This hearty minestrone soup is thicker than most minestrone soups. Brimming with colorful vegetables, protein-rich beans, and aromatic herbs, it’s as delicious as it is satisfying. Feel free to add rice or pasta to the soup, too, and serve it with a slice of rustic homemade bread for a filling vegetarian meal. You’ll love this soup’s uniquely rich texture—every spoonful is different!
I originally published this recipe in 2018 and have since added new photos and a video tutorial.
This is vegetable soup and you’re right, it’s not flashy in the slightest. Still, I’m singing its praises because a bowl of this cozy soup is not only healthy, warm, and wholesome, its savory flavors and thickness will keep you full and satisfied. It’s undoubtedly one of my favorite fall dinner recipes.
One reader, Megan, commented: “I’ve been searching for a few years for the perfect minestrone recipe. I’ve tried a lot of the online recipes, 6 in total over the years (they were all bland with almost no flavor!!). This recipe is the one I’ve been searching for!! Full of flavor, my hard-to-please family all loved it too. ★★★★★“
We’ve loved it on cold winter days, especially served in giant homemade bread bowls or topped with homemade croutons. It’s a soul-warming vegetarian soup that can easily be vegan by using vegetable broth and skipping the optional parmesan cheese topping.
This Is a Thick Minestrone Soup
This minestrone soup is much heartier than what we’re used to—almost like a chili—which is why I love it so much. The pasta/rice soaks up a lot of liquid, which helps thicken it up. I add a 6-ounce can of tomato paste (not the double-concentrated kind), which is more than most minestrone soup recipes. I also throw in fresh zucchini, carrots, celery, and spinach, plus lots of canned beans. There’s also garlic, onion, diced tomato, and a hefty dose of seasoning. There’s so much color and texture in 1 spoonful, how can you not be satisfied?!
Substitution Suggestions
This soup is pretty forgiving. Just as we do when making this biscuit vegetable pot pie or vegetarian shepherd’s pie, play around with the vegetables you use based on what you like. Here are the substitutions I’ve tried over the last several years, so I know they work wonderfully.
- Zucchini: You can leave this out, or use another squash instead. I’ve also used chopped mushrooms in its place.
- Kidney Bean & Butter Beans: I love this blend of beans, but you can use all kidney or all butter beans instead. Or substitute one or both for chickpeas, cannellini, borlotti, or great northern beans. Or substitute one for a drained can of corn.
- Green Beans: You can use chopped fresh green beans or frozen green beans instead. When I do this, I usually use around 1 and 1/2 cups. Add it when you add the other beans—they have enough time to cook and soften. No need to thaw if using frozen.
- Skip the Pasta/Rice: You can skip the pasta/rice. No changes needed. The soup will be a little more broth-y.
- Spinach: Feel free to use chopped fresh kale instead, or leave it out. If you want to use frozen spinach, add it in 10 minutes before the end of cooking instead of 5.
- Add Meat: Feel free to add 1 lb. of ground chicken, turkey, or beef. Cook it with the celery/carrots in step 1. Skip 1 can of the beans, and you may want to add another 1 cup (240ml) of broth. Or add 1–2 cups pre-cooked meat, such as chopped/shredded rotisserie chicken or ham, when you stir in the spinach. Sometimes I even add thinly sliced chicken sausage.
Whichever vegetables you use, I recommend sticking with the seasonings, tomato paste, and broth; these all make up the flavorful tomato base of the soup.
How to Freeze Minestrone Soup
This soup freezes wonderfully! Freeze in a large freezer container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator the day before eating, then reheat on the stove until warm.
Can I Make This in a Slow Cooker?
If you want the minestrone soup to cook all day, here are the slow cooker directions. I also included these in the recipe card below. Prepare the soup through step 1 on the stovetop. Transfer to a slow cooker, then add everything else except for the rice/pasta and spinach. Allow to cook for 2 hours on low, then add the rice/pasta and spinach. Cook on low for 1 more hour.
You can also use a slow cooker to prepare my sweet potato turkey chili, too.
Serve in bread bowls or alongside soft dinner rolls, artisan bread, brown butter sage dinner rolls, homemade breadsticks, asiago-crusted skillet bread, sweet potato dinner rolls, ciabatta bread, homemade garlic bread, pizza bread, or olive bread. Or, try a new favorite, grilled cheese sandwiches on homemade whole wheat bread.
