Hearty Italian Vegetable Soup (Printable)

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

# What You 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 oz) 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 oz) 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 reaches al dente texture.
05 - Stir in spinach or kale and chopped fresh parsley. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until greens are wilted.
06 - Remove bay leaf and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls, garnish with additional parsley, and serve hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than you'd expect, yet tastes like it simmered all afternoon.
  • The vegetables soften into an almost silky broth while keeping their individual character, creating layers of flavor that change with each spoonful.
  • It's naturally forgiving, so you can swap in whatever vegetables you have without apology or complicated substitutions.
02 -
  • Don't skip draining and rinsing the canned beans, as that starchy liquid will cloud your broth and make the entire soup feel heavier and less refined than it should.
  • Add the pasta just before the end of cooking rather than at the beginning, otherwise it continues absorbing broth and turns from tender to mushy while you're not watching.
03 -
  • Toast your dried herbs in the warm oil for 30 seconds before adding the broth, which blooms their flavors and makes them significantly more pronounced throughout the finished soup.
  • Add salt at the end rather than the beginning, since vegetable broth and canned beans already contain sodium that concentrates as the soup simmers, and tasting as you adjust lets you reach the exact level you prefer.
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