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My mamma loved to cook with beans, probably because they were inexpensive and versatile. She raised 9 children, and I know for a fact – since I’ve raised 10 – that beans help stretch the budget in ways that nothing else can. Minestrone soup was one of those meals she would make that used a variety of beans and lots of vegetables, making it hearty and nutritious without costing a fortune. It was her way of getting more vegetables into us, but in a way that seemed a lot easier than trying to get us to eat them individually.

When you combine all those vegetables with tomatoes, beans, spices, and a little pasta, everything blends together into something that is genuinely appetizing. Even the pickiest eaters in our family would eat minestrone, because every spoonful has a little bit of everything on it and the flavors all work together. Nobody was picking out individual vegetables when they were swimming in a delicious broth with beans and ditalini.

This recipe makes a big pot of soup that feeds a crowd. It is loaded with garbanzo beans, kidney beans, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, peas, and spinach or Swiss chard – basically everything you can pull from the garden or the produce section. The pasta goes in near the end so it doesn’t get mushy, and the whole thing comes together in about 40 minutes. It is one of those meals where you chop everything, throw it in a pot, and let the stove do the rest while you do other things.

Serve it with a generous pile of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano and a thick slice of our crusty Italian bread for dipping into the broth, and you have a complete meal that everyone at the table will be happy with.

Why This Minestrone Soup Stands Out

Most minestrone soup recipes you find online are either watered down with too much broth and not enough substance, or they throw in so many ingredients that nothing stands out. This version hits the balance. The soup is thick and hearty without being heavy. The vegetables are cut into small pieces so every spoonful has a little bit of everything – a bean, a piece of pasta, a bit of broccoli, a sliver of carrot. That’s the whole point of minestrone, and it’s why we use small pasta like ditalini, small shells, or bowties. They blend right in with the vegetables rather than taking over the bowl.

The beef bouillon gives the broth a savory depth that plain water or vegetable broth doesn’t quite achieve. If you want to keep this fully vegetarian, swap the beef bouillon for vegetable bouillon – it will still be delicious. The dried basil simmers in from the beginning and gives the whole pot that unmistakable Italian aroma.

One thing that makes a real difference in Minestrone soup is the order in which the vegetables go into the pot. The harder vegetables – carrots, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower – go in first and simmer for 15 minutes. The softer vegetables – zucchini and peas – go in later so they keep some texture. The spinach or Swiss chard goes in last, just long enough to wilt. This way, nothing is overcooked and every vegetable retains its own character within the soup.

What You Need For Minestrone

Olive oil: Two tablespoons for sautéing the onion and garlic. We use Partanna in our kitchen.

Onion and garlic: One small onion, chopped, and two garlic cloves, minced. These build the flavor base of the soup. Cook the onion first until soft, then add the garlic for a minute or two until fragrant.

Beans: One can of garbanzo beans and one can of red kidney beans, both drained. The two types of beans give the soup variety in texture and appearance. The garbanzos hold their shape well and the kidney beans soften slightly and add body to the broth.

Italian petite diced tomatoes: One 28-ounce can. The diced tomatoes break down slightly during simmering and create the tomato base of the broth. We use Mutti whenever we can find the diced variety, or Cento works great too.

Vegetables: This is where minestrone gets its character. You need 1 cup of fresh green beans cut into 1-inch pieces, 1 medium carrot diced, 2 cups of chopped broccoli, 2 cups of chopped cauliflower, 1 small zucchini cubed, 1/2 cup of peas, and 1 bunch of spinach or Swiss chard chopped. That sounds like a lot, and it is – this is a loaded soup. Chop everything into small, roughly even pieces so it all cooks evenly and fits on a spoon.

Beef bouillon: Three teaspoons. This gives the broth a savory, meaty depth. Swap for vegetable bouillon if you want to keep this fully vegetarian.

Dried basil: Two teaspoons. The basil simmers from the beginning and flavors the entire pot.

Salt and pepper: One teaspoon salt and half a teaspoon pepper. We use Redmond Real Salt. Adjust to taste at the end – the bouillon adds salt too, so go easy until you taste it.

Water: Six cups. The vegetables and beans will release liquid as they cook, so the broth will be richer than plain water by the time everything simmers together.

