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Italian Vegetable Soup
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3.7 from 3 votes

Italian Vegetable Soup (Minestre di Verdure)

This Italian Vegetable Soup is a favorite in our family. My kids request it when they are home. It's Gr8 to keep the pot in the fridge. Easy to reheat for lunch, dinner or a snack!
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Beans9 hours
Total Time2 hours 10 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Italian Vegetable Soup, Ribollita, Vegetable soup
Servings: 10 Servings
Calories: 214kcal
Author: Anna

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dry white beans, such as Great Northern or Cannellini or 2 15-ounce cans Cannellini or white beans, drained
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 5 ounces pancetta, cut into ¼" cubes, sometimes you can find it already chopped.
  • 1 cup chopped onion, about 1 medium onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • ¼ cup chopped parsley
  • 5-6 leaves sage, sliced
  • 2 ripe Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced, or 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 medium zucchini, sliced about ¼" thick
  • 2 carrots, peeled and sliced about ¼" thick
  • 4 medium new potatoes, sliced ¼" thick, about 12 ounces
  • 1 bunch swiss chard, escarole or kale, sliced (use the leaves and discard any thick stems)
  • ½ pound Savoy cabbage, sliced (In a pinch, I have used regular cabbage)
  • 10-12 cups chicken broth or water, or more if you like it soupy rather than chunky
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for topping
  • Grated Parmesan cheese, for topping

Instructions

Directions for Cooking the Beans:

  • The night before, place beans in a large saucepan and cover with cold water, about 3 inches above the beans. Let soak overnight.
  • Drain the beans, return to the pan and add enough cold water to again cover the beans by 3 inches.
  • Simmer until the beans are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  • To quick cook the beans to make the soup the same day, follow Debbie's recipe for "Awfully Good Beans" up through Step 5; using only 1 cup of dried beans.
  • Set the beans aside to cool until needed for the soup recipe.

Directions for the Soup:

  • In a large soup or stock pot, heat the 2 Tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat.
  • Add the Pancetta and cook for about 4 minutes, until some of the fat has rendered.
  • Add the onion, garlic, celery, parsley, and sage.
  • Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
  • Stir in tomatoes or tomato paste. Cook for about 2 minutes.
  • Add zucchini, carrots, potatoes, greens, and cabbage.
  • Add 10 cups of chicken broth or water. You can add more later if you prefer a thinner soup.
  • Purée ⅓ of the beans in a food processor or blender.
  • Add the puréed beans to the soup and stir, this will slightly thicken the mixture. Reserve the remaining beans.
  • Bring soup to a boil and immediately turn down to simmer.
  • Cover and cook the soup until the vegetables are tender, 1 to 1 ½ hours.
  • Add the remaining beans to the soup and cook until heated through.
  • After ladling into the bowls, drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese...YUMMY!

Notes

Gr8 Tips:
  • Feel free to add cooked rice or short tube pasta to the soup if desired. This will add a nice texture and make this more like the classic "Minestrone" you may be used to eating.
  • In a pinch, use whatever veggies you have in the fridge. 
Gr8 Do-Ahead Tip:
This soup is almost better the next day! Just bring it to a boil then turn down to low and simmer until heated through. Make this on Sunday, then cool and refrigerate and have it for dinner on Monday. (That is, if you can keep your family from eating it all right away!)

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 214kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 1037mg | Potassium: 1046mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 4422IU | Vitamin C: 50mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @Great8Friends or tag #gr8food!