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Thick & Hearty Minestrone Soup
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Yield: serves 10
- Category: Soup
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
This hearty minestrone soup is thicker than most. Brimming with colorful vegetables, protein-rich beans, and aromatic herbs, it’s as delicious as it is satisfying. You’ll love this soup’s uniquely rich texture—every spoonful is different!
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup (130g) diced yellow onion (1/2 of a large onion)
- 1 cup (120g) sliced or diced carrots (1–2 large carrots or a handful of baby carrots)
- 1 cup (120g) sliced or diced celery
- 1 cup (130g) sliced or diced zucchini
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning*
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 6–7 cups (about 1.5L) vegetable or chicken broth*
- 2 cups (480ml) water
- 2–3 teaspoons red wine vinegar*
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 (15.5-ounce/439g) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed*
- 1 (15.5-ounce/439g) can butter beans, drained and rinsed*
- 1 (15.5-ounce/439g) can green beans, drained and rinsed*
- 1 (14.5-ounce/411g) can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
- 1 (6-ounce/170g) can tomato paste
- 1 and 1/3 cups uncooked rice (about 290g) or orzo pasta (240g)*
- 3 cups (120g) fresh spinach, chopped
- optional: grated parmesan cheese and fresh thyme, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large stockpot or dutch oven. Add the onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6–7 minutes as the vegetables soften up and let out some juices.
- Add broth, water, red wine vinegar, bay leaf, all the beans, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, then add uncooked rice or pasta. Cover and simmer for 35 minutes. Stir in the chopped spinach and simmer for 5 more minutes. Remove bay leaf.
- Serve soup warm in homemade bread bowls (or regular bowls, of course!) and top with fresh parmesan cheese, if desired.
- Keep leftovers in a large covered container in the refrigerator for up to a week. To reheat, simply pour into a pot over medium heat and cook until warm. Feel free to add more broth to the leftovers as it cooks if it is too thick—I always do. (It thickens in the refrigerator as the veggies and rice/pasta soak up the liquid.)
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions—Freezing: Soup freezes wonderfully! Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator the day before eating, then reheat on the stove until warm.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Large Pot or Dutch Oven (such as this Le Creuset Dutch Oven or Lodge Dutch Oven)
- Zucchini: You can leave this out, or use summer squash instead. I’ve also used chopped mushrooms in its place.
- Italian Seasoning: If you don’t have Italian seasoning, you can use any combination of Italian spices that you like. Dried basil, rosemary, oregano, etc.
- Broth: Anywhere between 6–7 cups (about 1.5L) of broth is great. I use 7, and then add a little more when I reheat leftover soup. The rice or pasta soaks up a lot of liquid.
- Vinegar: The vinegar balances out all the flavors. A few splashes of a dry-ish red wine works too!
- Kidney Bean & Butter Beans: I love this blend of beans, but you can use all kidney or all butter beans instead. Or substitute one or both for chickpeas, cannellini, borlotti, or great northern beans. Or substitute one with a drained can of corn.
- Green Beans: You can use chopped fresh green beans or frozen green beans instead. When I do this, I usually use around 1 and 1/2 cups. Add it when you add the other beans—they have enough time to cook and soften. No need to thaw if using frozen.
- Rice/Pasta: Use brown or white rice or any dry pasta you like best. Stick with smaller-shaped pasta so it fits on your spoon—I usually use orzo. You can also skip the rice/pasta. The soup will be thinner.
- Spinach: Feel free to use chopped fresh kale instead, or leave it out. If you want to use frozen spinach, add it 10 minutes before the end of cooking instead of 5.
- If You Want to Add Meat: Feel free to add 1 lb. of ground chicken, turkey, or beef. Cook it with the celery/carrots in step 1. Skip 1 can of the beans, and you may want to add another 1 cup (240ml) of broth. Or add 1–2 cups pre-cooked meat, such as chopped/shredded rotisserie chicken or ham, when you stir in the spinach. Sometimes I even add thinly sliced chicken sausage.