Small pasta: Three-quarters of a cup. Use ditalini, small shells, or bowties – any small pasta that blends in with the vegetables cut into small pieces. A spoonful of this soup should have a little bit of everything on it, and that only works if the pasta is small enough to share the spoon with the vegetables and beans.

Parmigiano Reggiano: Freshly grated, and be generous. The salty, nutty flavor of good Parmigiano is what ties the whole bowl together.

How to Make Minestrone Soup

Build the base. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until soft and translucent. Then, add the minced garlic and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, stirring often so the garlic doesn’t burn.

Add the beans, tomatoes, and hard vegetables. Add the drained garbanzo beans, drained kidney beans, diced tomatoes, fresh green beans, carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower to the pot. Stir in the beef bouillon, dried basil, salt, and pepper. Pour in the 6 cups of water and stir everything together. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. This gives the harder vegetables time to become tender while the broth develops flavor.

Add the soft vegetables. After 15 minutes, add the cubed zucchini and peas. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes on medium heat. The zucchini should be tender but still holding its shape, and the peas should be bright green.

Add the pasta and greens. Add the small pasta and cook for 5 minutes with the heat still on. Then turn off the heat and let the soup sit for 5 minutes – the pasta will finish cooking in the hot broth. If using Swiss chard, add it with the pasta so it has time to soften. If using spinach, add it after you turn off the heat – spinach wilts almost instantly and adding it too early will turn it to mush.

Serve. Ladle the minestrone into bowls and top each one with a generous pile of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Serve with crusty Italian bread on the side for dipping into the broth.

Tips for the Best Minestrone

Cut everything small. The whole appeal of minestrone is getting a little bit of everything in every spoonful. If your vegetable pieces are too large, you end up with a bite of broccoli followed by a bite of nothing but broth. Cut everything into roughly half-inch pieces so it all fits on a spoon together with the beans and pasta.

Add vegetables in stages. Hard vegetables (carrots, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower) go in first and simmer for 15 minutes. Soft vegetables (zucchini, peas) go in for just 5 minutes. Greens (spinach or chard) go in last. This keeps everything at the right texture instead of turning the entire pot into mush.

If using canned green beans instead of fresh, add them at the end. Canned green beans are already cooked and will turn soggy and fall apart if they simmer for the full 15 minutes with the other hard vegetables. Add them when you add the zucchini and peas instead.

This soup can be made without pasta. If you prefer it without pasta or want to keep it lower carb, just skip the pasta entirely. The soup is hearty enough with all the beans and vegetables. But if you skip the pasta, I would strongly recommend having some good crusty Italian bread to serve with it – you’ll want something to soak up that broth.

Store pasta separately for leftovers. Just like with our pasta e fagioli, the pasta will continue to absorb broth as it sits. If you’re planning on leftovers, store the pasta and soup in separate containers and combine when you reheat. Add a splash of water when reheating if the broth has thickened.

What to Serve with Minestrone Soup

Minestrone soup is a complete meal on its own – beans for protein, pasta for carbs, and more vegetables than most people eat in a week. But bread on the side is essential in our family. Our basic Italian bread or our rosemary bread are both perfect for tearing off chunks and dipping into the broth. The rosemary in particular pairs beautifully with the basil in the soup.

If you love Italian soups, we have a whole collection growing on the blog. Pasta e fagioli is another bean-based favorite with a lighter, broth-based approach. Italian tomato soup with sausage is a creamy, rich option that pairs perfectly with grilled cheese. Italian egg drop soup is the quickest of the bunch – a 30-minute pantry soup. Our pastina is what we make when someone needs comfort and not much else. And for something heartier with meat, our spezzatino (Italian beef stew) is the one to make on the coldest nights of the year.

This is the kind of soup that reminds you why simple cooking is the best cooking. A big pot, a lot of vegetables, some beans and pasta, and a family around the table. My mamma made this to stretch the budget and feed a big family, and now I make it for the same reasons. Some things don’t need to change

This recipe is from our family cookbook, Roots of Sicily. It has 167 authentic Sicilian recipes and 139 family stories passed down through four generations – from big-pot soups like this one that feed the whole family to elaborate holiday feasts. Every recipe comes with the story behind it.