Elbow macaroni, Penne, Soups & stews

Uncle Bill’s Vegetarian Minestrone Soup

AI illustration of tomato-based soup with white beans, short tube pasta, zucchini, carrots, and celery in a speckled ceramic bowl.
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Uncle Bill's minestrone combines zucchini, carrots, celery, white beans, and tomatoes with basil, oregano, garlic, and pasta.

The onion is sautéed first, then the vegetables and beans simmer together. Ditalini or elbow macaroni goes in for the final cooking stage.

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Before you start

Use a large saucepan. Chop the onion, dice the zucchini and celery, peel and dice the carrots, and mince the garlic.

Dice the canned plum tomatoes and keep their liquid for the soup.

Ingredient notes

  • canned plum tomatoes: Dice the tomatoes and include their liquid.
  • carrots: Peel and dice the carrots.
  • dried basil: Use 1 teaspoon dried basil or 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil.

Uncle Bill's Vegetarian Minestrone Soup recipe

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AI illustration of tomato-based soup with white beans, short tube pasta, zucchini, carrots, and celery in a speckled ceramic bowl.

Uncle Bill's Vegetarian Minestrone Soup

Zucchini, carrots, celery, white beans, and tomatoes simmer with basil, oregano, and garlic, with pasta added for the final cooking stage.
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Total Time 55 minutes
Course: Soup
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 3/4 cup onions chopped
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 cups zucchini diced
  • 1 cup carrots peeled and diced
  • 1 cup canned cannellini beans or other white beans
  • 3/4 cup celery diced
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil or 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon fresh coarsely ground black pepper
  • 28 fluid ounces canned plum tomatoes dice and include the liquid
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup uncooked ditalini or elbow macaroni

Method
 

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 4 minutes, or until just lightly browned.
  2. Add the water, zucchini, carrots, white beans, celery, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, tomatoes with their liquid, and garlic.
  3. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer over medium-low heat for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Add the ditalini or elbow macaroni. Cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
  5. Serve hot.

Notes

Preparation time: 15 minutes.
Servings: 4–6.

AI-generated illustration of Uncle Bill's Vegetarian Minestrone Soup.

Tips for success

Sauté the onion until just lightly browned.

Stir occasionally during the covered vegetable simmer.

Add the pasta after the 25-minute simmer, not with the vegetables.

Related recipes

Vegetarian Minestrone Both recipes simmer zucchini, carrots, celery, and tomatoes before adding pasta. Vegetarian Minestrone uses kidney beans and finishes with grated Parmesan. Meatless Italian Minestrone Meatless Italian Minestrone also combines tomatoes, beans, carrots, celery, and pasta. It includes cabbage and several kinds of beans, and its macaroni is cooked separately before being stirred in just before serving.