- Slow Cooker Instructions: Prepare the soup through step 1 on the stovetop. Transfer to a slow cooker (affiliate link), then add everything else except for the rice/pasta and spinach. Allow to cook for 2 hours on low, then add the rice/pasta and spinach. Cook on low for 1 more hour.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 and 1/2 cups
- Calories: 171
- Sugar: 6.7 g
- Sodium: 615.3 mg
- Fat: 3.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 29.6 g
- Protein: 6.7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Reader Comments and Reviews
Have made this several times, and it’s always delicious. I usually use orzo but this time tried pearled barley… and WOW. It was even better than before. Will definitely be making it with barley from now on. My whole family including 4 kids love this meal, which is wonderful considering how healthy it is. I also made your Oatmeal Molasses Dinner Rolls to go with it. Was a terrific dinner on a cold day.
A family favorite! I may have reviewed this before, but I’m doing it again because that’s how much we love it. The veggies are very flexible depending on what you have on hand. I usually leave out the rice and pasta and just go heavy on the veggies. Healthy and easy! This is in regular rotation at my house in the fall and winter.
I made this recipe tonight and it was delicious! I added ground turkey, eliminated the kidney beans and added an extra cup of broth. I used no-salt vegetable broth and low sodium chicken broth but had to add salt and some Cajun seasoning to get the taste just right. It had a wonderful flavor, very comforting on a chilly, wet night. I agree that maybe cook the rice separately or use pasta the next time I make this recipe. It’s a great dish no matter what!
This turned out a little flat but I just got over the flu and I think that may be affecting my taste buds. I added more vinegar and some Tajin to the bowl and that worked. I have learned to not add pasta or rice to a soup unless I am consuming the whole recipe immediately, they always suck up all the liquid and turn flabby or bloated when reheated. I under-cooked the ditalini pasta separately and froze in 1/2 cup portions so I can add it when reheating.
Made this for the first time last night and loved it. Was very filling and flavorful. Has a great balance of beans, veggies, and rice! The leftovers are more ‘stew-like’ than ‘soup-like’ because of the rice.
I made this in my slow cooker adding leftover shredded Thanksgiving turkey. It was DELICIOUS- I forgot carrots at the store and compensated with additional celery and zucchini. It worked and I didn’t miss the carrots at all. I used a combination of wild rice and white rice because that’s what I had in the pantry. I thought the wild rice added a rustic quality to the soup. Definitely sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and serve with some crusty bread. Husband gave this 2 thumbs up! This soup is a WINNER on a cold, wet day.
I wish I would have read the reviews before following this recipe. Like the others have said, way too much rice and it does get mushy. The amount of liquid needed is basically double what this calls for. I always adjust the spices for more flavor, but I had to add tons to make this taste like anything after the liquid and rice absorbed most of it. I used fresh veggies too so that was not the issue. Honestly, I’d skip the rice completely. If you really want to add rice or pasta, cook it separate and add it when you want to heat a bowl up later.
I never add rice to my minestrone. Usually ditalini. However, l make it separately and store it separately. When serving, l add the cooked pasta. That way it doesn’t absorb all the broth.
Hi! I’d love to make this with a pound of chuck roast! Do you have any suggestions on how to accomplish cooking the beef tender without making the rest of the soup mushy?
My current plan of action is to brown the chuck cubes then simmer in the broth for ~2 hours or until fork tender. Then, remove the beef and “start” the recipe above and add the beef in at the end with the leafy greens. I’ll update my comment!
Hi Jasmine, we haven’t tested this recipe with chuck roast, but your approach sounds like a great place to start! Please do let us know how it turns out for you.
Yep! I made the roast seperately and waited until it as tender to start the above recipe–that way I could use the broth that the beef was cooking in! It is DELICIOUS. I omitted the vinegar simply because I didn’t have any on hand. Saving this recipe!
From prior experience, I knew the pasta or the rice would just get mushy, and absorb lots of liquid, in any leftovers, so I decided to add some lentils instead. Next time I may try using farro.
A follow-up to my comment — there is too much vinegar in the soup for my taste. Next time I will leave it out and add a little at the end if I feel the need.
Or a spritz of lemon. It’s always a winner.
What size stockpot should be used? I’ve seen many different sizes and want to make sure I have a big enough pot. Thanks.
Hi Jan, We usually use either a 5.5 or 6 quart pot.
