Spring Minestrone White Beans (Printable version)

A vibrant soup with fresh spring veggies, tender beans, and herbs, ideal for a light satisfying meal.

# What you need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
02 - 1 medium onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 1 small zucchini, diced
07 - 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
08 - 1 cup frozen or fresh peas
09 - 2 cups baby spinach or chopped Swiss chard

→ Beans and Pasta

10 - 1 can (15 oz) white beans, drained and rinsed
11 - 3/4 cup small pasta such as ditalini or small shells

→ Broth and Seasonings

12 - 5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
13 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
15 - 1 bay leaf
16 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
17 - Zest of 1 small lemon
18 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

→ Optional Garnishes

19 - Grated Parmesan cheese
20 - Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

# How to Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery; sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add diced zucchini and cook for 2 minutes.
04 - Pour in vegetable broth. Add thyme, oregano, and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle boil.
05 - Stir in white beans and pasta. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
06 - Add asparagus and peas. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until pasta and vegetables are tender.
07 - Stir in spinach, lemon zest, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes until greens are wilted.
08 - Remove bay leaf. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with Parmesan cheese and olive oil if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like spring in your bowl without any heavy cream or complicated techniques.
  • One pot, thirty minutes, and you've got enough to feed people or meal prep for days.
  • The white beans give you real staying power, so you won't be hungry an hour later.
  • It adapts beautifully to whatever vegetables you have on hand or what the market has that day.
02 -
  • Add your pasta dry to the simmering broth; it cooks faster this way and absorbs flavor as it softens instead of cooking separately and becoming waterlogged.
  • The asparagus and peas go in late deliberately—they only need five to seven minutes, and adding them too early turns them to mush and dulls their spring brightness.
03 -
  • Taste as you go and don't over-salt the broth at the beginning; you can always add more at the end, but you can't take it out.
  • If your soup sits for a bit before serving, the pasta will continue to soften and absorb broth, so you might want to add a splash more liquid when you reheat it.
Return