Hearty Italian Vegetable Soup (Print Version)

Comforting Italian soup brimming with vegetables, pasta, beans, and aromatic herbs. Ready in just 50 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ 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 Make It:

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 pasta and drained beans. Cook for 10 minutes or until pasta is al dente.
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 pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls, garnish with extra parsley, and serve hot.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour but tastes like it simmered all day.
  • You can use whatever vegetables are lurking in your crisper drawer without ruining a thing.
  • One pot means one pot to wash, which feels like a small miracle on tired weeknights.
02 -
  • Don't add the pasta until the very end or it will absorb all the broth and turn to mush—the soup should be brothier than you think it needs to be.
  • The day after you make this, it tastes even better because the flavors marry overnight, so make extra if you can bear to have leftovers.
03 -
  • Toast your dried herbs in the oil for 30 seconds before adding vegetables to wake them up and deepen their flavor—it's a small step that changes everything.
  • If your broth tastes thin or boring, add an extra tablespoon of tomato paste and let it caramelize slightly in the pot before adding liquid; it sounds odd but it works.
Go Back