Minestrone

Minestrone is a stew or soup recipe ready in 1 h. It makes 8 servings, each 530 kcal with 24 g protein. Intermediate level, 22 ingredients, and it keeps for work lunches.

Recipe by @sammymontgoms, adapted and measured by Cookpath.

  • 1 h25 min hands-on
  • Intermediatelevel
  • 530kcal a serving
  • 24 gprotein
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Minestrone

What is Minestrone

An Italian vegetable soup with sausage, carrot, celery, zucchini, cabbage and potato simmered in chicken stock, served over small pasta with grated cheese and basil.

More:Meal prep recipesChicken recipes

How to make Minestrone

Tips from the cook

  • Keep the pasta apart from the soup: stored or frozen together, it soaks up the broth and goes mushy.
  • Vegetarian: leave out the sausage and use vegetable stock.
  • Any beans work: cannellini, chickpeas, borlotti or even lentils. Spinach or kale can go in for the last 5 minutes.
  • A parmesan rind simmered with the stock adds depth, if you have one.
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Goes well with

Sides from Cookpath that balance this dish, the same picks the app suggests.

Chapli Kabob45 min · 170 kcalLemon Garlic Grilled Shrimp50 min · 380 kcalGreek Salad15 min · 500 kcalHot Honey Garlic Bread2 h · 330 kcal

Meal prep and storage

Good as a work lunch

Still good after 2 to 3 days in the fridge, cold or microwaved.

Keeps 4–5 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer, without the pasta. Reheat gently with a splash of stock.

Prep a few days

See this week’s meal prep plan on the blog, or plan your own week in the app.

Minestrone substitutions

Out of something, or cooking around an allergy. Each swap was checked against a source.

Small pasta1 option
  • Gluten-free pasta (corn/rice or corn-rice blend) 1:1 by weight; cook per packet, slightly al dente

    Soups (goes soft fast) and long simmers.

Italian sausages2 options
  • Chicken or turkey sausages 1:1 by weight

    Check for hidden gluten.

  • Vegetarian sausage 1:1

    Still contains gluten and soy.

Shallot2 options
  • White onion, finely diced 1:1 by volume (use slightly less)

    Stronger; still allium.

  • Leek or chives 1:1 by volume

    Still allium.

Celery stick2 options
  • Fennel bulb, sliced 1:1 by volume

    Slight aniseed taste.

  • Carrot or parsnip 1:1 by volume

    Sweeter.

White wine1 option
  • Stock + 1 tsp lemon juice or mild vinegar per 100 ml 1:1 by volume

    Less complexity.

    Still contains celery.

Chicken stock3 options
  • Vegetable stock (check the label for celery) 1:1 by volume

    Less poultry flavour; the page notes vegetable broth usually has celery, carrots, onions.

    Still contains celery.

  • Mushroom broth (dried or fresh shiitake simmered in plain water 20-30 min) 1:1 by volume

    Earthy taste.

  • Miso whisked into hot water (1-2 tsp per 1 cup) 1:1 by volume

    Add late; do not boil hard.

    Still contains soy.

From the cook: use vegetable stock.

Chilli flakes2 options
  • Leave out (optional heat, 1/4 tsp) leave out (optional heat only)
  • Sweet paprika for colour same amount

    No heat.

Pecorino2 options
  • Vegetarian hard Italian-style cheese (Parmesan-style) use 25% more; add pinch of salt

    Less salty/tangy.

    Still contains dairy.

  • Nutritional yeast 1:1 by volume plus salt

    Does not melt.

Serve it with

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