Packed with vegetables, pasta and beans in a tomato-y broth, vegetarian Minestrone Soup is one of the first recipes I learned in cooking school decades ago. It is hearty, filling and wholesome, and I can almost guarantee that you're going to love it!

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 20 minutes
  • Cook time: 40 minutes
  • Total time: 60 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Soup
  • Cuisine: Italian, World

Ingredients

  • ½ cup dried kidney beans (- read notes section for other beans)
  • 2 to 2.5 cups water
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup elbow macaroni (or any small pasta)
  • 3 cups water
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup chopped onions
  • 1.5 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
  • ¼ cup chopped celery
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ cup chopped cauliflower florets
  • ½ cup chopped carrots
  • 1 cup chopped potato (or 1 large potato)
  • ⅓ cup chopped baby corn
  • ⅓ cup chopped button mushrooms (- optional)
  • 1.5 cups tomato puree (or crushed tomatoes or 300 grams/3 medium to large tomatoes - puréed)
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon crushed black pepper
  • salt (as required)
  • 4 to 4.5 cups Vegetable Stock (or water)
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese ((vegetarian) - optional)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped basil

Method

Cooking Beans

  1. If you are using canned beans, you can jump ahead to Cooking Pasta step.
  2. Rinse and soak dried beans in 2 cups water overnight. Drain all the water and rinse the soaked beans with fresh water.
  3. Cook soaked beans in water and salt till they are softened and tender using your favorite method. I have listed 3 options for cooking beans in the notes section. Once the beans are cooked to al dente, drain them and set aside for later.

Cooking Pasta

  1. In a pan or pot, take 3 cups water and let it come to a boil. Then add ½ teaspoon salt.
  2. Add 1 cup elbow macaroni (or any small pasta variety).
  3. Cook pasta on medium-high heat until al dente.
  4. Strain the pasta using a colander or sieve. Cover and set aside.

Cooking Soup

  1. Heat extra virgin olive oil in heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add chopped onions, chopped garlic, chopped celery, and bay leaf. Sauté for 3 minutes.
  2. Add chopped cauliflower florets, chopped carrots, potatoes, baby corn and button mushrooms (or substitute roughly 3 cups of sturdy vegetables of choice). Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes stirring at intervals.
  3. Add tomato purée (or crushed tomatoes), tomato paste, dried oregano, crushed black pepper and salt as per taste.
  4. Mix well and cook for a minute.
  5. Add 4 to 4.5 cups vegetable stock (or water). Mix thoroughly.
  6. Cover the pan and let veggies simmer until fork tender.

Making Minestrone Soup

  1. As soon as the vegetables are fork tender, assemble the soup components.
  2. Add the cooked kidney beans. (If using canned beans, add 1.5 cups canned beans drained of all the liquids and rinsed in water and drained of water.) Mix and simmer for a minute or more until the beans are warmed through.
  3. Add the cooked pasta. Mix gently and and simmer for a minute or more until the pasta is just warmed through, being careful not to overcook the it.
  4. Switch off the heat and move the pan to a trivet on your countertop.
  5. Add ¼ cup chopped basil and ¼ cup grated vegetarian parmesan cheese. Stir to incorporate. Taste and season as necessary.

Serving Suggestions

  1. Pour soup in bowls or mugs and serve hot. Garnish with some grated Parmesan cheese and torn basil leaves.
  2. Add a drizzle some extra virgin olive oil while serving for a bit of extra richness. Enjoy, preferably with some crusty bread or buttered toasts.

Storage

  1. The soup will keep for up 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, or up to one month in the freezer. Do not add cheese and basil if you plan to freeze.
  2. Freeze your soup in muffin tins, then store in a zip top plastic bag. Anytime a craving for soup strikes, pop 2 to 3 pucks of soup into a mug and warm in the microwave or in a pan on the stove-top. Add cheese, basil and serve warm.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.