Italian Minestrone Soup
30-minute Italian Minestrone Soup for those nights you're short on time but don't want to skimp on a hearty, filling meal! This healthy soup is packed with veggies, beans, Italian herbs and spices, tomatoes, and even Italian sausage if you're feeling particularly spicy.
Servings:6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry ditalini noodles
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 whole carrots, chopped
- 1 white or yellow onion, diced
- 8 ounces green beans, chopped
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons Italian dried herb seasoning , see notes for DIY
- 1 15-ounce can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 15-ounce cans diced fire roasted tomatoes
- 30 ounces tomato sauce
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth, I used low sodium
- 2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup baby spinach leaves, optional
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage, optional
- fresh basil, parmesan cheese, cracked black pepper for topping, optional
Instructions
- Cook noodles according to package directions, drain and set aside.
- If including sausage, brown sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. Once fully cooked, transfer to a bowl and cover to keep warm while you prepare the soup.
- In a large stock pot combine celery, carrots, onions, green beans and butter. Saute over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until onions are translucent. Stir in garlic and Italian seasoning for 1 minute til fragrant.
- Stir in beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Stir in noodles (if using sausage and/or spinach, stir in now with noodles). Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with basil and parmesan if desired just before serving.
Notes
DIY Italian blend: 1/2 teaspoon each dried oregano, parsley, basil, and thyme
Nutrition
Calories: 392 kcal, Carbohydrates: 32 g, Protein: 19 g, Fat: 22 g, Saturated Fat: 7 g, Trans Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 56 mg, Sodium: 2901 mg, Potassium: 1149 mg, Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 11 g, Vitamin A: 6528 IU, Vitamin C: 37 mg, Calcium: 93 mg, Iron: 4 mg