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Edited on 12/16/2020 to include more information and make it reader friendly. 🙂
Beat the winter blues with this minestrone soup packed with vegetables, beans and quinoa. Hearty & delicious.
What are the ingredients in the minestrone soup?
- Tomatoes
- Olive Oil
- Garlic Cloves
- Whole Red Chillies; optional
- Onion
- Celery
- Carrots
- Potato
- Black Beans
- Kale Leaves
- Vegetable Broth
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Basil and grated Parmesan for garnish
How to blanch tomatoes to use in the recipe?
We have a video tutorial to blanch tomatoes for you. It is very simple process to do.
What are the utensils/equipment you should have to make this recipe?
This is not a complicated recipe to make. But these are the minimum set of utensils/equipment you need to prepare this.
- Chopping Board
- Knives
- Big Sauce Pan
- Small Sauce Pan
- Small Bowl (optional)
- Grater
- Fork to fluff quinoa
- Serving Bowls
- Can opener (if you are using canned beans)
More from the web: a few links for you to explore different styles of Minestrone Soup
- What is for Lunch Honey
- Learn more about the origins of Minestrone Soup
- Whole Foods Market
- Jamie Oliver
Additional Notes
- Instead of black beans, you can use kidney beans or garbanzo beans as well. I use canned black beans. If you are using dry beans, I would suggest soaking them for at least 5-6 hours and pre-cook them before adding them to the soup.
- You can use spinach leaves instead of kale leaves.
- You can substitute quinoa with pasta(elbow macaroni works well). Cook pasta separately according to the package directions.
- Adding pasta/quinoa just before serving prevents them from turning mushy if you have to reheat the leftover soup.
- You might need a little more vegetable broth/water to adjust the consistency of the soup, especially the leftovers.
- Using whole red chillies is optional.
More dishes with beans
- Protein-packed nutritious lima beans curry - super tasty with rice and or Roti. If you are not following a vegan diet, try making this in ghee. It is amazing!
- Black beans tostadas are fresh & simple - just perfect for a heavy snack, appetizer, or a light meal. Crunchy, tasty & healthy.
- Love wild rice? Try our wild rice and garbanzo bean combinations Super healthy meal.
Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 3 Tomatoes Medium sized; blanched
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 Garlic Cloves; finely chopped.
- 1-2 Whole Red Chillies; optional
- ½ cup finely chopped Onion
- ½ cup diced Celery
- ½ cup diced Carrots
- 1 Potato medium size; wash & peel; diced
- ¼ cup Black Beans See Recipe Notes
- 1 cup chopped Kale Leaves; tightly packed
- ¼ cup Quinoa See Recipe Notes
- 4 cups 32 fl. oz Vegetable Broth (See Recipe Notes)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Garnish
- 5-6 Fresh Basil Leaves
- Freshly Grated Parmesan
To Serve
- Toasted French Baguettes
Required Equipment
- Chopping Board
- Knives
- Big Sauce Pan
- Small Sauce Pan
- Small Bowl optional
- Grater
- Fork to fluff quinoa
- Serving Bowls
Instructions
- Blanch the tomatoes, peel and roughly chop them. Finely chop/dice all the other vegetables.
- Heat oil in the saucepan and add the finely chopped garlic and whole red chillies. When the garlic browns slightly, add the onions.
- Fry the onions for about 5 minutes till they turn light brown.
- Add chopped celery, carrots, and potato and stir for a couple of minutes. This caramelizing of vegetables brings out the flavor.
- Add the vegetable broth and the chopped tomatoes. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the black beans and chopped kale leaves.
- Cover with a lid, and simmer for 40-45 minutes on very low heat.
While the soup is simmering, prepare quinoa.
- In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, dry roast the quinoa till it becomes aromatic and you hear a popping sound.
- Transfer the roasted quinoa to a small bowl and rinse it with running water by gently rubbing the grains between your fingers. (Rinsing quinoa is optional).
- Place the saucepan back on the stove, add ½ cup water, the rinsed quinoa, and bring it to boil.
- Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and cook till all the water is absorbed.
- Uncover and fluff gently with a fork.
Serve
- Once the soup has simmered for about 45 minutes, all the vegetables will be well cooked. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a quick boil and turn off the heat.
- Place a little cooked quinoa in the serving bowl and top with soup. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish with chopped basil leaves and freshly grated Parmesan Cheese.
- Serve it with slices of toasted French Baguette.
vijayalakshmy payyakkil says
Good.I like it
Framed Recipes says
Thank you.
Piyali says
It is the beautiful writeup preceding the recipe which has got me wearing my thinking hat this morn. I would have loved to answer each of those questions that you have put up. Yes I do definately ponder and promise to do everything better than the bygone years but then immerse myself in all the celebrations partying my way into the New Year. Writing quick resolutions in the first few days of the year and slowing laying the resolutions in some untraceable corner of my home and getting lost in the daily schedules as the year progress and repeat this circle again.
I have been trying to lay my hands on an authentic Minestrone Soup, exactly the way the Italians have it for sometime. Yours is a wonderful warm tuckin. The pictures as usual are extraordinary, clicked with a whole lot of aesthetics.
Framed Recipes says
Hi Piyali,
Thank you so much for stopping by. And I loved your answers to the questions. :).
Winter is indeed a fun time. And I also do the same thing about my new year resolutions. :).
Do try the soup. Its nourishing and comforting. Just what you need for a cold winter evening. Stay warm.
Deepti Anand says
Different from the soups I have tried so far. Good one !!
Framed Recipes says
Thanks Deepti. It is a a complete meal for us. Do try.