Description
A hearty, vegetable‑ and bean‑packed Italian soup with pasta in a tomato broth
Ingredients
- 1 cup small shell pasta, uncooked
- 1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- ½ cup sweet yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup carrots, thinly sliced
- 1 cup celery, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 32 ounces vegetable broth
- 28 ounces petite diced tomatoes (do not drain)
- 15.5 ounces dark red kidney beans, rinsed & drained
- 15.5 ounces cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed & drained
- 1 cup fresh green beans, halved
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (for garnish)
Instructions
- Heat a 2–3 quart saucepan of water to a low boil. Cook the small shell pasta about 7–8 minutes (just before al dente). Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking.
- While pasta cooks, in a 5–6 quart stockpot over medium‑high heat, add olive oil and butter. Stir until butter is melted.
- Add chopped onion and sauté ~5 minutes until translucent.
- Add sliced carrots and celery. Continue cooking 5–7 minutes until vegetables are softened.
- Add minced garlic and cook ~1 minute until fragrant.
- Lower heat to medium. Add vegetable broth, diced tomatoes (with juices), kidney beans, cannellini beans, green beans, baby spinach, bay leaves, salt, Italian seasoning, thyme, and black pepper. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes until vegetables are tender.
- Add fresh basil and the cooked pasta. Continue cooking 5 more minutes.
- Remove from heat. Discard bay leaves. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and grated Parmesan before serving.
Notes
- You may add the uncooked pasta directly into the soup with the broth and tomatoes, but you’ll need to increase cooking time by 15–20 minutes to ensure pasta cooks through.
- You can substitute canned great northern (white) beans instead of cannellini beans.
- Add thinly sliced zucchini during the carrot & celery stage for extra veggies.
- Also good with fresh kale, turnip greens or chopped cabbage for variation.
- Coarse sea salt works in place of kosher salt — taste before adding more seasoning.
Nutrition
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 11 g
- Sodium: 1490 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: (monounsaturated + polyunsaturated) 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 63 g
- Fiber: 14 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 9 mg
