DinnerCountMinestrone Soup
The soup that uses up the crisper drawer. Onion, carrots, celery, zucchini and green beans simmer in a tomato broth with kidney beans and white beans. The macaroni cooks right in the pot, and a couple of handfuls of spinach wilt in at the end. Parmesan goes over each bowl. One pot, no meat, enough for six.
45 minServes 6 as writtenOne PotItalianContains Milk, Wheat
Ingredients — serves 6
- Yellow onion1 each
- Carrots2 each
- Celery2 stalks
- Zucchini½ lb
- Green beans½ lb
- Garlic clove3 cloves
- Olive oil2 tbsp
- Tomato paste2 tbsp
- Italian seasoning2 tsp
- Diced tomatoes (canned)1 can (14.5 oz)
- Vegetable broth6 cups
- Kidney beans (canned)1 can (15 oz)
- White beans (canned)1 can (15 oz)
- Salt1 tsp
- Black pepper½ tsp
- Macaroni1 cup
- Fresh spinach2 cups
- Parmesan cheese½ cup
How much to make for 2, 4, 6 or 8
| Ingredient | For 2 | For 4 | For 6 | For 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow onion | ¼ each | ¾ each | 1 each | 1¼ each |
| Carrots | ¾ each | 1¼ each | 2 each | 2¾ each |
| Celery | 1 stalk | 2 stalks | 2 stalks | 3 stalks |
| Zucchini | ¼ lb | ¼ lb | ½ lb | ¾ lb |
| Green beans | ¼ lb | ¼ lb | ½ lb | ¾ lb |
| Garlic clove | 1 clove | 2 cloves | 3 cloves | 4 cloves |
| Olive oil | 2 tsp | 1 tbsp + 1 tsp | 2 tbsp | 2½ tbsp |
| Tomato paste | 2 tsp | 1 tbsp + 1 tsp | 2 tbsp | 2½ tbsp |
| Italian seasoning | ¾ tsp | 1¼ tsp | 2 tsp | 2¾ tsp |
| Diced tomatoes (canned) | ¼ can (14.5 oz) | ¾ can (14.5 oz) | 1 can (14.5 oz) | 1¼ cans (14.5 oz) |
| Vegetable broth | 2 cups | 4 cups | 6 cups | 8 cups |
| Kidney beans (canned) | ¼ can (15 oz) | ¾ can (15 oz) | 1 can (15 oz) | 1¼ cans (15 oz) |
| White beans (canned) | ¼ can (15 oz) | ¾ can (15 oz) | 1 can (15 oz) | 1¼ cans (15 oz) |
| Salt | ¼ tsp | ¾ tsp | 1 tsp | 1¼ tsp |
| Black pepper | ¼ tsp | ¼ tsp | ½ tsp | ¾ tsp |
| Macaroni | ¼ cup | ¾ cup | 1 cup | 1¼ cups |
| Fresh spinach | ¾ cup | 1¼ cups | 2 cups | 2¾ cups |
| Parmesan cheese | 2½ tbsp | ¼ cup | ½ cup | ¾ cup |
| The pan | Written for 6 adult-size portions; you are cooking for about 2 — roughly 0.3× the recipe. Less than the recipe assumes — use a smaller pot (a 4-quart pot) so the liquid stays deep enough to simmer without scorching; small amounts reduce faster, so check early. | — | — | — |
In DinnerCount, this recipe is sized to exactly who’s home tonight — a hungry teenager, a toddler, a guest.
Open this recipe in DinnerCount — free
Forty recipes open to read and cook, sized to your household. No account, no card.
Steps
- Chop the onion, dice the carrots, the celery and the zucchini, cut the green beans into 1-inch pieces, and chop the garlic finely.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until it is hot but not smoking. Add the onion, the carrots and the celery and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring. Check that the onion is soft. Stir in the garlic, the tomato paste and the Italian seasoning for about 1 minute.
- Add the diced tomatoes, the vegetable broth, the drained kidney beans and white beans, the green beans, the zucchini, the salt and the black pepper. Bring it to a boil, then turn the heat down so it bubbles gently and cook for 15 minutes. Check that the carrots are tender.
- Stir in the dry macaroni and cook for 8 to 10 minutes more, stirring once or twice. Check that the pasta is tender. Stir in the fresh spinach for about 1 minute. Check that it has wilted.
- Serve with the parmesan cheese over each bowl. It thickens as it sits; loosen leftovers with a splash of water.
Good to know
- Contains Milk, Wheat — from the ingredient names, so not a complete list. It cannot see inside a jar, a mix or a sauce, and formulas change. For an allergy or intolerance, read the package every time — never decide from this line.
- 🌡 Leftover — cook to 165°F at the thickest part , the USDA minimum for a casserole or reheated leftovers. A thermometer is the test; color is not.