Good, but too much orzo. It’s not going to be fun constantly adding chicken broth every time I want to heat up a bowl of it.
I made this today for lunch. I will have this for lunch for the rest of the week. It’s so satisfying, healthy and delicious. Thank you.
Easy with great flavor. The only draw back is the pasta continues to cook as the soup cools. By the time we were half way through dinner the leftover soup was full of mushy, dissolved noodles.
An excellent and easy minestrone soup. It makes a lot. I didn’t add spinach into the large pot the first day I made the soup. I’m adding the fresh spinach to each pot as I reheat the soup I will serve that day. I also didn’t add pasta or rice. But it’s still an excellent soup!
I just made the Thick and Hearty Minestrone Soup and it was amazing! I followed the recipe and was very happy not only with the amount of soup it made but also how easy the recipe was.
I just finished making this soup. The house smells wonderful!! I had all the ingredients on hand, so that was helpful. It makes a nice thick soup – which is wonderful on a cold winter’s day.
Now that it’s finally winter here, I’ve been making this soup once a week for the past month. This is s wonderful recipe! I change it a bit each time depending on what I have in the fridge. Since I’m single I often freeze vegetables in small to medium sized containers and just throw them in the pot without defrosting (especially celery, which I never eat in anything but soup).
This recipe yields the best minestrone soup I’ve ever had. I used home made chicken and vegetable stock, but no added water. Outstanding! If you want to zip it up a little brown about 3/4 # of chorizo in a pan, sauté the vegetables in the drippings and add it all to the pot with the other stuff. exceptionally good!
I just made this and found it overly acidic. As I have a full pot of it and don’t like waste, any suggestions?
Hi Tamisyn, you could try adding a bit more broth and/or water to help cut the acidic taste.
I have used a pinch of baking soda in very acidic tomato based recipes to cut that overly acidic taste. I found that tip on a enchilada sauce recipe and it worked well. It might take a couple of pinches but I would start with one and taste before adding another. Hope this helps someone!
I made this last night and it is a wonderful minestrone soup!! Minestrone is my favorite soup and after making this one I’m ditching my old go-to recipe and switching!
Made recipe as written using vegetable stock and rice variations mentioned. Another big win for Sally, thanks!
I just made this tonight for the first time. Very tasty and hearty. Another great recipe by Sally!
First time making minestrone soup and I was not disappointed! Very simple recipe with delicious results. Perfect for a cold winter’s day like today.
This was amazing! We served in sourdough bread bowls. Added spicy sausage and Rotel brand tomatoes. Baby carrots too plus Orzo. Nice and stew like. It was awesome!!
I’m a busy college student so I made this soup and it makes a ton of soup! The recipe is so good. I made some homemade bread and dipped that in there too and that was so good. It’s a great recipe!
Sally I have been using your cookie recipe for all 15 of my Christmas cookies. I asked my husband to help one year and he looked up one of your recipes and made it it was fantastic so we decided to use your recipes for all our cookies. My daughter takes 5 cookie trays to work and the doc and nurses always rate their favorite.1st year was your choc chip,2nd almond raspberry and this year chocsalted Carmel. After trying your cookies I thought if she baked this good I wonder if she cooks this good as well. I am a soup snob and I made your ministrini and I can’t get enough of it. I have been making 2 batches a week since I found your recipe it is amazing.. I’ve told all my friends about it and they all agree. Thank so much .
Thank you so much for making and trusting our recipes, Marge!
I made this a few weeks ago and was so impressed with the flavor. It was probably the best minestrone I’ve tasted. I didn’t have rice or orzo in the pantry, so I threw in some mini penne. It worked great, though I want to try again with orzo. I shared the recipe with a vegetarian friend who also raved about it.
This is delicious! I didn’t have zucchini on hand, but added frozen spinach towards the end. Served with crusty bread. Yum! Definitely making again.
I would love to buy a new dutch oven that will be big enough for this soup (among both other things). The pot I used was way too small for the amount of soup it made and had to pour out some of the wonderful liquid. As I’m not very familiar with dutch ovens, what would you suggest as the right size – 4.5, 5.5 or 7 quart? Thanks for your help.
Hi Jan, we find a 5.5-quart Dutch oven is a very useful and versatile size. Hope this helps!