Description
This classic minestrone soup is perfect for any time of year! It’s packed with fresh herbal deliciousness and loaded with healthy green veggies!
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 ounces gluten-free pasta shells
Pesto
- 1.5 cups fresh basil, lightly packed in measuring cup
- 1 large garlic clove, chopped
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive oil, plus more if needed to thin pesto
- kosher salt, to taste
- cracked black pepper, to taste
Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 carrots, sliced on the bias
- 3 celery stalks, halved lengthwise, then sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large zucchini, quartered lengthwise, then sliced into bite-size pieces
- 2 cups green beans, stem-end trimmed, and cut into 2” pieces
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 14-5 ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 small piece of Parmesan rind (optional)
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- Parmesan cheese for garnish
Instructions
- Cook pasta shells per package instructions. Drain pasta, drizzle with a little olive oil, and set aside.
- In a food processor, add basil, garlic, red wine vinegar, and Parmesan. Pulse a few times then with the processor running, add the olive oil in a slow stream until mixture is completely blended. Open and scrape down the sides then blend for another 30 seconds. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Toss 3/4 of the pesto into the pasta shells and set aside. Reserve the remaining quarter for drizzling in the soup.
- In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, sauté the onions, carrots, and celery in olive oil for 5 minutes then add the garlic, zucchini, green beans, and Italian seasoning and cook for 3 minutes.
- Gently stir in the diced tomatoes, chicken broth, cannellini beans, and Parmesan rind (if using). Bring to a boil then down to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove Parmesan rind.
- Add the fresh spinach and cook until wilted (about 2 minutes).
- To serve the minestrone, add about a 1/4 cup of pesto pasta to the bottom of the soup bowl then ladle the hot soup over the pasta. Garnish with fresh Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Any remaining pesto can be drizzled into the soup or brushed on Italian bread and toasted in the oven for delicious garlic pesto toast!
- In spring, a wonderful option is to swap out the green beans and zucchini for asparagus and peas. Have fun and use any combination of vegetables that you’d like.
Keywords: minestrone soup, soup, vegetable soup, gluten-free soup