10 Minute Minestrone Soup
A soul-satisfying soup that has slow-simmered taste - and is ready only minutes after first chopping the onion. ~Â by Serena Ball, MS,RD
{Disclosure: I'm grateful to the Canned Food Alliance for years ago highlighting the nutritional benefits of canned veggies to me as a young RD, and grateful now to them for sponsoring this post.}
EQUIPMENT: My favorite pot to cook soup: Cuisinart Stainless 3-Qt Saucepan with Cover [affiliate link]
OXO Smooth Edge Can Opener [affiliate link]
Around here, we’re snuggling in for soup season. (Doesn’t that sound cozy?)
Here in the St. Louis area, we were hunkered in without leaving the house for two days last week - as the kids were off from school due to ‘extreme cold’ – as in 8 degrees ABOVE zero! #notthatcold #Montanagirl
We’ve been eating lots of soup – which is actually eating seasonally. And here’s why.
Winter-season root veggies are perfect for making soup. Last week, I used the last potato in the house to make Bacon Caraway Potato Soup.
Without a fresh veggie (besides 1 onion) to fill the soup pot, I turned to the other ‘seasonal’ veggies on-hand: Canned tomatoes, canned beans, and canned zucchini. It’s the same way I remember eating as a child: When all the garden fresh veggies were gone, we didn’t turn to the grocery store produce department (because produce making it all the way to Montana in the middle of winter 30 years ago was terrible.) Instead, we ran down to the root cellar to bring up some of the bounty we’d canned at the peak of freshness in the summer. That was the whole point of home canning.
Today, produce growers follow the seasons by picking vegetables at the peak of freshness to preserve them - canning usually within a few hours after picking. As a young dietitian, I remember the first time I read about researchers found that some nutrients in canned vegetables are higher than in fresh vegetables – canned pumpkin is one example. This makes sense when you compare flash-canned product to fresh-produce that travels all the way from field - to a warehouse across the country - to supermarket - to the bottom of a home refrigerator...loosing nutrients the entire way.
Tip: To avoid extra sodium, always drain and and rinsed canned foods before using.
This 10-Minute Minestrone Soup featuring canned veggies is super hearty. And because the canned veggies are already cleaned, chopped and cooked, they just need a little time to heat through.
Tip: Just don’t add too early to a recipe to avoid mushy texture.
This speedy recipe could be on the table any weeknight – or on any day of ‘extreme-cold’ when you want to spend most of your day under a cozy blanket playing lots of games found under the Christmas tree – which is what we did. Anyone for a game of PicWits?
And if you think this looks cozy, try these soups/stews - made quicker with canned veggies:
SWEET POTATO SOUP WITH GRILLED CHEESE CROUTONS – Substitute 2 cans of sweet potatoes for the roasted sweet potatoes, which shortens the cooking time to this ultimate comfort-food recipe.
AFRICAN PEANUT STEW -Â Peanut butter and sweet potatoes are ALWAYS a good combo. Just swap in a can of sweet potatoes. They will fall apart during cooking and make the soup thick and creamy.
RED LENTIL CARROT SOUP WITH FRAZZLED ONIONS - Substitute canned carrots and even canned lentils.
Print10 Minute Minestrone Soup
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
Description
A cozy soup with slow-simmered taste. It's ready only minutes after first chopping the onion.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 stalk celery finely diced (optional)
- ¼ cup red or white wine (optional)
- 2 cans (14.5 ounce each) less-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 can (15 ounces) less-sodium garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) petite cut tomatoes (no-added salt)
- 1 can (15 ounces) zucchini and tomatoes in tomato sauce
- 1 can (15 ounces) sliced potatoes, drained, rinsed
- ½ cup dry small pasta, such as macaroni
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup grated aged Cheddar cheese or Parmesan (optional)
- Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oil in pot over medium heat. Add onion and celery. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add wine, cook 1 minute scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Add broth, beans, tomatoes, zucchini, potatoes, and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cook 2-3 minutes or until macaroni is al dente. (Don't overcook, macaroni will continue to soften after soup is removed from heat)
- Serve with cheese and/or parsley.
Notes
Grab any cans of veggies you have on hand. I use a general formula of: 2 cans of any veggie + 1 can beans + 1 can tomatoes (preferably flavored with oregano and/or garlic),
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
What soups are you making?
We had some schools closed around here last week, too, which I think is crazy! This is New England for crying out loud. I still had to go to work and somehow survived!
But I would have loved to come home from work to warm up with this soup 🙂
I have had a variety of soups all week and I loved the feature of making it soooo quickly. Thanks.
can't believe this only takes 10 minutes! Couldn't be easier to make! Thanks for sharing!!!
Thanks Rachel! Hope you enjoy soon!
I thought I was the only "weird" one to buy (no-salt added) canned foods and STILL always rinse and drain them! Haha!
It still helps remove some sodium. You are smart Rebecca!
Ahh I LOVE how you made the addition of vegetables and how easy you made this recipe overall! I recently have become a lover of all soup and always looking for a good recipe to dip cheesy bread into...pinning this and making on the next rainy day 🙂
Selena - you are very wise to live somewhere where it doesn't snow. And also wise to be making goat cheese, fig butter, bacon crostinis! Hello...I'm comin' over!
Such a beautiful and simple soup- I love it! Pinning now 🙂
Thanks Sonali...love pins. And love your comment...as photography in winter light is killing me!!! So hard to find the right window and time of day!
This soup looks so easy and comforting! Love your helpful tips and the other recipes provided. Will definitely need to make this some day soon - it's freezing!!
Here's hoping you get to warm up soon Alana. Your avitar looks chilly in a short-sleeved shirt. (:
Looks like having a well-stocked pantry really came to the rescue, Serena! And Wow! I can't even imagine how cold it must be up there! It's in the 30s here in TX and that to me is beyond "extreme cold." And I told Tim (during summer, obviously) that I wouldn't mind living up north. I've been eating a lot of chilis lately, and this soup def has to happen soon!
I swear we eat chili every other week! It's so easy to grab a can of tomatoes, beans and chilies...and presto. And dinner is served - in 10 minutes again! Thanks Min!
I love your soup. I have never cooked with canned potatoes or canned zucchini, so I'm pretty jazzed about your "seasonal" soup. I'm a huge fan of canned foods and don't know how I'd get through the week without them. Thanks for the great recipe inspiration! BTW, I can't believe you were not following Meal Makeover Moms on Twitter until today. I'm relieved you finally realized your Twitter feed was not complete without us 😉
Liz here's my story for canned zucchini: My eldest daughter likes almost everything - except zucchini - no matter how I prepare. But for the first time, she ate it. It is yummy: stewed in great tomato sauce; brand was DelMonte. (:
Look really delicious!!
Yeah, we're eating tons of soup at the moment, too. Chilly weather, comfort food -- you know the drill. This looks terrific! And fast and easy to make. Perfect for a quick meal. Thanks.
It's been warmer than 8F here, but not by much!! I could use a HUGE bowl of this. Love that it's made from all pantry staples!
Minestrone has always been one of my favourite soups. So veggie filled, which is what I love!
Delicious soup in ten minutes? Genius! I'm trying it!