There are few things I love more than a big pot of soup simmering on the stove, especially when the weather finally starts to cool off. This pesto minestrone soup is full of veggies, creamy beans and potatoes. Adding a spoonful of basil pesto at the very end adds beautiful depth and flavor. It is hearty enough for dinner, and the leftovers might be even better the next day.
The pesto is what makes this one a little different from a traditional minestrone. I like using my basil walnut pesto, but your favorite basil pesto works, too. If you have homemade chicken stock on hand, this is a great place to use it. And for another fall favorite, my butternut squash sage soup is always a good option.
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Pesto Minestrone Soup Ingredients
This soup uses plenty of vegetables and a few pantry staples. Here is what you need and why each ingredient matters. You will find the exact measurements in the recipe card below.
- Stock — Stock adds flavor keeping the vegetables and pesto front and center.
- Olive oil — used to soften the vegetables and build the base of the soup.
- Onion and leek — I use both. The leek adds a milder sweetness that works beautifully with the onion.
- Carrots and celery — chop these fairly small so you get a little of everything in each spoonful.
- Garlic — add it with the carrots and celery so it softens without burning.
- Potatoes — cut them into small pieces so they cook evenly. They also give the broth a little body.
- Bay leaf and thyme — simple herbs that flavor the broth as the soup simmers. Dried thyme works if you do not have fresh.
- Peas — fresh or frozen both work. Just add them at the right stage so they do not overcook.
- Zucchini — add it toward the end so it stays tender rather than turning mushy.
- Tomatoes — fresh work well in season; good canned tomatoes are an easy alternative when they are not.
- Cannellini beans — these make the soup more filling and add a creamy texture. Canned beans are perfectly fine; just drain and rinse them.
- Ditalini — a small pasta that cooks right in the soup at the end, so it takes on the broth instead of water.
- Pesto — the finishing touch. Stir it in after you remove the pot from the heat to keep its basil flavor fresh.
- Parmesan — finish each bowl with a little freshly grated Parmesan if you like.
Why You’ll Love This Pesto Minestrone Soup
- You are getting all of your vegetables in and it doesn’t even taste like it.
- It is a complete, one-pot meal. Between the vegetables, potatoes and white beans, this soup is satisfying on its own.
- The leftovers are excellent. The flavors come together even more after a night in the refrigerator.
- It is hearty without cream. Potatoes give the broth body, and pesto adds a fresh, savory finish.
- You can use what you have. Swap in different vegetables or beans depending on what is already in your kitchen.
- It is easy to make ahead. Keep portions in the fridge for lunches, or freeze extra soup for another day.
How to Make Pesto Minestrone Soup
The key is adding the vegetables in stages. Start with the onion, leek and firmer vegetables, then add the zucchini and peas later so everything finishes cooking at the right time. It helps to chop everything before you turn on the stove.
Soften the Onion and Leek
Bring the stock to a gentle simmer in a separate saucepan and keep it warm. Warm the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and leek and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent. Keep the heat moderate; you want them tender without much browning.
Add the Carrots, Celery and Garlic
Add the carrots, celery and garlic and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the Potatoes
Add the potatoes and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, stirring so they do not stick to the bottom of the pot.
Add the Herbs
Add the bay leaf and thyme, then season with salt and pepper.
Add the Stock, Tomatoes, Peas and Zucchini
Pour in the warm stock, then add the tomatoes, zucchini and peas. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until the potatoes are just tender and the zucchini is tender but still holds its shape.
Add the Beans
Stir in the drained cannellini beans and simmer for 10 minutes to warm them through.
Add the Ditalini
Add the ditalini and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente. Stir every couple of minutes so it does not settle on the bottom of the pot.
Finish with Pesto, Olive Oil and Parmesan
Take the pot off the heat and stir in the pesto - it should not boil. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the pesto, then taste for seasoning. Take out the bay leaf and thyme stem. Let the soup rest for about 5 minutes, then ladle it into bowls, drizzle with olive oil and finish with freshly grated Parmesan. Add another small spoonful of pesto if you want a little extra basil flavor.
Substitutions
Minestrone is wonderfully flexible, so do not feel like you need to make a special grocery trip for every ingredient.
- Cannellini beans → Great Northern beans, navy beans or chickpeas. All work well here.
- Leek → another onion or a couple of shallots. You will lose a little of the leek’s mild sweetness, but the soup will still be delicious.
- Ditalini → small shells or another small pasta. Add it toward the end of cooking according to the package directions, and expect to add more stock when reheating leftovers. You can also leave the pasta out entirely; the potatoes already give the broth body.
- Chicken stock → vegetable stock. For a vegetarian version, also use vegetarian pesto and a vegetarian hard cheese, since traditional Parmesan may contain animal rennet.
- Fresh tomatoes → canned tomatoes. A 14-ounce can of chopped tomatoes is an easy alternative when fresh tomatoes are not at their best.
- Zucchini → green beans, kale or chard. Add green beans with the zucchini and leafy greens near the end.
Variations
A few easy ways to change it up, depending on what you are in the mood for.
- Add Italian sausage. Brown ½ pound of crumbled sausage first, transfer it to a plate, then make the soup in the same pot. Return the sausage with the beans.
- Add a Parmesan rind. If you have one in the fridge, simmer it with the stock for a little extra savory flavor. Remove it before serving.
- Make it green. Leave out the tomatoes, increase the zucchini and peas, and stir in a handful of spinach at the end.
