Healthy Minestrone Soup
You’ll love this healthy soup recipe! Loaded with vegetables (eight to be exact) and beans (three to be exact), this minestrone soup simmers away in a rich tomato broth and is both hearty and healthy at the same time. When you find yourself craving something that will make you feel good, this is what you’ll want to make.
The ultimate veggie-packed comfort food. 🥣✨
It’s cozy, comforting, delicious, and nutritious on a cold day or chilly night! Serve with some garlic bread or add pasta to the veggie soup to make it ultra-satisfying.
In this classic minestrone soup, I used a jar of marinara sauce instead of the traditional canned tomatoes (which is something I saw on a TV commercial a decade ago and still do!). This helps add a deeper, more developed flavor in less time and it also creates a smooth base for the soup instead of a brothy-base with tomato chunks, which I think is the trick to making this the best minestrone soup. It’s…
🍝 Delicious: Veggies and beans simmer away in a rich tomato broth. It’s satisfying and incredibly nutritious.
🔥 Warm and cozy: Perfect for those nights when you need something comforting and soul-warming.
👩🍳 Easy to prep: The chopping is the hardest part of this meal!
🥕 Loaded with vegetables: Packed with eight different veggies!
🌱 Hearty vegetarian meal: Completely satisfying without any meat.
💪 Great source of protein: More than 15 grams of protein per serving keeps you full and energized.
🌾 Great source of fiber: Each serving has 15 grams of fiber, which is something we’re almost all short on, so I always like to see stats like this!
🥫 Made with simple ingredients: This soup is made ith pantry staples and fresh vegetables, it’s also a great way to use up veggies that you have in the fridge.
If you love feel-good recipes like this one, be sure to give my turkey squash chili, crockpot chicken and potatoes, or turkey taco skillet next time.
This is hands down my favorite minestrone recipe. I don’t care for pasta in soup so I love that you’ve left it out. This smelled so good while it was cooking and it really was delicious.I served it with a salad and homemade breadsticks. –Fae
Ingredient Notes
You’ll need some fresh ingredients and pantry staples to bring this healthy vegetable soup to the table: onion, celery, carrots, garlic, zucchini, green beans, baby spinach, olive oil, canned beans, broth, marinara sauce, Parmesan cheese, and pasta if desired.
- Canned beans: I used a blend of three different beans: red kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and great Northern beans. If you don’t like one of those, you could easily swap out the varieties of beans; you’ll want 3 15-oz. cans of beans total. Cannellini beans or other white beans would also be delicious. You can also cook your own dry beans if you prefer.
- Marinara sauce: This is the secret ingredient! Marinara sauce is used instead of diced tomatoes, and I think it makes for a richer soup. I have also come to prefer the smooth texture in soups and chilis. If you prefer to use diced tomatoes, stir in a tablespoon or two of tomato paste for the rich tomato flavor. You could also swap it for plain tomato sauce.
- Broth: You can use any type of broth – vegetable, chicken broth, or bone broth. Obviously, if you’re keeping this minestrone vegan, use vegetable broth! Bone broth will add a richer flavor and extra protein.
Emily’s Tips & Tricks
- Cooking lesson: The mirepoix is the aromatic base (usually a mix of onion, celery, and carrots) which helps give soups, stews, and other dishes flavor. You can easily dice your own, but many stores also carry a pre-cut and prepped version which you can also definitely use if you’re looking for a kitchen shortcut.
- Shortcuts: Buy pre-diced mirepoix (onion, celery, carrot mix) from the produce section to cut prep time significantly. You’ll need about 3 cups.
- Feeding kids without pressure: Soup can be hard for the youngest eaters, so when you’re serving, add more chunks and less broth to their bowls so it’s easier for them to eat with a spoon. Serve the healthy soup recipe with bread, fruit, and a glass of milk. Even if they don’t eat much of the soup, they’ll get enough nutrition without you needing to make a separate meal.
- Variations: Add different vegetables like bell peppers or kale, swap the pasta for rice, or use different bean varieties.
Healthy Minestrone Soup Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings (about 1 1/2 cups per serving) 1x
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This healthy minestrone soup is loaded with vegetables and packed with flavor! A hearty vegetarian soup with 15g protein and 15g fiber per serving.
Ingredients
- 1/2 white onion (about 1 cup diced)
- 3 stalks celery (about 1 cup diced)
- 3 medium carrots (about 1 cup diced)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 12 oz. zucchini (about 2 medium, and 2 cups diced)
- 16 oz. green beans (about 2 cups, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces)
- 10 oz. baby spinach
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/8 tsp. black pepper
- 1 15–oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 15–oz. can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 15–oz. can great white northern beans, rinsed and drained
- 48 oz. chicken or vegetable broth
- 26 oz. jar of marinara sauce
- for serving: olive oil, parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Clean and prepare vegetables. You want the veggies fairly small here, a small dice for the onion, celery, carrots, zucchini, and green beans. They should all be about 1/2-inch.
Mince garlic. - Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. When hot, add onion, celery, and carrots. Season with salt and pepper and cook for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add garlic, zucchini, and green beans to the pot and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add rinsed beans, broth, and marinara to the pot and stir together. Bring to a boil, and lower heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally for about 15-20 minutes. Stir in baby spinach and cook until wilted, a minute or two.
- Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, flaky sea salt, fresh cracked pepper, and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
Notes
Makes about 12 cups.
Storage: Store leftover soup in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove until heated through.
Freezer storage: Store soup in the freezer in an airtight container (souper cubes or glass storage containers work well!) for 2-3 months and let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. The zucchini texture may change a bit if you freeze it, but it works.
