This authentic Italian Minestrone Soup is loaded with fresh vegetables, beans, and Italian seasoning. It comes together quickly in one pot on the stove and is customizable based on vegetables you already have in the fridge! It's hearty, cozy, and packed with layers of flavor that make it satisfying any time of year.
Vegan Minestrone Soup is one of the most frequently served meals in my house, and I make it year round. It tastes amazing hot or cold. In the cooler months, I prefer to make this cozy soup recipe on the stove. However, when it's hot outside, I make the Instant Pot Minestrone Soup variation on my porch so I don't heat the house.
For family dinner, this minestrone soup is hearty enough for a meal but also works well as a side dish. With dinner guests, serve it with crusty bread or a rich pasta dish. I like my gluten-free baguette, Vegan Pesto over pasta, Gluten-Free Artisan Bread and No Knead Gluten-Free Bread recipes as pairings.
Some of my favorite pastas to pair with vegan minestrone soup are Vegan Alfredo Pasta, One Pot Vegan Lentil Pasta, Vegan Penne Vodka, and Pea Pesto Pasta.
For more vegan soup recipes, check out my Root Vegetable Soup, Instant Pot Minestrone Soup, and Thai Coconut Curry Soup with Tofu.
What is Minestrone Soup?
Minestrone soup is a classic Italian soup made with vegetables. It is different from a regular vegetable soup because of its thick and hearty texture. Minestrone soup has beans and pasta in addition to vegetables. In contrast to minestrone soup, a typical American vegetable soup usually has less beans and fewer vegetables.
How to make it (with photos)
A little red wine adds sophistication and elevates this soup from "vegetable soup" to a classic Italian marvel. Read on to learn how to make it in just one-pot with 30 minutes!
Ingredient Notes + Substitutions
You need 12 simple ingredients to make this Italian Minestrone Soup recipe.
Fresh Vegetables
I used onion, celery, zucchini, and spinach in this recipe. I also used frozen green beans, but you can use fresh ones as well. All of these vegetables are commonly used in minestrone soup and Italian cooking in general.
Traditionally, minestrone soup is meant to use whichever vegetables and beans you have on hand. It's totally ok to use my recipe as a guideline and add your own twist by swapping out vegetables. Carrot, broccoli, snap peas, and fresh green beans are all awesome additions or swaps in this recipe.
Beans
Similarly to the veggies, you can swap in other beans for the white beans and kidney beans in this recipe. Cannelini beans and navy beans are a favorite. I would generally avoid chickpeas because the flavor reminds me too much of other dishes, but if you love chickpeas in everything, you can use them too.
Pasta
Small shell pasta is the perfect shape for cradling the beans and vegetable pieces. I used gluten-free small shell pasta and it tastes very authentic.
Small shells, ditalini, and elbow macaroni are the best pasta shapes for minestrone soup. Fusilli works too in a pinch, and is often an easy shape to find gluten-free.
Instead of pasta, you can also chop potatoes or sweet potatoes and add them in with the other vegetables.
Italian Seasoning
Italian seasoning is a blend of dried herbs that typically includes basil, oregano, thyme, and parsley. Marjoram and red pepper flakes are also often included. You can use any store-bought blend or make my quick Italian Seasoning Substitute.
Since spices and spice blends can have starch additives to prevent clumping, make sure to choose a gluten-free safe blend. I recommend double-checking all ingredients for hidden gluten, since it can hide in broths, sauces, and canned goods. If you need help searching ingredient labels for hidden gluten, check out my printable list of gluten ingredients to avoid.
Dry Red Wine
The best dry wine for cooking is one that you also enjoy drinking! For alcohol free, replace the wine with an equivalent amount of vegetable broth. The alcohol nearly all bubbles out while cooking, so as long as you boil the broth for a little bit it will be nearly alcohol-free.
Since some wines use non-vegan ingredients during processing, make sure to choose a vegan-friendly variety or use the vegetable broth substitution if needed.
You also need olive oil, garlic, tomato paste, vegetable broth, canned diced tomatoes, and salt and pepper to make this recipe. For extra flavor, you can top it with chopped fresh parsley and vegan parmesan cheese when serving.
