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.
Currently eating this soup. So delicious! And I have leftovers for lunch!!!
Gave up the soda about 6 months ago after reading a similar article. Or should I say that my dietician husband kindly asked again if I would just lay off the diet coke. I really missed it for a month or two but now I just have a pop when I’m at a restaurant. I did buy an 8-pack of little mini-bottles of DC last Friday but they still haven’t been touched. Yeah me! I fill that need for sweets with tea and vitamin water. Not perfect but better.
Cannot wait to try the minestrone. Wish I had the ingredients on hand as I’d make it tonight after all of this snow!
Minestrone is on my top 3 list of favorite soups, but I’ve never found one homemade that I really like, this one looks like the winner! I can’t wait to make it!!!
I absolutely love spending Sundays in the kitchen, especially in the winter. Having something simmering away all afternoon on the stove, where I’m hidden inside from the snow and cold, is just…lovely. I usually try to make a batch of muffins or banana bread for quick breakfasts or snacks throughout the week too. This soup looks wonderful!
That soup looks delish, it will be a must try for dinner this week. Gotta think of my 3rd veggie, all ready have green beans and corn. And YEAH for you on kicking the soda! I’ve been 2 weeks Mt Dew free!
Our Sundays involve heading to church, walking the pup (not yesterday because it was 20 degrees and she was shivering every time we put her out!), cooking something tasty, and hanging in our sweatpants. I loooove lazy Sundays!
My E and I are always rushing out of bed early to get the day going, but lately we realized whats the rush?!?! Coffee is ready by 8am, tv in bed until 10am or so. Our pup has finally gotten the hang of “Sunday mornings need to be cherished”, thankfully she doesnt demand her walk to later. She herself crawls underneath her little blanket. It couldn’t. be. better.
Oh the days of no kids and sleeping in – enjoy it! I just told my hubby the other day that I haven’t slept in since 2009 (since our first was born). I’m not kidding!
But this soup…bookmarking for sure…love it!
OH wow…just read that article on sodas. I don’t ever think I want to put that into my body ever again (and I’m a diet coke fiend!). I drink it religiously. Oh gross. Thank you for sharing that. I had no idea half of those reasons even existed! I just didn’t think about it. Hope your diet soda free days stretch into months and months…I’m going today to quit. Yesterday was it. Great looking soup…I’m making that garlic bread tomorrow night for my man and me for V day!
my microwave has been doing the SAME thing. So annoying. and it’s impossible to melt chocolate in it because it refuses to operate on anything but 100% power.
I noticed you used powered Parmesan cheese…next time you use up a chuck of real Parm..save the rind and just throw it in the soup the whole time while it cooks…then remove when done. The flavor is so rich – it’s amazing!
p.s. – you can freeze the rind until you’re ready to use it too!
xoxo from Trinidad
This looks sooo good! I went ahead and “pinned it” to Pintrest so I can remember to make it!
My Sundays consist of making a meal plan for the week, going through cupboards and fridge, and then making a grocery list. Then we head to Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods (and usually get a treat of some sort) before coming home to relax. I head to the gym, he starts on chores, and then we make dinner together and watch Downton Abbey. Makes me almost like Sunday nights! Almost.