← Back to recipes
Minestrone Soup

Minestrone Soup

A thick and filling Italian vegetable soup made with kidney beans, shell pasta, and fresh spinach in a tomato broth with a splash of red wine. This minestrone is ready in about 30 minutes and works well as a weeknight dinner or a make-ahead meal.

⏱ Prep: 10 min ⏱ Cook: 25 min

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 clove garlic (minced)
  • 1 piece yellow onion (minced)
  • 2 stalks celery (minced)
  • 1.5 cup zucchini (chopped)
  • 5 cup vegetable broth
  • 14 oz canned diced tomatoes
  • 3.25 cup red wine (a dry red like Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon)
  • 1.5 tsp salt
  • 1.5 tsp ground black pepper
  • 12 oz red kidney beans (drained)
  • 4 oz long green beans (chopped)
  • 1.5 cup carrot (minced)
  • 1 tbsp parsley (chopped)
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1.5 tsp dried basil
  • 1.25 tsp dried thyme
  • 3.25 cup pasta shells (cooked separately and drained)
  • 3 cup baby spinach

Instructions

  1. Heat a large cooking pot over medium heat and pour in the olive oil.

  2. Add the garlic, onion, celery, and zucchini. Sauté for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until the vegetables soften and release their aroma.

  3. Pour in the vegetable broth and diced tomatoes. Let the mixture come to a boil.

  4. Add the red wine, salt, and ground black pepper. Stir and allow the soup to simmer briefly.

  5. Put in the kidney beans, green beans, carrots, parsley, oregano, basil, and thyme. Lower the heat and let the soup simmer for 15 minutes so the flavors blend well.

  6. Add the cooked small shell pasta and fresh spinach. Continue simmering for 5 to 7 minutes, just until the spinach wilts.

  7. Turn off the heat and transfer the soup to a serving bowl. Serve warm with bread sticks.