Minestrone
Minestrone di verdure
Italy's vegetable soup: whatever the season gives, slow-cooked with beans and a little pasta or rice, finished with olive oil and Parmigiano.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: Minestrone di verdure.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 15 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 1 hr 45 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Minestrone is less a fixed recipe than a method: a soffritto of onion, carrot and celery, then whatever vegetables the season gives, simmered slowly with beans until everything melts into a thick soup. This is an autumn version with potato, zucchini, green beans, borlotti beans, savoy cabbage and a little tomato, finished with small pasta. Cut everything small and roughly the same size so it cooks evenly. Add the slow vegetables first and the tender ones later. A Parmigiano rind in the pot adds savoury depth and is a long-standing Italian habit. Done is a soup thick enough to eat with a fork, finished with a thread of olive oil and grated cheese, and better still the next day.
What you'll need
14 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Onion, chopped1 medium
- Carrot, diced2 medium
- Celery, diced2 stick
- Potato, diced2 medium
- Zucchini, diced2 medium
- Green beans, cut short150 g
- Savoy cabbage, shredded200 g
- Borlotti beans, cooked, or one tin rinsed400 g
- Plum tomatoes, tinned peeled, chopped200 g
- Water1½ l
- Pasta, small, such as ditalini120 g
- Olive oil, extra virgin, plus more to serve59 ml
- Parmigiano Reggiano, grated to serve, plus a rind for the pot50 g
- Salt9.9 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Warm the oil and soften the onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes.
10 min
Step 2
Add the potato, green beans and tomato and stir for 2 minutes. Add the water and the Parmigiano rind and simmer 30 minutes.
32 min
Step 3
Add the zucchini, cabbage and borlotti and simmer gently 25 minutes more, until everything is soft and the soup has thickened.
25 min
Step 4
Add the pasta and cook until tender, about 10 minutes, adding a little water if it gets too thick. Season and remove the rind.
10 min
Step 5
Rest 10 minutes. Serve with a thread of olive oil and grated Parmigiano.
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 370 kcal
- Protein
- 16.8 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Saturated fat
- 3.2 g
- Fibre
- 11.4 g
- Sugar
- 7 g
- Sodium
- 1328 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Wheat
- Milk
- Vegetarian
Vegetarian only with a vegetarian Parmigiano Reggiano: the traditional cheese is made with animal rennet.
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 12 November.
Substitutions
Pasta → Rice
The Milanese way. Add it 15 minutes before the end.
Tips
- Cook the pasta separately if you plan to keep leftovers; it swells overnight.
- In Liguria, stir a spoon of pesto into each bowl.
History & culture
Every region and family has its minestrone. Liguria stirs pesto in at the end, Milan makes it with rice and eats it cold in summer, and Tuscany thickens it with bread. It is everyday home food, cooked in a big pot on Sunday and eaten through the week.
Vegetable and legume soups are among the oldest Italian dishes, descended from the pottages of the Roman poor. Tomatoes and potatoes joined after they arrived from the Americas, and pasta and rice made the soup the one-pot meal it is today.
Traditional — An autumn minestrone. Change the vegetables with the season.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Minestrone take?
1 hr 45 min all in — 30 min prep, 1 hr 15 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 6 bowls. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Wheat, Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian.
7 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Dutch oven, Chef's knife, Cutting board.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 2 tsp.
What can I use instead?
Pasta → Rice. The Milanese way. Add it 15 minutes before the end.
Any tips from this recipe?
Cook the pasta separately if you plan to keep leftovers; it swells overnight. In Liguria, stir a spoon of pesto into each bowl.
Can I prepare this ahead?
Cook the pasta separately if you plan to keep leftovers; it swells overnight.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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