Minestrone Soup combines vegetables with a savory broth, cooked pasta, and Italian sausage. A delicious and hearty soup recipe!
The recipe for Minestrone Soup, aka “kitchen sink soup”, was sent to me from an Iowa Girl Eats reader.
It contains everything except the kitchen sink, aka oodles of vegetables, a savory broth, tender pasta, and spicy Italian sausage. It is delicious, filling, and so comforting!
Start the soup by browning Italian sausage in a soup pot. I love using spicy sausage, but mild/sweet sausage is totally fine too! If there’s a lot of fat that cooks out, drain the sausage then return it to the pot. Next add marinara sauce which adds a ton of flavor with zero effort.
Plus water and a beef bullion cube.
Next add 3 cups of vegetables. You can use any mixture of veggies you like — mushrooms, carrots, celery, etc. I typically use 1 cup each chopped zucchini, frozen corn kernels, and frozen peas.
Top the vegetables with Italian seasoning, dried parsley, salt, and pepper.
Lastly, sprinkle in a bit of grated parmesan cheese then place a lid on top and simmer until the vegetables are tender.
Remove the lid then add 1/2 cup dry pasta and simmer uncovered until the pasta is tender.
Voila! Ultra quick and healthy Minestrone soup that’s bursting with flavor!
The marinara sauce and sausage gave this soup substance, while the veggies keep it light. This is definitely a two-bowl recipe — so good!
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb spicy Italian sausage
- 4 cups water
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 1 beef boullion cube
- 3 cups vegetables, I use 1 cup each chopped zucchini, frozen corn kernels, and frozen peas
- 2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- pepper
- 1/2 cup pasta, any small cut
Directions
- Brown and crumble sausage in a large soup pot until cooked through. Drain if necessary then return to the pot.
- Add water, marinara sauce, beef bullion, parmesan cheese, and seasonings then turn the heat up to high to bring the liquid to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid then turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
- Add pasta then simmer uncovered until tender. Scoop into bowls then serve with extra grated parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- The pasta will soak up some of the liquid as it cools, so you may need to add more water or beef broth when reheating.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
I love the sound of a normal Sunday routine! my weekends never have structure but this sounds like a way to get things done!
Looks amazing! I’ll be trying that this week (along with my further enrollment into the diet coke wing of the Betty Ford Clinic!)
I gave up my daily 2 liter of Diet Pepsi addiction 6 months ago, and had terrible headaches for a week or so, but it was the BEST thing I have ever done for my health. So glad your giving up your Diet Soda addiction! Just plain scary whats in those fizzy drinks.
Wow that looks amazing! Definitely going on my list for dinner this week. Thanks for sharing!
I too am an early riser, wait for the husband to wake up, then we usually get lunch out and relax at home until its time to make dinner. In the summer we will go for walks or hikes in the afternoon. This winter, Sundays also include puppy class with our little guy!
This soup looks so delicious! Our Sunday’s always consist of sleeping in and waking up to enjoy a wonderful breakfast together. The only day of the week that we get to do this and it’s so much enjoyed.
My fav thing to do on Sundays is to curl up on the couch with the bf and watch HGTV and DIY channels.
oh MAN that buttery bread and soup look so good! We too are creatures of habit with our Sunday meals. For a long time it was homemade pizza. Lately it’s been something easier, such as frozen pizzas with our own toppings. Breakfast though is where it’s at, where we usually have huge breakfasts with eggs, pancakes, coffee, and bacon. Love these mornings so much.
What article did you read about the diet soda? I need to stop drinking diet soda, maybe I need to read this article! :) Also, soup looks awesome! Another to add to my list to try! Have a great week!
:(
Love Sunday mornings in our house! A morning gym trip about 9am, then come home, make brunch, relax with a filling brunch and coffee for 30-60 minutes before doing house chores. Best time of the week hands down.
Please share the horrifying article re: diet soda. I need to kick my crack-in-a-can addiction (diet coke)!
Blerg!!
I love minestrone soup! That soup looks delicious. Here’s one of my favorite recipes. It’s so so good. http://www.howsweeteats.com/2011/12/minestrone-pot-pie-with-whole-wheat-parmesan-biscuits/
With 4 kids, it’s hard for me to even remember what Sundays like that were like! This soup looks delicious…my husband will love it:-) Can’t wait to try it!