This Italian Vegetable Soup Is Full of Flavor and Easy to Customize!
This famous Italian veggie soup – known as minestrone di verdure – is one of those classic comfort foods that is perfect for chilly days. It is full of vegetables, filling, and bursting with flavor!
This classic dish originated in the Italian countryside – a meal that was made with what farmers had on hand, usually seasonal veggies. It was meant to be filling, nutritious, and comforting.
Nowadays more modern versions can also include “fancier” ingredients, sometimes even meat, but they still retain the traditional “simple, nutritious, filling, and comforting” spirit.
In general, minestrone di verdure is highly customizable with whatever veggies you have on hand or like. Some people include cauliflower, broccoli, peas, zucchini, or kale.
The soup also usually includes a legume like white beans (fagioli borlotto if possible), a cereal (rice or spelt, but quinoa could work too), or some kind of short-form pasta (usually ditalini). Lots of options!
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this Italian Minestrone di Verdure soup:
- Carrots – To make the soffritto (flavor base).
- White onion – To make the flavor base (soffritto). You can also use a yellow onion.
- Celery stick – To make the soffritto.
- Garlic cloves – Use fresh garlic cloves for the best taste. Don’t use garlic powder or granulated garlic.
- Leek – Adds a lot of flavor to the soup, but it’s optional and can be substituted with more onion.
- Pumpkin – Optional, and you can omit it or substitute it with more carrots. It’s added for color and sweetness.
- Swiss chard – Added for a leafy green component, but it can be substituted with kale (more traditional) or spinach (non-traditional but also delicious).
- White beans – Use precooked beans instead of dry beans to shorten the cooking time. Store-bought canned beans work as well.
- Olive oil – If possible, don’t use another type of oil since it would impact the flavor of the soup noticeably.
- Bay leaves – For extra flavor.
- Black pepper – Use freshly cracked pepper for the best flavor.
- Salt – To enhance the overall flavor; adjust to taste.
- Parmigiano Reggiano – Small pieces and grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Alternatively you can use Grana Padano.
- Vegetable Stock or Water – The liquid base for the soup. You’ll need enough to cover the ingredients in the pot. Use low-sodium broth if you need to watch your sodium intake.
Recipe Tips
- You can make this soup with vegetable broth or chicken broth for added flavor, but you can also just use water.
- Don’t skip sautéing the base ingredients like onion, garlic, and leek for optimal flavor, especially if using water.
- If you want to add rice or pasta (such as Ditalini pasta) to the soup, add it towards the end of the cooking time.
- As mentioned, you can customize the soup with whatever veggies you have on hand. Fresh vegetables are best, but you can also use frozen vegetables to make a delicious soup. If using frozen veggies, be sure to use at least fresh onion, garlic, and celery to make the flavor base.
- You can also customize the final flavor by using different herbs, like thyme or basil, instead of the classic black pepper and bay leaves.
- If you want to use dry white beans, soak them in water overnight and then cook them until tender before adding them to the soup. Don’t add dry beans directly to the soup!
- In case you don’t like white beans, you can add another legume of choice, although it may not be as traditional. Or skip the beans and add rice or pasta instead.
- You can omit the parmigiano to make the soup vegan.
- If using cheese, use Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano if possible. If for some reason you can’t use these, be sure to choose a strong cured cheese that has a similar flavor profile to Parmigiano Reggiano (Spanish queso manchego could work, too).
- Adjust the amount of salt you add depending on the saltiness of the vegetable broth (if using) and the Parmigiano Reggiano.
How to Make Italian Vegetable Soup – Step by Step Instructions
In this section, we’ll show you exactly how to make this Italian Minestrone di Verdure recipe.
We’ve included all the recipe process photos so you can follow along at home and see what each step of the recipe should look like.
If you’re not a fan of visuals, skip ahead to the detailed recipe card with exact measurements and instructions at the end of the post.
First, we’ll have to chop all the vegetables. This will take a bit of time, but it’s worth it!
Peel and finely dice the onion. Wash the celery stick and carrots and chop them into slices.
Next, remove the outer layer of the leek, slice off the dark green top, and trim the end. Wash thoroughly to remove dirt, then cut it into rings.
