When looking for a filling meal this hearty minestrone soup with fresh arugula is an Italian classic that will soon be a family favorite! Full of broth, vegetables, beans, and pasta, this bowl of soup is perfect as a starter or to enjoy as a meal.
Italian minestrone soup is full of vegetables
This dish is a great way to use up any extra fresh herbs and vegetables you have available in the fridge, so be sure to experiment a bit with your ingredients.
I'm a firm believer that any soup needs to begin with the base of onions & garlic cooked in olive oil as the first layer of flavor. Then you keep adding bit by bit more flavor depth.
For this hearty minestrone soup recipe we love to use:
- onions
- garlic
- carrots
- celery
- diced tomatoes
- green beans
- arugula
However, keep in mind, you can add or omit your favorites!
Related recipes: Crockpot Loaded Baked Potato Soup, Butternut Squash Soup, Easy Chicken Noodle, Easy Egg Drop Soup, Easy French Onion Soup, Beef Barley Soup, Sausage, Kale & Sweet Potato Soup, Ham & Green Beans
Useful tools to make homemade minestrone soup recipe
& spoons
Should you cook pasta before adding to soup?
This satisfying vegetable soup features a classic combination of fresh herbs, vegetables, white beans, and pasta.
For best results, you should cook the pasta separately, rather than in the same pot with the rest of the ingredients. Doing this minor extra step allows the pasta to release the starch in its own cooking water rather than in your soup!
Cooking the pasta first also prevents the noodles from becoming too soft and mushy, which means leftovers will taste much better. IF you have leftovers!
Ingredients needed to make easy minestrone soup
- Olive oil
- minced garlic
- onion
- carrots
- large stalks celery
- 1 28-oz. can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 15.5 oz. can cannellini beans
- organic vegetable broth or Beef Broth
- whole bay leaves
- rosemary leaves
- fresh thyme
- fresh oregano
- crushed red pepper flakes
- Sea salt and black pepper
- Optional: 3” Parmesan cheese rind
- Fusilli pasta
- fresh green beans
- fresh arugula
or 
How to make homemade minestrone soup
Start this hearty recipe by heating olive oil and garlic in a large heavy-bottom pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Sauté garlic, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or just until the garlic starts to turn golden brown.
Next, you will add chopped onion, carrot, and celery and cook for another 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until vegetables are soft and tender.
Add diced tomatoes, cannellini beans, 4 cups vegetable broth, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes to the pot and stir to combine.
Add Parmesan cheese rind, if desired, and season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low.
Cover and simmer 20-25 minutes.
While soup is simmering, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid before draining pasta.
Rinse pasta and transfer to a medium bowl and toss with remaining olive oil. Cover and set aside.
Remove the cover from the pot or Dutch oven and add green beans and the reserved pasta cooking liquid. Stir to combine and continue cooking, uncovered, another 20-25 minutes or until green beans are crisp-tender.
Add arugula and additional vegetable broth, if needed, and stir to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until arugula begins to wilt.
To serve, divide cooked pasta among individual serving bowls and top with hot soup. Top with chopped parsley and freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Serve with crusty bread and/or a crisp, green side salad for a hearty meal. Enjoy!
Can you freeze minestrone soup?
Yes! Just reduce heat to a simmer and let this soup fill your house with good smells all day long! If you have leftovers, simply add to an airtight container
and freeze.
When you are ready to enjoy this soup again, simply place in a pot with 1/4-inch of water and simmer on low.
Enjoy with a nice crusty piece of bread and you'll have a great lunch or dinner in no time.
If you love this Hearty Minestrone Soup recipe as much as my family does, be sure to let us know! Please help me share the love by sharing on Facebook and Pinterest! And be sure to tag us @eatpicks – #eatpicks if you share on Instagram!
Hearty Minestrone Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 T. extra virgin olive oil divided
- 2-3 cloves garlic finely minced
- ½ medium yellow onion finely chopped
- 3 medium carrots finely chopped
- 3 large stalks celery finely chopped
- 1 28- oz. can petite diced tomatoes undrained
- 1 15.5 oz. can cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 4 c. organic vegetable broth*?
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 1 T. fresh rosemary leaves finely chopped (or 1 t. dried)
- 1 T. fresh thyme leaves or 1 t. dried?
- 1 T. fresh oregano leaves or 1 t. dried
- ½ T. crushed red pepper flakes?
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste?
- Optional: 3” Parmesan cheese rind
- 2 c. Fusilli pasta?
- 2 c. fresh green beans cut into ½” pieces
- 2 c. fresh arugula
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and garlic in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sauté garlic, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or just until the garlic starts to turn golden brown.
- Add chopped onion, carrot, and celery and cook for another 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until vegetables are soft and tender.
- Add diced tomatoes, cannellini beans, 4 cups vegetable broth, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes to the pot and stir to combine.
- Add Parmesan cheese rind, if desired, and season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low.
- Cover and simmer 20-25 minutes.
- While the soup is simmering, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid before draining pasta.
- Rinse pasta and transfer to a medium bowl and toss with remaining olive oil. Cover and set aside.
- Remove the cover from the pot or Dutch oven and add green beans and the reserved pasta cooking liquid. Stir to combine and continue cooking, uncovered, another 20-25 minutes or until green beans are crisp-tender.
- Add arugula and additional vegetable broth, if needed, and stir to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until arugula begins to wilt.
- To serve, divide cooked pasta among individual serving bowls and top with hot soup. Top with chopped parsley and freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
- Serve with crusty bread and/or a crisp, green side salad for a hearty meal. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Original Post: 5/3/19
Updated Post 10/29/20
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