Minestrone Soup

EVENT: SUNDAY FUNDAY
THEME: 30 MINUTES OR LESS
RECIPE: MINESTRONE SOUP
Minestrone Soup is a healthy, hearty, easy to make and comforting Italian Soup. This soup is perfect as lunch or dinner. One can add any seasonal vegetables to it along with some pasta or rice or both. Serve it with your favourite bread and some parmesan or cheddar cheese.
A Wholesome Meal
There’s nothing more comforting on a cold day like a bowl of some hearty wholesome soup. I love minestrone soup as it has everything in it, vegetables, pasta, beans, and cheese if you like. I usually use whatever vegetables are available in the market. Wholesome soups like Minestrone make an excellent meal. Its a good way to get kids to have vegetables. Use fresh tomato puree and tomatoes if possible. Don’t over cook the vegetables. Getting a bit of bite with every spoonful makes the soup more palatable.
Make Minestrone Soup Thick or Thin?
While I prefer the thick version, hubby loves it with more stock and a bit watery. However, I don’t compromise on the amount of vegetables and pasta I add. Basically, I make it both ways, a little more soupy and thick too.
SUNDAY FUNDAY
Sunday Funday is a group of Food Bloggers. Every Sunday we share some fun, traditional, hearty or easy recipes to make Sunday Family Meals a bit more exciting. To join this fun group, visit the Sunday Funday Facebook Page. Request to join in.
Theme: 30 Minutes or Less
First Published on 26/06/2012, write up and photos re done on 12/12/2021
Some Other Quick Meal Ideas




Some Quick Meal Ideas By Members Of Sunday Funday
- Beef and Bean Sloppy Joes from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Beef Steak Tips with Mushrooms and Balsamic Gravy from Amy’s Cooking Adventures
- Black Eyed Peas With Punjabi Vadi from Sneha’s Recipe
- Minestrone Soup from Mayuri’s Jikoni
- Pasta Fagioli for Christmas from Our Good Life
- Quick and Cozy Turkey Stew from Making Miracles
Ingredients Required For Minestrone Soup
- Mixed Vegetables – use any of your choice like peas, green beans, corn, zucchini, cauliflower, zucchini, cabbage, kale, spinach, celery, bell pepper, squash, mushrooms, etc. To prepare the soup in a jiffy, I sometimes use frozen vegetables.
- Fresh Tomatoes – chopped
- Tomato Puree – or passata. Use homemade or tinned.
- Onion – use any, white, red or yellow. Peeled and chopped
- Garlic – peeled and chopped
- Olive Oil
- Butter – optional
- Cooked Beans – use red or black kidney beans, cannellini beans, borlotti, etc.
- Pasta – use the smaller type so that it cooks faster. However, can add any you have at home.
- Stock – I use vegetable stock
- Salt
- Pepper
- Herbs – fresh or dried, any you have at hand
- Cheese – parmesan or cheddar to serve on top. Optional
Watch How To Prepare Minestrone Soup

MINESTRONE SOUP
Ingredients
- 1 cup mixed vegetables
- ½ cup celery stalks chopped
- ½ cup celery leaves chopped
- ½ cup mushrooms sliced or chopped
- 1 cup tomatoes chopped
- 1 cup tomato puree
- ½ cup onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter optional
- ½ cup beans cooked
- ½ cup pasta
- 2-3 cups stock
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper powder
- 1 tsp mixed herbs
- some parmesan or cheddar cheese optional
Instructions
- Heat oil and butter in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add chopped onion and stir fry till it becomes a bit soft.
- Add chopped garlic and stir fry for 1 minute.
- Add the vegetables, mushrooms and celery stalk. Mix well.
- Cover the pan and allow the vegetables to 'sweat" for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and beans. Mix well.
- Cover the pan and allow the tomatoes to cook for 1 minute.
- Add tomato puree, stock and salt.
- Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Add the pasta, mixed herbs and celery leaves.. Mix well. Cover the pan.
- Allow the soup to boil till the pasta is done. This usually takes about 10-12 minutes.
- Add pepper and mix well.
- Garnish with chopped spring onion or fresh herbs.
- Serve the soup with some cheese and your favourite bread.
Notes
- Use red or black kidney beans, cannellini, or any cooked beans of your choice.
- Use fresh herbs if you have any. Add it along with the pasta.
- Replace the pasta with rice for a gluten free version.
- For vegan version omit butter and dairy cheese.
- To 'sweat' vegetables means to cook it covered without any liquid.
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A little request:
If you do try this recipe then please either
- add a comment below,
- send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
- tag me as #mayuri_jikoni on Instagram
- or tag me on Twitter as #Mayuri1962
16 Comments
Jacqueline Meldrum
January 16, 2016 at 11:25 am
I do love a bowl of a really nice minestrone soup. It's a popular soup here in Scotland.
Linsy Patel
January 16, 2016 at 2:19 pm
hope you had a nice trip to back home and soup looks really yummy.
beena stephen
January 17, 2016 at 9:59 am
Delicious healthy soup. Perfect for this season.
Mayuri Patel
January 17, 2016 at 8:50 pm
Thank you Jacqueline, I love the soup because its loaded with veggies.
Mayuri Patel
January 17, 2016 at 8:51 pm
Thanks Linsy, trip back home was just too tiring as our flight got delayed and we didn't get our baggage. But its nice to back to routine and a wholesome soup makes one feel right at home.
Mayuri Patel
January 17, 2016 at 8:51 pm
Thanks Beena, yes its perfect for a cold season. Its hot here, but I am trying to add more soups to our diet whether its hot or cold.
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
January 18, 2016 at 10:07 am
This sounds lovely, so hearty and comforting but healthy too. Perfect for the cold weather!
Wendy Klik
December 12, 2021 at 10:30 am
Love minestrone and especially love the fact that you can add whatever you have on hand or in the vegetable crisper.
mayurisjikoni
December 12, 2021 at 2:12 pm
Totally agree with you Wendy. Thank you.
Rebekah R Hills
December 12, 2021 at 11:42 am
This looks absolutely wonderful – perfect for the chillier weather this time of year!
mayurisjikoni
December 12, 2021 at 2:11 pm
Thank you so much Rebekah it sure is perfect for the cold weather and filling too.
Seema Sriram
January 13, 2022 at 10:40 pm
Theatre comfort of Minestrone on a cold night is amazing. I am actually craving one now after my booster shot and my arm killing me.
mayurisjikoni
January 14, 2022 at 7:13 pm
Oh sorry to hear that.. but at least you got the booster Seema. Wish I could send some of the soup to you.
Archana
January 14, 2022 at 4:55 am
Wow! Looks awesome Mayuri. Actually, I never did much care for minestrone soup (had a very bad experience) but you are making me change my mind. I guess I will be making some soup soon looks simply yum and I will like a tested recipe. Thanks.
mayurisjikoni
January 14, 2022 at 7:11 pm
Archana, go ahead and try out the recipe.Not only is it easy but it is a wholesome soup. I don’t like minestrone that is served in many Indian restaurants.
Minestrone Soup — Mayuri’s Jikoni | My Meals are on Wheels
September 26, 2022 at 6:36 am
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