Ingredient notes: Many traditional minestrone soup recipes also include rice or pasta, so add your favorite short-tubed pasta like ditalini or tubetti or other small pasta. Cook pasta to al dente and add to bowls before spooning the hearty soup over the top.
Prep ahead: If you want to cut down on prep time, chop all of your veggies a day or two in advance! Then you can cook the veggie bean soup in less than 30 minutes.
Helpful tools: A large Dutch oven or stockpot works best for cooking everything together comfortably.
Serve with: Crusty Italian bread, garlic bread, or a simple green salad with balsamic vinaigrette for a complete meal.
Serving Suggestions
This vegetarian minestrone soup doesn’t need much as it’s already loaded with veggies! You can keep it super simple with some bread or pasta, or add some more veggies on the side.
- Pasta: Many traditional minestrone soup recipes also include rice or pasta, so add your favorite short-tubed pasta like ditalini or tubetti or other small pasta. Cook pasta to al dente and add to bowls before spooning the hearty soup over the top. I like to keep pasta separate from soups so the leftovers don’t get soggy!
- Crusty Bread: Grab take-and-bake rolls or a baguette or simply toast up some garlic bread with whatever bread you have.
- Green Salad: Pile salad greens with some fresh veggies and your favorite dressing or try my simple green salad or lemon kale salad that are favorites at our house!
- Veggie Side: Want more veggies? Add a side of raw veggies and Greek yogurt dill dip.
FAQs
It will obviously depend on the recipe, but this is a vegetarian and vegan minestrone soup! If you want it fully vegan, don’t add any Parmesan while serving, or use your favorite vegan Parmesan alternative.
It will again depend on the recipe, but this healthy veggie soup is gluten-free. Many minestrone recipes contain pasta (more on that below), which would make them not gluten-free, but this minestrone soup is made without pasta and doesn’t contain any gluten.
More Soup Recipes
If you like this recipe for minestrone soup, you might also like some of these other easy soup recipes:
- Chicken Taco Soup
- Easy Dumpling (Potsticker) Soup
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
- Slow Cooker Turkey Butternut Squash Chili
About the Author
Emily Dingmann is a recipe developer, nutrition expert, and founder of My Everyday Table. She specializes in creating easy, healthy recipes that help busy parents feed their families well every single day, without the stress. With a degree in Nutrition and over 20 years of experience, Emily shares family-friendly meals that are practical, nourishing, and full of flavor. Learn more about Emily’s approach to everyday cooking and nutrition here.
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Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.
i love minestrone soup! great idea to try marinara in the recipe!!
I think you’ll love it, Sarah!
Is this amount of sodium healthy? 1940 mg. seems extremely high for one serving.
It is really high! It’s also not entirely accurate since the beans in the recipe (which contain a decent amount sodium) and they should be rinsed. But you could also use low sodium marinara and add salt to taste to lower things.
Growing up, I loved getting a 50cent pretzel and 50cent cup of soup at my elementary school’s cafeteria. Except on minestrone day. That’s when I brought PBJ. 🙂 Thankfully I’ve learned to love veggies while growing up. Thanks for the recipe!
HA! I love it. Glad you came around to veggies. 😉
Saved as a favorite, I love your site!
This is hands down my favorite minestrone recipe. I don’t care for pasta in soup so I love that you’ve left it out. This smelled so good while it was cooking and it really was delicious.I served it with a salad and homemade breadsticks.
Fae! Thank you so much. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Sounds like the perfect sides for minestrone, too.
You’re so right – this comes together quickly and the secret ingredient creates a depth of flavor other minestrone recipes lack.
This minestrone soup was excellent especially with the marina sauce added to it. Easy to make also.
Thanks Christine! So glad you liked it!
I LOVE this soup! I have made it a few times and always freeze a bunch of single servings that are so easy to thaw and heat in the microwave fir a quick lunch or dinner.
So glad to hear this, Lynn! Thank you! I also like to freeze some extras for easy meals.
I LOVE this recipe!I. I have made it a few times now, added small pasta a couple times, and alway freeze some in single servings to enjoy later .
Yay! Thanks Lynn, appreciate your support and comment. 🙂
where is the recipe card with the full ingredient listing and quantities?? i don’t see it anywhere on this page 🙁 i tried scrolling up again and clicked on “jump to recipe” but nothing happened. could you please fix this? it looks SO hearty and i would love to make it – i was especially looking for a thick vegan minestrone without pasta. TIA!
I just fixed it for you! So sorry, not sure why, but the entire recipe card had disappeared, thanks for letting me know! The video should work now too.
ah, THANK YOU so much for your quick response and for fixing the post, Emily!! can’t wait to make this – i have a ton of zucchini & carrots on hand so it’s perfect 🙂 yes, video works and is very helpful; i’ll print the recipe card just to be safe 😄
Of course, I’m so glad you let me know!
Thank you for the recipe! This is perfect for the cold MN weather we are having. Also, being able to add more fiber and protein to my diet all in one bowl of yummy goodness
So glad you enjoyed it, Lisa! 🙂
Husband is a meat lover. When would I cook some ground sausage or hamburger meat? Would I need more liquid?? Thank you.
I don’t think so! Add the meat in the beginning when the carrots, celery, and onion are cooking. Let them cook for a few minutes, then add ground meat and cook until cooked through. If it is too thick, you could add some broth towards the end.
This is the first Minestrone soup I’ve made. I wanted something that didn’t require pasta. It’s perfect and absolutely delicious! I’m sure I’ll be making it again. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it, Diane! I’m glad it’s a keeper.