Now peel the garlic clove and mince it using a knife. Rinse the Swiss chard and roughly chop it into strips. Also peel the pumpkin and cut it into small cubes.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, leek, and minced garlic. Cook for a few minutes until golden and fragrant, stirring regularly.
Next, add the carrot, pumpkin, and celery and cook over low heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring regularly, until they soften and begin to brown. Season with a bit of salt.
While the vegetables are cooking, rinse and drain the pre-cooked white beans.
Add the white beans to the pot and pour in enough vegetable broth or water to cover the ingredients in the pot.
Season the soup with salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Allow it to simmer for about 1 hour over medium-low heat. You can shorten the cooking time if you want the vegetables to be firmer.
Towards the 45 minute mark, add the Parmigiano Reggiano pieces and the Swiss chard. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Serve the soup hot with a drizzle of olive oil and a generous sprinkle of grated Parmigiano. You can also serve it with a slice of crusty bread if you like. Enjoy!
Storage Tips
This vegetable soup is best when eaten right away while still hot, however, if you have leftovers, you can store them in sealed containers in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
If you didn’t include pasta or any starchy ingredient, you can also freeze portions for up to 3 months (potatoes and pasta do not defrost well).
FAQ
The ingredients for Italian minestrone vary by recipe, region, season, and more. Some soups contain meat and/or pasta or rice, or neither. A few common ingredients include onions, celery, carrots, leafy greens, beans, broth, and Parmesan cheese.
Minestrone soup is originally from Italy. In fact, while there are many different versions of this famous soup, it is considered by some to be the “national soup”.
Related Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe for Italian vegetable minestrone soup, here are some other Italian recipes for you to try:
- Risotto ai carciofi (Artichoke Risotto)
- Eggplant parmigiana (coming soon!)
Italian Vegetable Soup (Minestrone di Verdure)
Ingredients
- 1 white onion
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 stick celery
- 1 leek
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 cups Swiss chard, chopped
- 2 cups pumpkin, cubed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- salt, to taste
- 2 cups white beans, precooked
- vegetable broth or water, enough to cover the ingredients in the pot
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano pieces
- 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables: Peel and finely dice the onion. Wash and slice the celery and carrots. Remove the outer layer of the leek, slice off the dark green top, and trim the end. Wash thoroughly to remove dirt, then cut it into rings. Peel the garlic clove and mince it using a knife. Rinse the Swiss chard and roughly chop it into strips. Peel the pumpkin and cut it into small cubes.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, leek, and minced garlic. Cook for a few minutes until golden and fragrant, stirring regularly.
- Add the carrot, pumpkin, and celery and cook over low heat for 5-7 minutes until they soften and begin to brown. Season with a bit of salt.
- While the vegetables are cooking, rinse and drain the pre-cooked white beans.
- Add the white beans to the pot and pour in enough vegetable broth or water to cover the ingredients in the pot.
- Season the soup with salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Allow it to simmer for about 1 hour over medium-low heat. You can reduce the cooking time if you want the vegetables to be firmer.
- Towards the 45 minute mark, add the Parmigiano Reggiano pieces and the Swiss chard. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Serve the soup hot with a drizzle of olive oil and a generous sprinkle of grated Parmigiano. Optionally serve with a slice of crusty bread.
Notes
- You can make this soup with vegetable broth or chicken broth for added flavor, but you can also use water.
- Don’t skip sautéing the base ingredients like onion, garlic, and leek for optimal flavor, especially if using water.
- If you want to add rice or pasta (such as ditalini pasta) to the soup, add it towards the end of the cooking time.
- You can customize the soup with whatever veggies you have on hand. Fresh vegetables are best, but you can also use frozen vegetables. If using frozen veggies, be sure to use at least fresh onion, garlic, and celery to make the flavor base.
- For a slightly different flavor, you can use herbs such as thyme or basil, instead of the classic black pepper and bay leaves.
- If you want to use dry white beans, soak them in water overnight and then cook them until tender before adding them to the soup. Don’t add dry beans directly to the soup!
- You can omit the Parmigiano to make the soup vegan. If using cheese, use Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano if possible.
- Adjust the amount of salt you add depending on the saltiness of the vegetable broth (if using) and the Parmigiano.
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
