Classic Minestrone
By Olivia Johnson
A thick, vegetable-loaded Italian soup with beans, pasta, and a Parmesan rind simmered right in the broth. This is the recipe that teaches you how Italian soups build flavor in layers rather than all at once.
What makes this soup especially worth learning is the way the flavor develops in stages. The vegetables soften first, the broth takes on their sweetness, the beans add body, and the pasta brings the whole pot together at the end. Nothing is rushed, and nothing needs to be complicated. It is a classic Italian lesson in building flavor one layer at a time.
Ingredients
- tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for drizzling
- each Yellow Onion, diced
- each Carrots, peeled and diced
- stalks Celery, diced
- each Zucchini, diced
- cups Green Beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- oz Diced tomatoes, one 28 oz can with juices
- oz Cannellini Beans, two 15 oz cans, drained and rinsed
- cups Vegetable Broth
- cups Ditalini Pasta, uncooked
- cups Baby Spinach
- cloves Garlic, minced
- tsp Italian seasoning
- tsp Red pepper flakes
- each Parmesan Rind, about 3-inch piece
- cups Grated Parmesan, for serving
- tsp Kosher Salt
- tsp Black Pepper
Equipment
- large Dutch oven or stockpot
Cook the soup without the pasta. Store the soup and cook the pasta fresh when reheating — pasta absorbs all the broth overnight.
Instructions (Tap as you go)
-
1
Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook 6–7 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally.
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2
Add garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Stir 30 seconds until fragrant.
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3
Add diced zucchini, green beans, and diced tomatoes with their juice. Stir to combine.
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4
Pour in vegetable broth. Drop in the Parmesan rind. Bring to a boil.
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5
Reduce to a simmer. Cook 15 minutes until vegetables are just tender.
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6
Add the cannellini beans and ditalini pasta. Simmer another 10–12 minutes until the pasta is al dente. The soup will thicken significantly as the pasta cooks.
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7
Remove the Parmesan rind (scrape off any melted cheese clinging to it back into the soup). Stir in baby spinach and let it wilt, about 1 minute.
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8
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in deep bowls with a drizzle of olive oil and grated Parmesan.
All steps complete! Nice work, chef.
Tips
Save your Parmesan rinds in the freezer — they're liquid gold in soups. If you don't have one, an extra 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan stirred in at the end works. Add the pasta at the end so it doesn't turn to mush.
Alternatives
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Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook 6–7 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Stir 30 seconds until fragrant. Add diced zucchini, green beans, and diced tomatoes with their juice. Stir to combine. Pour in vegetable broth. Drop in the Parmesan rind. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cook 15 minutes until vegetables are just tender. Add the cannellini beans and ditalini pasta. Simmer another 10–12 minutes until the pasta is al dente. The soup will thicken significantly as the pasta cooks. Remove the Parmesan rind (scrape off any melted cheese clinging to it back into the soup). Stir in baby spinach and let it wilt, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in deep bowls with a drizzle of olive oil and grated Parmesan.