Minestrone soup is packed full of veggies and legumes. It is very versatile and you can mix up the veggies as you wish, or even sub out the macaroni for another type of pasta, quinoa, lentils or even rice.
It's a cosy winter favourite that needs to be on everyone's meal plan!
Soup when you're sick
Minestrone soup is the perfect soup recipe to make when you're sick as it is packed full of vegetable and legumes. You get a variety of vegetables in every bite, and it is a balanced meal with the grains from the pasta, and protein from the legumes.
The first time I made this recipe was just before I was really sick for the week. I was so glad I had this in the fridge as it meant I didn't have to think about what to cook when I was sick, but also meant I had a balanced soup recipe at hand to help me get better!
Can you freeze Minestrone Soup?
You can freeze Minestrone Soup. In fact, Minestrone Soup tastes better the days after you have made it as it gives the chance for the flavours to really sink into the soup.
If you do want to freeze this for later, I would suggest leaving out the grains and adding them when you reheat the soup. This will stop the grains from overcooking or becoming soggy.
Check out my Pumpkin Soup Recipe post which has tips and tricks for how to freeze soup!
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Recipe
Easy Minestrone Soup Recipe
Equipment
- 1 knife
- 1 cutting board
- 1 large pot
- 1 cheese grater
- 1 stiring utensil
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 brown onion finely chopped
- 2 carrots chopped
- 2 celery sticks chopped
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 400 g canned diced tomatoes
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 400 g canned white beans drained & rinsed
- 1.5 cups macaroni
- 1 bunch kale leaves removed from stems & chopped
- 2 tablespoon italian herbs
- 1+1 cup parmesan grated & rind reserved
Instructions
- Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Cook until fragrant and soft (approx. 5 minutes).
- Stir in tomato, stock and parmesan rind, if having this immediately after cooking, add another 2 cups of water. If using this for meal prep, add ½ cup water in while re-heating instead of the 2 cups now.
- Bring to the boil then reduce heat until soup thickens slightly (approx. 10 minutes).
- Add beans and macaroni and cook for approx. 8 minutes until pasta is al dante. Stir in kale, Italian herbs and 1 cup parmesan. Remove rind.
- Separate into serving bowls and sprinkle with remaining parmesan.
Notes
- Use a variety of vegetables to get a range of nutrients.
- If you don't have all of the beans, you can use a combination of different types.
- Using canned tomatoes and beans can save you time and money.Â
- Add the pasta towards the end of cooking so that it doesn't overcook. If using this for meal prep, cut the time of the pasta cook in half as it will keep cooking in the liquid and when you reheat.
- Serve the soup hot with a side of crusty bread or a salad.
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