Italian
One-Pot Minestrone
This vegetarian minestrone holds beans, small pasta, carrot, celery, tomato, and zucchini in vegetable broth. Parmesan goes on at the table, and a splash of broth loosens leftovers the next day.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Vegetable broth is the only stock, so the soup stays vegetarian.
- The pasta goes in near the end so it does not swell and drink the whole pot.
- Zucchini is added late and stays in pieces instead of collapsing.
- Parmesan is a finish, not a thickener, so the broth still tastes like vegetables.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook until the onion is softened, about 6 minutes.
- 2
Stir in the garlic and Italian seasoning for 30 seconds.
- 3
Add the tomatoes and vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer. Cover partway and cook until the carrots are nearly tender, about 12 minutes.
- 4
Stir in the beans, zucchini, ditalini, salt, and pepper.
- 5
Simmer uncovered, stirring once or twice, until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes.
- 6
Taste for salt. Ladle into bowls and top each serving with parmesan.
Pro tips
- The pasta keeps absorbing broth as the soup sits. Add a splash of vegetable broth when you reheat it.
- Dice the zucchini small so it finishes with the pasta, not before.
- A Parmesan rind can simmer with the broth if you have one. Fish it out before serving.
Easy substitutions
- zucchini
- 1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ditalini
- small shells or elbow macaroni in the same amount
- cannellini beans
- kidney beans or chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 4 days.
Reheating
Warm in a saucepan over medium with a splash of vegetable broth until hot, about 8 minutes. Add the parmesan after reheating, not before.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 260
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fiber
- 8 g
Budget friendly · One Pan, Stovetop
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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