This easy recipe for a throw-together, use up whatever is in the fridge Veggie-tastic Minestrone Soup was first published in 2009. It got a photo upgrade and some additional tips and details, so I wanted to re-share the post. Enjoy!
I love when I can create a balanced meal by just throwing things into a pot, and this Veggietastic Minestrone Soup lets me do just that! The combination of beans, whole grain pasta, and veggies makes it balanced and filling, but it’s seriously the easiest recipe to put together, and it feeds a crowd, too.
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Possibly favorite thing about this soup is that it uses up leftover pasta (!!!). Seriously, does anyone know how to make an appropriate amount of pasta? I always cook wayyy too much and then I end up trying to figure out how to eat it for days. So if you’re like me, recipes that use up leftover pasta are a big deal.
And when I say this minestrone is easy to make, I mean it’s really easy. Just bring vegetable broth, water, tomato sauce, and whatever veggies you have on hand to a simmer and cook for a few minutes. Stir in beans, cooked pasta, and greens, et voila – you’ve got dinner!
I also love how flexible this recipe is. Just about any veggie will work, so feel free to throw in fresh veggies that are sitting in the back of the fridge, frozen veggies, or anything else you have around – you can never have too many veggies in here!
Here’s the full recipe – Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 4 cups veggie broth (1 32-oz container)
- 1 15-oz can tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- about 4 cups chopped veggies (this is flexible - use more or less depending on what you have around! I used carrots, celery, zucchini, squash, red pepper, and kale)
- 8 basil leaves, chopped
- 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 cups cooked whole wheat pasta
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add the veggie broth, tomato sauce, water, veggies, and basil to a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 7-10 minutes, until veggies are tender.
- Add the beans, pasta, and salt and pepper to taste. If you're using greens like kale or spinach, add them in now too. Stir and let heat through, then serve!
Looking for more quick and easy dinner recipes? Here are some of my favorites!