Hearty, Healthy Minestrone Soup

This hearty healthy minestrone soup is filled with veggies and Italian spices. It’s the kind of soup that fills you up and sticks to your bones and warms you from the inside out. 

My husband and I love traveling to Italy, and on our most recent trip, we had the most delicious minestrone soup. The crazy thing was, it was the middle of summer and that soup STILL tasted good! Inspired by that experience, I was determine to recreate that amazing minestrone soup at home, as an easy one-pot meal. It turned out to be rich, flavorful and so satisfying! The chunky vegetables and beans gave it a stew-like consistency, and the parmesan cheese (and rind) added a power-punch of flavor. It was super filling and pretty easy to make too! It had that “slow-cooked-all-day” taste, but it took under an hour to make.

Kitchen Tools and Equipment You’ll Need to Make This Healthy Minestrone Soup

• Dutch Oven
• Chopping Knife
• Cutting Board
• Wooden Spoon
• Potato Masher or Blender

How to make this healthy minestrone soup – Step by Step

Step 1: Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Saute until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.

Step 2: Add the Swiss chard and potato; saute for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and rosemary sprig. Simmer until the chard is wilted and the tomatoes break down, about 10 minutes.

Step 3: Meanwhile, blend 1/2 cup of the beans with 1/2 cup broth in a processor (or mash together with a potato masher) until almost smooth. Add the pureed bean mixture, remaining broth, salt / pepper / spices, and Parmesan cheese rind to the vegetable mixture. Simmer until the potato pieces are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15-20 minutes.

Step 4:  Stir in the whole beans and simmer until the beans are heated through and the soup is thick.

Step 5: Discard Parmesan rind and rosemary sprig (the leaves will have fallen off of the stem) before serving. Top with 1 Tbsp shredded parmesan cheese.

What makes this a healthy minestrone soup?

• High in Fiber: This soup is packed with nutrient rich vegetables and protein rich beans — both of which are high in fiber. One serving has almost 10g of fiber — 40% of your daily fiber needs!
• High in Plant Based Protein: This soup is vegetarian friendly (and with one small modification can also be vegan friendly), but has 11g protein per serving! It’s also low in calories, but big on flavor.
• Rich in Vitamins and Minerals: Swiss chard is one of the star ingredients in this dish. It’s rich in antioxidants, high in fiber, and an excellent source of vitamin K. Tomatoes are rich in lycopene (another antioxidant), carrots are high in beta carotene, Vitamin K and potassium, and potatoes add Vitamin C, B6 and Potassium to this dish.

Will kids enjoy this Hearty, Healthy Minestrone Soup? 

Kids will love this soup because of the subtle flavors and a hint of parmesan cheese. The potatoes in this soup are kid friendly which means they might even get some spoonfuls of leafy greens. My kids loved dipping a slice of sprouted wheat bread with butter into this soup (I cut it up into “strips” to make it easier for dipping)!

What is the difference between minestrone and vegetable soup?

A traditional vegetable soup is made of any vegetables or plants. It tends to be thinner and contain more broth. Minestrone soup is an Italian soup that is typically thicker than a vegetable soup and contains beans. It also often includes the addition of a starch such as macaroni, rice, or potatoes. 

How long is homemade minestrone soup good for?

If you have leftovers this soup will be good for 3-4 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This also makes for an excellent freezer meal. Be sure to store it in an airtight container or freezer bag. It can be stored in the freezer for 4-6 months. 

What to Serve with Hearty Healthy Minestrone Soup

All the veggie goodness and rich tomato base make this the perfect soup for homemade rolls, or a chunk of sourdough bread. All these rich Italian flavors would also go nicely with a veggie filled sandwich or wrap. Another option would be a small side salad or a vegetarian Cesar salad.

