This 5-Star Minestrone Soup Is Perfect for Weeknight Cravings

The one word that comes to mind when I think of minestrone soup is “wholesome.” And as a registered dietician, when I’m looking for wholesome, I turn to Ellie Krieger, who is also a registered dietician and cookbook author. She’s great at coming up with inspired recipes that also happen to be feel-good and pretty easy to throw together. So when I saw her recipe for minestrone soup, I knew I had to try it.

What intrigued me about this recipe was how simple it seemed. It requires just about 45 minutes from start to finish to assemble. Plus, it features a classic list of ingredients like kidney beans, carrots, celery, green beans, and pasta. Here’s what happened when I gave it a try.

Get the recipe: Ellie Krieger’s Minestrone Soup

You’ll start by sautéing diced onion in olive oil. Add minced garlic, followed by diced celery and carrots, and continue to sauté until the vegetables are softened. Stir in cut green beans, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, and pepper, and cook for a few minutes more.

Pour in a can of diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and 6 cups of chicken broth, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in a can of drained and rinsed kidney beans and 1 cup of elbow pasta. Simmer until the pasta and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes, then serve garnished with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh basil.

As promised, this soup was simple to make and felt extra wholesome — perfect for weeknights. But compared to some of the other minestrone soup recipes I tested for this showdown, it fell short. Since it simmered so quickly, the flavors didn’t have time to develop, so the soup lacked complexity. It also was the most tomato-rich of the bunch, which my husband and fellow taste tester loved, but I thought actually overpowered the vegetables and beans.

Regardless, if I was craving last-minute minestrone, I’d still consider this recipe because of its fast delivery. It’s a no-fuss recipe that hits the cozy, wholesome notes you’d expect.

1. Swap out the can of crushed tomatoes if you can’t find it. I’ve never succeeded in finding a 14-ounce can of crushed tomatoes, which is what this recipe calls for. If you, too, don’t see it the grocery store, use a 14-ounce can of tomato sauce or use half of a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes.
2. Feel free to use frozen green beans. If you happen to have frozen cut green beans in the freezer, you can use them in place of the fresh green beans in the recipe. You’ll have one fewer thing to chop!
3. Try Italian seasoning if you don’t have dried oregano and dried basil. If you don’t keep lots of dried spices on hand, you can use 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning in place of the 1 teaspoon dried oregano and 1 teaspoon of dried basil.

Overall rating: 8.5/10

Have you tried Ellie Krieger’s Minestrone Soup? Let us know in the comments.