This easy Winter Minestrone Soup is the perfect thing to make on a bitterly cold day. This hearty soup is packed with onions, celery, carrots, canned tomatoes, herbs, beans, pasta and Cavolo Nero. Serve with lots of freshly grated parmesan cheese and crusty bread for a filling, warming and economical meal.
Today’s recipe is inspired by the chilly weather we’re experiencing in Scotland (and indeed the whole of the UK) right now. I love hearty Winter soups and Minestrone is one of my favourites.
If you’ve never made homemade Minestrone soup before, it’s a completely different beast to the tinned version. There is just no comparison. I have a recipe for Instant Pot minestrone soup which is fast and delicious. Here is my stovetop version that takes about 40 minutes to make.
I’ve been known to eat this soup for lunch to set me up for the 2 mile walk picking my son up from school, then have another bowl in the evening with some bread. It is the perfect Winter warmer.
how to make winter minestrone soup
Keep scrolling to the bottom of the post to find a printable recipe card with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
Step 1: Cook the onions, celery, carrot and dried or fresh rosemary in some olive oil over a low heat until they have softened (about 10 minutes.) Don’t allow the vegetables to burn or turn brown or they will taste bitter. I sprinkle the vegetables with a little salt and pepper (the salt draws out the water).
Step 2: Add crushed garlic and cook for about a minute, then add the tomato puree and fry gently for a couple of minutes. Fresh garlic adds depth of flavour to this soup, but if you don’t like it, you don’t have to add it.
Step 3: Add a tin of chopped tomatoes (I like the Mutti brand and buy them in bulk from Amazon), vegetable stock (or you could even use just water) and if you have one, a parmesan rind. Partially cover the pan with a lid and cook for about 10 minutes on a low heat.
Step 4: Add a tin of drained beans such as cannellini or butter beans and some tiny pasta. I used this Ditali soup pasta. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until the pasta has softened.
Step 5: During the last five minutes of cooking time, add finely shredded Cavolo Nero or Kale. I like it to retain a little bite, but if you prefer a softer texture, add it with the beans and pasta. Season to taste
Step 6: Serve the soup in deep bowls with lots of freshly grated parmesan cheese. Be generous with the parmesan. You won’t be sorry.
Can I adapt the recipe with different vegetables?
You certainly can. This recipe is perfect for using up different bits and pieces of vegetables you may have in the fridge. Here are just a few suggestions:
- Swap the Cavolo Nero for kale or shredded cabbage
- Add some bacon or pancetta cubes
- Add peeled and chopped butternut squash or pumpkin – but please note it will take slightly longer to soften.
- Swirl some green pesto into the bowls of soup just before serving.
recipe notes
- If you want this Minestrone suitable for vegetarians, you can either omit the parmesan or look for a vegetarian friendly version.
- If you have a parmesan rind in the fridge, I highly recommend adding it to the soup. It imparts a depth of umami savouriness that a stock cube alone could never, ever do. I always freeze parmesan rinds – they keep for ages and you can pop them into soups and stews straight from the freezer.
- This soup is delicious with homemade bread, soda bread or cheese scones.
storing
Place the completely cold Minestrone in an airtight box and store in the fridge for up to three days.
reheating
Because of the pasta and beans, the soup will thicken up quite a lot, so you will need to add extra water or stock when reheating. You’ll also need to adjust the seasoning.
Freezing minestrone soup
Store the cold soup in airtight freezer-safe boxes or thick freezer bags. Freeze for up to three months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating.
more warming soup recipes to try
- chicken and rice soup
- broccoli and stilton soup
- curried parsnip soup
- spicy sweet potato soup with lentils
- Scottish tattie soup
- Scottish vegetable broth
- butternut squash and sweet potato soup
Winter Minestrone Soup
This warming Winter Minestrone soup is filling, hearty and full of flavour. It takes less than one hour to make and uses up lots of fresh vegetables and storecupboard ingredients.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- two onions, peeled and finely diced
- one large celery stick, finely diced
- 3-4 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (or 1/2 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary needles)
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 2 tablespoons tomato puree
- 1x400g tin chopped tomatoes (I love the Mutti brand)
- 1.5 litres vegetable stock
- A parmesan rind, if you have one
- 1x400g tin of butter or cannellini beans, drained
- 150g tiny dried pasta shapes or broken spaghetti
- 400g Cavolo Nero or Kale, washed and finely shredded (remove any thick stems)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a low heat. Add the diced onion, celery, carrot and rosemary, sprinkle over a little salt and pepper and cook for 8-10 minutes until the vegetables have softened. Keep the heat low and don't allow the vegetables to become brown.
- Add the crushed garlic and cook for two minutes, stirring. Stir in the tomato puree and cook for a further minute.
- Add the vegetable stock, chopped tomatoes and the parmesan rind, if you have one. Increase the heat to medium high, bring to a simmer, then place a lid on the pan and turn the heat to low-medium. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Add the canned beans and pasta shapes to the pan and cook for about 10-12 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through. During the last 5-6 minutes of cooking time, add the shredded Cavlo Nero or Kale.
- Serve the soup in bowls with lots of freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 182Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 624mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 7g
Calories and nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be viewed as indicative figures only.