Classic Minestrone Soup

This Italian Minestrone Soup is packed full of vegetables, making it the perfect hearty meal for a cold day! Serve this with No-Knead Rosemary Bread or Olive Garden Copycat Breadsticks for a filling dinner with plenty of leftovers.

Servings: 8-10 servings

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Italian sausage (see note)

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 2 celery stalks, chopped

• 3-4 medium carrots, chopped

• 1-6 oz. can tomato paste

• 2 Tbsp garlic, minced

• 1 Tbsp dried oregano

• 1/2 Tbsp Italian seasoning

• 1/2 tsp salt + more to taste

• 1-28 oz. can diced tomatoes

• 4 cups chicken broth or water with 1 Tbsp chicken bouillon

• 1-15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

• 1-15 oz. can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 medium zucchini, chopped

• 1 medium yellow squash, chopped

• 1/2 cup dry ditalini or elbow pasta

• 2 cups spinach

• basil pesto, to garnish

• grated parmesan cheese, to garnish

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, add the sausage, onion, carrots and celery. Crumble the meat as it cooks for 5-10 minutes until fully cooked and the vegetables are starting to soften.

2. Add the tomato paste, garlic, oregano, Italian seasoning, diced tomatoes and chicken broth.

3. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until the carrots are soft.

4. Pour in both cans of beans, zucchini, yellow squash and ditalini. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes until the pasta is al dente.

5. Turn off the heat and stir in the spinach and any additional salt as needed. After about 5 minutes, the spinach will be wilted and the soup will be ready to serve with pesto and parmesan cheese!

Notes:

• You could substitute the Italian sausage for ground pork if needed. Just add some additional Italian seasoning (about 1 Tbsp) and salt (1/2 - 1 tsp) while cooking the meat.

• Add additional chicken broth or water to make it more soupy! I like this recipe as a thicker soup or chili consistency so I leave it as is.

• This makes a lot of food, but the leftovers store well! The pasta will soak up some of the excess liquid so you can add water or broth when reheating.

Love this recipe? Let me know by leaving a comment or messaging me on Instagram! I'd love to hear what you think.

This recipe was adapted from The Food Charlatan.