Hearty Italian Vegetable Soup (Printable)

Italian vegetable soup with pasta, beans, tomatoes, and aromatic herbs. Comforting and wholesome in 50 minutes.

# Ingredient List:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 large onion, diced
03 - 2 celery stalks, diced
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
07 - 1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
08 - 1 cup baby spinach or chopped kale

→ Base & Liquids

09 - 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
10 - 6 cups vegetable broth
11 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste

→ Pasta & Beans

12 - 3/4 cup small pasta such as ditalini or elbow
13 - 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini or kidney beans, drained and rinsed

→ Herbs & Seasonings

14 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
15 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
16 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
17 - 1 bay leaf
18 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
19 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

# How-to Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in minced garlic, diced zucchini, and green beans. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
03 - Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, vegetable broth, dried oregano, dried basil, dried thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
04 - Add small pasta and drained beans. Cook for 10 minutes or until pasta reaches al dente texture.
05 - Stir in spinach or kale and fresh parsley. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until greens are wilted.
06 - Remove bay leaf. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls, garnish with additional fresh parsley, and serve hot.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour and tastes like you've been simmering it all day.
  • You can throw in whatever vegetables you have on hand, so it adapts to your pantry instead of demanding a trip to the store.
  • One pot means one pot to clean, which honestly might be the best part of soup cooking.
02 -
  • If you add the pasta to the broth much earlier than the end, it will overcook and turn mushy, so resist the temptation to get ahead unless you prefer a softer, more risotto-like texture.
  • The soup continues to thicken as it sits, so if you're making this ahead, add extra broth when reheating or it might become more stew than soup.
03 -
  • Don't skip the step of letting the aromatics soften before adding the liquid, as this caramelization creates the deepest flavor foundation for everything that follows.
  • If you're using fresh herbs instead of dried, add them near the end of cooking so they don't lose their delicate flavor to prolonged heat.
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