An easy to make, a minestrone soup recipe that tastes 1000 times better than the Olive Garden's version! My minestrone soup is loaded with good for you veggies, like spinach and zucchini. It's also protein packed with red kidney beans and great northern beans. You'll be full for hours from this healthy, nutritious soup!
Recipe by Marzia on October 8, 2014
Prep time: PT10M
Cook time: PT265M
Total time: PT275M
Rating
4.93 stars (636 reviews)
Ingredients
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup sun-dried tomato pesto (homemade or store-bought)
1 parmesan rind
4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups water
1 cup carrots (diced)
1 1/4 cup celery (diced)
1 1/2 cup white onion (diced)
4 - 5 cloves garlic (minced or pressed)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 sprig rosemary (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1 (15-ounce) great northern beans (drained and rinsed)
1 1/2 cups zucchini (diced)
1 1/2 cups ditalini pasta (or other small shapes)
1 cup frozen green beans (thawed)
2 1/2 cups baby spinach (chopped)
Parmesan cheese (grated)
Categories
Comfort Foods
Steps
Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato pesto, parmesan rind, vegetable stock, water, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, oregano, rosemary, and bay leaves to a slow cooker.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook on low heat 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.
Add in red kidney beans, great northern beans, zucchini, and pasta and cook on high heat for an additional 20- 25 minutes until pasta is tender.
Stir in the spinach and green beans and cook for an additional 5 minutes until heated through.
Serve warm topped with parmesan cheese and garlic toasts.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 249 kcal
Carbohydrates: 46 g
Protein: 10 g
Fat: 3 g
Sugar: 8 g
Reviews
Jessica on 2026-03-21 (5 stars): I've never enjoyed minestrone soup. I've had a variety over the years and they always tasted the same to me - bland. I've avoided anything minestrone since.
Finally, I decided to give minestrone one final try! I did my research and came across this recipe.
What an absolutely delicious, savory, soup! My household LOVES it and we make it once a month! Thank you for bringing me back on the minestrone bandwagon!
Linh on 2026-03-11 (5 stars): Made this many times, our go to when needing that extra vegetables
Love the addition of the tomato pesto, really bring that tomato flavour out.
As we're not vegetarian, I fry the celery, carrots, garlic and onion with couple slices of pancetta/bacon before adding other ingredients - also used chicken stock, and omitted salt. Substituted spinach with kale when I have them and serve with garlic bread I'm not a fan of vegetables soup, but I happily have this on a cold day. Great recipe, thank you!
Rachelle Webster on 2026-02-24 (5 stars): I’ve made this soup multiple times and love it! I seem to make mistakes every time because I’m so bad at reading the recipe instructions! Reminder to only add certain ingredients in the beginning and then later, you add others. I always forget this step! Also, if my store is out of sun-dried tomato pesto, I e used regular pesto and it works fine. Not quite as good, but close. Also, you can easily make this dairy free! Love that.
Duane Dittrick on 2025-08-26 (5 stars): My wife and I thank you tired of canned.
I'm not a pasta fan, is there a product or Veg. to replace?
Adrian Stratford on 2025-06-25 (5 stars): Freezing and raining cats and dogs in Cape Town today. Have your recipe simmering in the slow cooker and it smells divine. Super excited to see how it turns out.
Thanks for the recipe.
Julie K. on 2025-03-03 (5 stars): This soup is delicious and easy to make. I did have a little trouble finding the sun-dried tomato pesto, so the first batch I made did not have it, but tasted great anyway! The 2nd and subsequent batches I did have it and was also delish! One of my new favs!
Maureen Chenoweth on 2024-11-13 (5 stars): By far, the best minestrone recipe ever!
Julzy on 2024-10-03 (5 stars): This has been my go to for some time now, it's delicious! I just finished making another one, I use hot pot on my slow cooker so only takes an hour. The pesto really takes it to another level, thank you for sharing.
Oriel Brighton on 2024-08-10 (5 stars): Just love this recipe, delicious, easy to make and has so much flavour.
Will be making this often
Tracey M on 2024-07-07 (5 stars): Hi Keen to taste this, sounds great, am cooking in my new crockpot tonight. Thanks for great recipe!
Becky on 2024-02-08 (4 stars): This soup has everything I love: healthy ingredients, tons of flavor, lots of veggies...and I can throw everything in the crockpot first thing in the morning and enjoy the scent as it cooks all day. The tomato pesto is a wonderful addition. I have made this recipe twice in a month's time, and it's even better the day after it cooks. Love, love! Thank you for this recipe--it's on my Pinterest board under "Favorites"!
