This hearty minestrone is a champion 🏆 in bowl form, combining simple and surprising flavors with humble vegetables, beans and dainty pasta into a winning medley of a soup. It’s not just good for soup, it’s a great meal by any standard. It’ll definitely be a repeat make anytime you’re looking for something easy, comforting and filling.
It begins as most soups do—with the standard base of onions, garlic, carrots and celery. Some tomatoes, tomato paste, then herbs, spices and broth round out the usual soupy ingredients. Use any beans you like/have on hand and feel free to mix and match. I don’t know if there’s technically a correct type to use, but a combo of kidney beans and white cannellini beans are most common. I opted for tender little chickpeas, and they worked marvelously. The same goes for the pasta. Pretty much any small size pasta suitable for soup will be ideal. The beans and pasta together make this a heartier soup than just a veggie soup.
And finally for the pièce de résistance 🧐: the Parmesan rind. If you have it, it’s an absolute must. I used some rinds I saved from a beautiful hunk of parmigiano reggiano I scored at Costco. The flavor is irreplaceable and truly mind-blowingly good. It’s the briny, nutty, earthy saltiness you know and love about Parmesan cheese that you didn’t know soup needed. I’ve never cooked with parm rind before, but this won’t be the last time. It truly elevates the flavor profile over the edge from a boring vegetable soup to an extremely craveable meal.
Just make this and you’ll understand. It’s hearty 🫀, delicious, healthy and easy to make. Plus there’s practically a hunk of cheese in there. Sold.