Top Tips for Making Hearty, Healthy Minestrone Soup

• You can prep your veggies prior to making this soup to save yourself some prep time. Peel and chop the carrot, onion, celery, potato, and swiss chard. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to a day in advance.
• Be sure to rinse and drain the beans before adding them to the vegetable broth to mash. Use a food processor for a smoother, creamier finish to the beans.
• Adding the parmesan rind to the soup while it’s simmering will bring in a depth of flavor. 
• Be sure to discard the parmesan rind and rosemary sprig prior to serving.
• If you have other vegetables in your refrigerator that need to be used throw them in this soup or use as a substitute. This makes for an excellent fridge clean out meal. Use the vegetables of the season.
• To make this vegan, just omit the parmesan

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THESE OTHER HEALTHY SOUP RECIPES!

• Spicy Indian Lentil Soup with Swiss Chard
• Chunky and Hearty White Bean Soup
• Pumpkin and White Bean Bisque
• Smoky White Bean Chili
• Hearty Vegetable Soup by Sweet Peas and Saffron
• Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Chowder by Two Peas and Their Pod

If you have tried this Healthy Minestrone Soup recipe, or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family friendly food!

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Print Recipe

5 from 5 votes

Hearty, Healthy Minestrone Soup

This hearty healthy minestrone soup is filled with veggies and Italian spices. It’s the kind of soup that fills you up and sticks to your bones and warms you from the inside out. 

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time55 minutes mins

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 170kcal

Author: Anjali Shah

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 red onion chopped
• ▢ 2 carrots peeled, chopped
• ▢ 2 celery stalks chopped
• ▢ 2-3 garlic cloves minced
• ▢ 1 pound Swiss chard stems trimmed, leaves coarsely chopped
• ▢ 1 russet potato peeled, cubed
• ▢ 14.5 oz diced tomatoes 1 can
• ▢ 1 fresh rosemary sprig
• ▢ 15 oz cannellini beans, drained, rinsed 1 can
• ▢ 28 oz low-sodium vegetable broth
• ▢ 1 ounce piece Parmesan cheese rind
• ▢ 1/2 tsp salt
• ▢ 1/4 tsp pepper
• ▢ Optional – 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
• ▢ Shredded parmesan cheese for topping – 1 Tbsp per bowl

Instructions

• ▢
  Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Saute until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.
• ▢
  Add the Swiss chard and potato; saute for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and rosemary sprig. Simmer until the chard is wilted and the tomatoes break down, about 10 minutes.
• ▢
  Meanwhile, blend 1/2 cup of the beans with 1/2 cup broth in a processor (or mash together with a potato masher) until almost smooth. Add the pureed bean mixture, remaining broth, salt / pepper / spices, and Parmesan cheese rind to the vegetable mixture. Simmer until the potato pieces are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15-20 minutes. Stir in the whole beans and simmer until the beans are heated through and the soup is thick.
• ▢
  Discard Parmesan rind and rosemary sprig (the leaves will have fallen off of the stem) before serving. Top with 1 Tbsp shredded parmesan cheese.

Notes

Top Tips for Making Hearty, Healthy Minestrone Soup

• You can prep your veggies prior to making this soup to save yourself some prep time. Peel and chop the carrot, onion, celery, potato, and swiss chard. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to a day in advance.
• Be sure to rinse and drain the beans before adding them to the vegetable broth to mash. Use a food processor for a smoother, creamier finish to the beans.
• Adding the parmesan rind to the soup while it’s simmering will bring in a depth of flavor. 
• Be sure to discard the parmesan rind and rosemary sprig prior to serving.
• If you have other vegetables in your refrigerator that need to be used throw them in this soup or use as a substitute. This makes for an excellent fridge clean out meal. Use the vegetables of the season.
• To make this vegan, just omit the parmesan

Adapted from FoodNetwork.com

Nutrition

Calories: 170kcal | Carbohydrates: 29.6g | Protein: 11.2g | Fat: 2.3g | Sodium: 946.7mg | Fiber: 9.6g | Sugar: 5.2g