Classic Tuscan Minestrone
Classic Tuscan Minestrone soup – a classic Italian soup loaded with fresh, seasonal vegetables. Serve with Parmesan for topping and crusty Italian bread.
One of my favorite soups for a cool fall day is classic Tuscan Minestrone. The mixture of vegetables, stock, and pasta makes for a hearty lunch or satisfying dinner.
The list of ingredients may look long, but it is not complicated. This recipe can be easily executed by even the most novice cook and will be enjoyed by the entire family. I usually serve minestrone with crispy bread sticks or garlic toast.
How to Make Classic Tuscan Minestrone
Prep the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, cabbage, parsley, and basil and set aside.
In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes or until the onion is translucent.
Add the cabbage and cook, stirring, for 1 additional minute. I used savoy cabbage, but any green cabbage is perfectly fine.
Add the stock, tomatoes, parsley, basil, Italian seasoning, bay leaf, and Parmesan rind (if using). Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes.
About the Parmesan rind – as I said, it’s optional but I do highly recommend it. It gives your soup a really lovely flavor. If you don’t happen to have a Parm rind hanging out in your fridge, ask the deli at your grocery store. They just might give you one (or two or three) for the asking.
Add the zucchini, garbanzo beans, and green beans and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf and Parmesan rind.
While the soup simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat and cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain. Add the cooked pasta to the soup pot and season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve immediately. Pass grated Parmesan separately.
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Questions? I’m happy to help!
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Tuscan Minestrone
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 large carrot peeled and sliced
- 1 celery rib sliced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups shredded green cabbage
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 5 cups vegetable stock
- 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 Parmesan rind optional
- 1 small zucchini diced
- 15 ounces garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
- 4 ounces tender green beans trimmed, cut into 3/4” pieces
- 4 ounces small shell shaped pasta
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan for garnish
Instructions
- Prep the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, cabbage, parsley, and basil and set aside.
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add the cabbage and cook, stirring, for 1 additional minute.
- Add the stock, tomatoes, parsley, basil, Italian seasoning, bay leaf and Parmesan rind (if using). Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes.
- Add the zucchini, garbanzo beans, and green beans and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf and Parmesan rind.
- While the soup simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat and cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain. Add the cooked pasta to the soup pot and season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately. Pass grated Parmesan separately.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
Very Yummy and filling soup! It seemed like a lot of work (for this old, slow gal)
but I prepped everything as Lana suggested and it took about an hour total. Well worth the many meals it makes. My only “cheat” was cooking the noodles in the soup during the last 10 to 12 minutes. A definite Keeper.
Thank you, Lana 😋
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Jeanne!
My favorite soup is french onion–the gooey cheese and toasted bread makes it even better! Cream of mushroom, ox tail, and chicken tortilla soup would all have to be runners up, though
Thanks so much for this wonderful soup recipe. As the fall weather settles in, a nice hot cup of soup is just what the “doctor ordered”. Thanks again.
Gail
My favorite soup is beef barley.
I love soups! My very favorite one is the one I made tonight; Cheesy-bacon-potato soup. Oh, so good.
If our winter is as cold as last year we will be having soup for dinner quite often. The Tuscan Minestrone looks great! Can’t wait to try it.
I LOVE soup and this would be a welcome addition to my cook books especially since the cold months are coming to Connecticut.
My favorite soup is Tomato Basil!
I think my favorite soup is Split Pea Soup, but this one looks pretty good too.
LOVE this lady!!! Has the BEST recipes…and always SO easy!!
I had soup last night. I love soup. I like that it is one of those dishes that is better the second day. This one is chuck full of all ‘the right stuff’.
That Soup! That Cookbook! I can’t get enough! Oo and my favorite soup is broccoli and cheese! :)
Soup is my absolute favorite! Add some bread with it and what a perfect way to keep my kiddos filled up and happy. Looking forward to giving this soup a try.
I have two favorites 1. a good homemade chicken soup. I make it every time I have a cold. Can’t beat it. 2. I make a spicy sausage and tortellini soup which is so tasty and perfect for a cold day!
This soup looks SO full of awesome!!
I love trying new recipes and soups are one of my favourite meals.
Thanks for the recipe.
Soup is just one of those foods that make me happy. I eat it a couple times a week for lunch during the fall and winter but nothing comes close to homemade (and it always gets better the second day!). This minestrone sounds delicious, what a great cookbook to have on hand.
Sure enjoy your recipes. Keep on cookin’!
I love Minestrone and this recipe sounds absolutely fabulous! I can’t wait to try it.
Love a nice homey pot of soup on the stove……….nothing better.
Great post.
I will try this recipe of Tuscan minestrone soup…looks wonderful.
Warmly, Carol from Chicago
It is definitely soup season and I adore new soup recies. This one is so delicious looking. I have to try it.
Linda
Would love to win a copy. Have a new boyfriend and would love to impress him with my culinary skills. Winning would really kick it up several notches. Thanks!!
Yes to soup!!! I could also eat soup every day we are absolute soup lovers in my house.
Love the recipe for the minestrone – sounds great!
Temps in CA have finally dropped to the 70’s (which is cool here!), so I’m diving into my favorite soup recipes…and new ones. Looks delicious!
Oh goodness,I am a soup lover !!!!! I guess I would have to that my favorite soup is good old fashion chicken noodle soup,made from a whole fresh chicken……there’s not many soups that I don’t like,and I make a lot of them…maybe that’s why I’m so healthy :)