Winter minestrone soup

This hearty winter minestrone soup is everything you want in a comforting bowl. It’s packed with vegetables, beans, and pasta, making it both filling and nourishing. It’s also wonderfully flexible, so you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand. Finished with Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil, it’s the kind of meal that gets even better the next day.

I decided to do a winter minestrone soup because it’s the perfect recipe to use up a variety of vegetables you have lying around and is hugely adaptable. A good dose of pasta goes in the mix and a liberal grating of Parmesan finishes it off, making this a very delicious and robust meal.

I have based this recipe very loosely around Ina Garten’s winter minestrone soup but changed up so much to make it the way I wanted it. What is important is to get all the vegetables cut small and more or less the same size and this is somewhat a labour of love.

Depending on what vegetables you add, they will cook at different times so you need to add them at different stages. If you were adding softer vegetables like Zucchini they would need to go in near the end.

Ina added a tin of cannellini beans to her soup but for me, the pasta is enough. I also reduced the quantity slightly as I still wanted it to feel like soup and with 1 ¾ cups is more than enough. This winter minestrone teeters on the edge of soup and a stew-like pasta dish and is perfect for a weeknight supper.

FAQs for Winter Minestrone Soup

Can I make this soup vegetarian or vegan?
Yes. Use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock, and skip the Parmesan or replace it with a vegan alternative.

What vegetables work best in minestrone soup?
Any seasonal vegetables work well. Common choices include carrots, celery, courgettes, potatoes, leeks, and spinach. Feel free to use up whatever is in your fridge.

What type of pasta should I use?
Small pasta shapes such as ditalini, macaroni, or small shells are best. They hold up well in the soup and cook evenly.

Can I use canned beans instead of dried?
Yes. Canned beans are convenient and work perfectly. Just drain and rinse them before adding to the soup.

Can I make this soup ahead of time?
Absolutely. The flavours deepen as it sits. You can make it a day ahead and reheat when ready to serve.

Why does my pasta soak up all the broth?
Pasta continues to absorb liquid as it sits. If making ahead, cook the pasta separately and add it to each serving when reheating.

Winter minestrone soup recipe

A delicious and comforting winter minestrone soup thats packed with vegetables.

Print Recipe

Prep Time:15 minutes mins

Cook Time:40 minutes mins

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 6 rashers of streaky bacon about 90-100gms diced
• 1½ cups chopped white onions
• 2 cups diced carrots about 4 medium carrots
• 1 1/2 cups diced celery about 3 large stalks
• 2½ cups diced peeled butternut 1 small butternut
• 4 cloves garlic crushed
• 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 2 x 410 gms tins of good quality Italian tomatoes chopped or tomato puree
• 6 to 8 cups chicken stock preferably homemade
• 1 bay leaf
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups cooked small pasta such as Ditalini
• 150 – 200gms fresh baby spinach leaves roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup 80ml good dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons store-bought pesto optional
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Instructions

• Heat a glug of olive oil in a large heavy-based pot and fry the chopped bacon for about 4 minutes until the fat has rendered out and it starts to brown.
• Add the onions, carrots, celery, butternut, garlic, and thyme and cook over medium heat, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.
• Add the tomatoes, 6 cups of the chicken stock, the bay leaf, salt and pepper (depending on your flavour of the stock its best to season to taste here) and bring the soup to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
• While the minestrone is bubbling away, cook your pasta in salted water according to the pack instructions. Drain just a minute or two before it is al dente. Remove the bay and add the cooked pasta to the soup and heat through.
• The soup is quite thick but add more chicken stock if necessary. When you are ready to serve and the soup is heated through, add the spinach and fold it through the minestrone soup to wilt it. This happens quickly. Add the white wine and the pesto and allow to heat through for a minute or two. Check the seasoning adding more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve in bowls with freshly grated Parmesan and crunchy bread or bruschetta/toast.

Notes

Storage and reheating instructions

Storage

• Cool the soup completely before refrigerating.
• Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
• To freeze, leave out the pasta (as it softens too much when frozen) and freeze the soup for up to 2 months. Add freshly cooked pasta when reheating.

Reheating

• Reheat gently on the stove over medium heat until piping hot.
• If the soup has thickened, add a little stock or water to loosen it.
• For individual portions, microwave on medium power for 2–3 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Servings: 8

Author: Sam Linsell

A few of my favourite soups recipes:

My best butternut soup recipe

A very delicious French onion soup recipe

Creamy roasted tomato soup

Split pea & ham hock soup

Cream of roasted cauliflower & cheese soup

BUY MY eBOOK COMFORT

 Find me on Instagram & Pinterest