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients with quantities.
Step-by-step Instructions
Learn how to make Italian minestrone soup in six easy steps!
- Saute the veggies: Heat olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add onion, zucchini, and celery. Cover with a lid and cook, stirring on occasion, until vegetables begin to soften (about 5-7 minutes).
- Garlic + wine: Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and stir constantly for about 30 seconds. Then add the wine and allow the alcohol to sizzle out (1-2 minutes).
- Soup base: Add broth, canned diced tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Beans + pasta: Add the white beans, kidney beans, green beans, and pasta to the pot. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until all vegetables, beans, and pasta are soft.
- Spinach: Remove the pot from heat and stir in the spinach. Serve hot with chopped fresh parsley to garnish.
That's it -- just 6 very simple steps to a satisfying Italian minestrone soup!
Expert Tips
Make excellent Italian minestrone soup on the first try with these expert tips!
Use wine you'd like to drink.
In true Italian style, choose a red wine that you can drink while you cook. Italians pride themselves in recipes with few but high quality ingredients, and a drinkable wine is a good quality cooking wine.
Choose a good quality olive oil.
Just like choosing a good quality wine, a good quality olive oil is always an asset to a fine recipe. Look for one packaged in a jar (usually with darkened glass) and it should taste fruity, peppery, and pungent. Not musty or rancid.
Let the onions caramelize.
Add the onions and the olive oil first and allow them to begin to turn translucent before adding the other vegetables. This will add extra flavor to the finished minestrone soup recipe.
Try fire-roasted tomatoes.
Fire-roasted tomatoes have been pre-cooked by charring over high heat or open fire. This deepens the flavor and also makes it less acidic and a little less sweet. It's a nice flavor variation that we enjoy in my home.
Recipe FAQs
Here I answered some frequently asked questions about this Italian Minestrone Soup recipe. Don't see your question? Leave it in the comments at the end of this post and I'll answer within two business days.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. I like to freeze the soup in individual portions. When reheating frozen soup, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight prior to reheating for best texture.
I've heard people say minestrone soup is bland. But in this recipe, that couldn't be further from the truth!
You can add flavor to minestrone soup with red wine, tomato paste, and spices. The longer you allow the soup to simmer, the more strongly the flavors will infuse the broth for the most flavorful minestrone. As with most soups, this soup tastes better on the second day after they flavors have time to meld and settle.
Related soup recipes to consider...
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📖 Recipe
Italian Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ cup yellow onion , diced
- 1 medium zucchini , halved lengthwise and sliced thinly
- ½ cup celery , thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ⅓ cup dry red wine , vegan friendly
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes , regular or fire roasted
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoons ground pepper
- 1 14-ounce can white beans , drained and rinsed
- 1 14-ounce can kidney beans , drained and rinsed
- ¾ cup frozen cut green beans
- 1 ½ cups uncooked small shell pasta , I used gluten-free
- 2 cups spinach , packed
- ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley , optional to garnish
Instructions
- Saute the veggies: Heat the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add onion, zucchini, and celery. Cover with a lid and cook, stirring on occasion, until vegetables begin to soften (about 5-7 minutes).
- Garlic + wine: Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and stir constantly for about 30 seconds. Then add the wine and allow the alcohol to sizzle out (1-2 minutes).
- Soup base: Add broth, canned diced tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Beans + pasta: Add the white beans, kidney beans, green beans, and pasta to the pot. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until all vegetables, beans, and pasta are soft.
- Spinach: Remove the pot from heat and stir in the spinach. Serve hot with chopped fresh parsley to garnish.
Brenda B. says
This has become my favorite way to pack extra veggies into the week! I had the swedish meatballs on this site and thought this was a great way to balance out with some extra veg. I also like that this soup is thick and filling, almost like a minestrone stew. I hate thin vegetable soups with no veggies!
Candice says
I never saw a minestrone soup recipe with wine in it - such a good addition! It really adds some depth to the broth. Thank you for sharing your recipe. This is going to become one of my fall / winter staples!
Robin says
I will never eat canned minestrone again! This is so easy, tasty, and I keep wanting more 🙂
Jamie says
Awww thank you Robin! We feel exactly the same way in my house!