸
I am so happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipes and really appreciate the comment!