- Make it thicker. Mash about a cup of the beans before adding them to the pot for a more stew-like consistency.
Equipment
You do not need anything fancy for this recipe—just a large pot, a cutting board and a good knife. A second saucepan is helpful if you want to warm your stock separately.
- Large heavy pot. An 8-quart stockpot gives the vegetables plenty of room. I use the All-Clad 12qt Stainless Stockpot with Insert & Lid; the Cuisinart Chef's Classic 8-Quart Stockpot with Cover is the budget pick.
- Saucepan for the stock. I like to warm the broth while the vegetables cook, although you can skip this step if you prefer fewer dishes. The All-Clad D3 Saucepan heats evenly; the Cuisinart Chef's Classic 3-Quart Saucepan costs a fraction.
- Sharp chef’s knife. There is a good amount of chopping in this recipe, so a comfortable knife helps. The 8-inch Chef's Knife, Premium Brand is what I use daily; the Victorinox Fibrox Chef's Knife is the budget pick.
- Large cutting board. Use one with enough space for all your prepped vegetables. The John Boos RA-Board Maple Cutting Board 20x15 has been on my counter for years; the Greener Chef Luxury Bamboo Cutting Board XL is a fraction of the cost.
Storage
Store: Cool promptly, transfer to airtight containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. The soup keeps for up to 4 days, and the flavors are even better the following day.
Reheat: Warm on the stovetop over medium-low heat until hot throughout, adding a splash of stock or water if the soup has thickened. For an individual bowl, microwave until steaming hot, stirring halfway through. A little fresh pesto added after reheating brings back that basil flavor.
Freeze: Freeze portions for up to 3 months, ideally before adding the pasta and the pesto. The potatoes may soften slightly once thawed. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat until hot, then cook the ditalini and stir in fresh pesto before serving.
Top Tip
Stir the pesto in after taking the pot off the heat. You will still get all that beautiful basil flavor, but it will taste fresher than if you let it boil in the soup. I also like to save a little extra pesto for serving.
Absolutely. You can make the soup ahead, refrigerate it for up to 4 days, and reheat it when you are ready to eat. For the freshest basil flavor, wait to add the pesto until after you reheat the soup. Add a splash of stock if it has thickened overnight.
Pesto tastes best here as a finishing ingredient. Stirring it into the hot soup after you turn off the heat helps preserve its fresh basil flavor and color. If you boil it for a long time, that freshness can fade.
Yes. Let the soup cool promptly and freeze it in airtight portions for up to 3 months. If possible, freeze it before adding the pesto, then stir fresh pesto in after reheating. Potatoes can soften in the freezer, and pasta tends to get overly soft, so I prefer to add the ditalini after thawing.
Yes! I usually reach for canned cannellini beans because they make this soup so easy. Drain and rinse them first. Great Northern or navy beans are good substitutes, and if you are starting with dried beans, you will need about 2 cups cooked.
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Pesto Minestrone Soup with White Beans and Zucchini
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
A proper minestrone built in layers, with potatoes, zucchini, tomatoes and cannellini beans simmered into one pot and a spoonful of pesto stirred in off the heat at the very end. No cream, six servings, and it is better the next day.
Ingredients
- 6 ¼ cups chicken or vegetable stock, or a combination of stock and water
- 3 tbsp olive oil, plus more to finish
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 leek, sliced
- 2 carrots, finely chopped
- 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 potatoes, peeled and cut into small dice
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig fresh thyme, or ¼ tsp dried thyme leaves
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 medium tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped
- ¾ cup peas, fresh or frozen
- 2 to 3 zucchini, finely chopped
- 2 cups cooked or canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup dried ditalini (about 6 oz)
- 3 tbsp pesto
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to serve
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Pour the stock into a medium saucepan, bring it to a simmer over medium heat, and set it aside off the heat. Keep it hot.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onion and sliced leek. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is translucent and soft but not browned.
- Add the chopped carrots, celery and garlic. Cook over moderate heat, stirring often, for 5 minutes.
- Add the diced potatoes and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring so nothing catches on the bottom of the pot.
- Add the bay leaf and thyme, and season with salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
- Pour in the hot stock and stir well to lift anything stuck to the bottom.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, the peas and the zucchini. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat slightly and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until a potato cube gives easily when pressed against the side of the pot.
- Stir in the drained cannellini beans and simmer for 10 minutes, so they warm through and take on the flavour of the broth.
- Add 1 cup of ditalini and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the pasta is al dente. Stir every couple of minutes so it does not settle and stick on the bottom.
- Take the pot off the heat. Stir in 3 tablespoons of pesto and taste for salt. Do not let the soup boil again once the pesto is in.
- Remove and discard the bay leaf and the thyme stem.
- Let the soup stand off the heat for 5 minutes. Ladle into warm bowls, drizzle each one with olive oil and finish with freshly grated Parmesan.
Notes
The pesto goes in off the heat. Basil turns dull and slightly bitter the moment it simmers. Cook the pasta first, then pull the pot off the burner, stir the pesto through, and let it sit for five minutes before serving.
Make ahead: Make the soup up to the beans, cool and refrigerate for up to 4 days, then reheat, cook the ditalini and add the pesto fresh. It genuinely improves overnight.
Freezing: Freeze for up to 3 months, ideally before the pasta and pesto go in, and add both fresh on reheating.
Parmesan rind: Drop one into the pot with the stock and fish it out at the end. It is the cheapest way to make a vegetable soup taste like it simmered twice as long.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl