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Classic Tuscan Minestrone

A classic Minestrone recipe full of delicious vegetables!
5 from 4 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Classic Tuscan Minestrone soup - a classic Italian soup loaded with fresh, seasonal vegetables. Serve with Parmesan for topping and crusty Italian bread. https://www.lanascooking.com/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.

Classic Tuscan Minestrone soup - a classic Italian soup loaded with fresh, seasonal vegetables. Serve with Parmesan for topping and crusty Italian bread. https://www.lanascooking.com/tuscan-minestrone/

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.

Sauteeing onions, carrots, celery, and garlic in a soup pot.

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.

Cabbage added to the soup pot.

Add the cabbage and cook, stirring, for 1 additional minute. I used savoy cabbage, but any green cabbage is perfectly fine.

Stock, tomatoes, and herbs added to the soup pot.

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.

Adding zucchini and beans to cooking soup.

Add the zucchini, garbanzo beans, and green beans and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf and Parmesan rind.

Cooking pasta for the minestrone.

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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Tuscan Minestrone in serving bowls with bread sticks in the background.

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Classic Tuscan Minestrone soup - a classic Italian soup loaded with fresh, seasonal vegetables. Serve with Parmesan for topping and crusty Italian bread. https://www.lanascooking.com/tuscan-minestrone/

Tuscan Minestrone

A classic Minestrone recipe full of delicious vegetables!
5 from 4 votes
Print It Rate It Save
Course: Soups and Stews
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 274kcal
Author: Lana Stuart

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

Serving 1 | Calories 274kcal | Carbohydrates 37g | Protein 11g | Fat 10g | Saturated Fat 2g | Cholesterol 4mg | Sodium 848mg | Potassium 572mg | Fiber 7g | Sugar 9g | Vitamin A 2139IU | Vitamin C 27mg | Calcium 170mg | Iron 3mg

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 health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.

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Recipe Rating




26 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    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 😋

  2. 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

  3. 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