Italian Grandmother Minestrone

5 from 3 votes

This Italian Grandmother Minestrone is a veggie-forward, deeply flavorful soup made with plenty of vegetables and beans, plus just enough Italian sausage and pasta for comfort. It’s nourishing, cozy, and anything but boring.

Prep Time30

Cook Time50

Total Time1 20

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: Italian-Inspired

Keyword: Italian sausage minestrone soup, veggie-forward minestrone, Italian minestrone soup, healthy Italian soup, homemade minestrone

Servings: servings

Calories: 289kcal

Author: Chris Scheuer

Ingredients

For the soup:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ pound Italian sausage
1 large sweet onion diced (¼-inch)
1 large yellow bell pepper diced (¼-inch)
2 medium stalks celery diced (¼-inch)
6 medium cloves garlic finely minced
¼ cup tomato paste
4 teaspoons Italian seasoning
28 ounces crushed, fire-roasted tomatoes 1 28-ounce can
6-8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 medium carrots diced (¼-inch) 7-8 ounces or 180-210g
15.5 ounces navy or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 15.5-ounce can
15.5 ounces dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed 15.5-ounce
7 ounces roasted red peppers, diced (reserve liquid) 7-ounce jar
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 medium bay leaves
¼ cup pesto I use store-bought and love the pestos from Sam's Club and Costco
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons kosher salt more to taste
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper more to taste

To finish:

1 cup acini de pepe pasta or other small pasta, see notes
½ cup finely chopped Italian parsley optional but recommended

For serving:

freshly grated Parmesan cheese
fresh rosemary optional for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the soup:

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or heavy-duty pot. Add the Italian sausage and cook, undisturbed, for 3–5 minutes until the underside is well browned. Stir and continue cooking, breaking it up, until nicely browned and a fond forms on the bottom of the pot.1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, ½ pound Italian sausage
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a bowl or plate. Cover and set aside.
If there's more than 2 tablespoons of drippings from the Italian sausage remove any excess and discard. (I use Johnsonville Italian sausage which isn't very fatty.)
Reduce the heat slightly and add the onion, bell pepper, and celery to the pot. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. 1 large sweet onion, 1 large yellow bell pepper, 2 medium stalks celery
Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in the tomato paste and Italian seasoning and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the tomato paste deepens in color (caramelizes). 6 medium cloves garlic, ¼ cup tomato paste, 4 teaspoons Italian seasoning
Add the crushed tomatoes, 6 cups of the chicken broth, carrots, beans, roasted red peppers (plus reserved liquid), rosemary, bay leaves, pesto, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and pepper. (The mixture will foam briefly after adding the baking soda -this is normal.) 28 ounces crushed, fire-roasted tomatoes, 6-8 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 3 medium carrots, 15.5 ounces navy or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed, 15.5 ounces dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed, 7 ounces roasted red peppers, diced (reserve liquid),1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary, 2 medium bay leaves, ¼ cup pesto, 2 teaspoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

To finish:

Add the acini de pepe pasta and the reserved sausage. Stir well and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the pasta is al dente. Add more broth as needed if the soup becomes too thick. 1 cup acini de pepe pasta
Stir in the chopped parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. ½ cup finely chopped Italian parsley

To serve:

Serve hot with freshly grated Parmesan and a sprinkle of fresh rosemary, if desired. freshly grated Parmesan cheese, fresh rosemary

Notes

Acini de pepe holds its texture better than many small pastas and freezes especially well.

Tubettini, ditalini, or orzo may be substituted but will absorb more liquid.

Make It Lower-Carb or Gluten-Free: Simply omit the pasta - the soup is still hearty and delicious.

This soup freezes well, especially with the Acini de Pepe.

Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days.

Nutrition