The Best Italian Minestrone Soup Recipe | with Italian Sausage

canned tomatoes

🥗Healthier: fresh tomatoes

💰Cheaper: crushed tomatoes

Fresh tomatoes enhance flavor, while crushed tomatoes are budget-friendly.

parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grated cheese blend

Nutritional yeast offers a cheesy flavor without dairy, and blends are often less expensive.

Preheat a frying pan over medium-high heat.

Add a drizzle of avocado oil to the pan.

Add 1 pound of mild Italian sausage to the hot oil and break it apart into smaller pieces as it fries.

Once browned, transfer the sausage to a separate bowl and set aside.

In the same pan, add a couple tablespoons of salted butter and let it melt.

Add 1 large diced onion, 1 cup of diced carrots, and 2 diced celery sticks to the melted butter; cook for 6-9 minutes until tender.

Add 8 minced garlic cloves and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.

Pour in 1/2 cup of wine (or chicken/vegetable broth) and let it reduce for about a minute.

Transfer the mixture to a large pot and add the browned Italian sausage.

Add 28 ounces of petite diced tomatoes and 6 ounces of tomato paste to the pot.

Season with 2 teaspoons of sea salt, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, 1 teaspoon of dried basil, 1 teaspoon of paprika, 1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary, and 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme; mix well.

Pour in 8 cups of vegetable broth (or chicken broth) and stir to combine.

Increase the heat to bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to medium-low heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

After simmering, add 1 cup of small pasta shells and 2 cubed medium zucchinis to the pot.

Set the heat to medium and let the soup simmer for another 15-20 minutes until the pasta is cooked and zucchini is tender.

During the last 5 minutes, add a 15-ounce can of drained and rinsed cannellini beans to the pot.

Stir in freshly chopped parsley before serving.

Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and cracked black pepper before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens