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This vibrant and hearty minestrone verde soup is a green twist on the traditional Italian soup, packed with fresh vegetables, herbs and tender pasta. It’s a comforting yet energizing meal that highlights the flavors of spring and summer produce. With plenty of leafy greens, peas, beans, and pesto stirred in for extra depth, this soup is as nourishing as it is satisfying. Green soups make a great dinner on a cool early spring night and they’re also tasty for lunch.
Minestrone verde is a vibrant, veggie-packed soup featuring greens, beans, pasta, and pesto. It’s fresh, hearty and full of fresh springtime flavors but ideal for any season.
Hamburger soup, cowboy soup, Italian lentil soup, and pasta e fagioli soup would also be delicious on a cool night.
Why You’ll Love It
Easy to make: Comes together with pantry staples and seasonal vegetables.
Tastes amazing: This green version of minestrone includes herbs, pesto and lemon to give it a bright, layered flavor.
Versatile: Easily adaptable with your favorite greens, grains and/or beans.
Nutritious and filling: Packed with vegetables and protein-rich beans, this is like a soupy stew.
Great for leftovers: Holds up well and tastes even better the next day.
Minestrone Verde Soup Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Ditalini pasta: Small tubular pasta that adds texture and heartiness.
Olive oil: Used to sauté the vegetables and create a rich base.
Onion, leeks and celery: Aromatic vegetables that build flavor and depth.
Garlic: Adds warmth and enhances the savory base.
Fresh thyme and dried oregano: Brings earthy, herby flavor to the broth.
Cannellini beans: A creamy, buttery bean that adds protein and texture.
Vegetable broth: Forms the base of the soup and carries all the flavors.
Basil pesto: Adds richness and a fresh, herbaceous layer. (Try my homemade green pesto!)
Kale: A leafy green that’s hearty and nutritious.
Snap peas and green peas: To add color, sweetness and crunch.
Lemon juice: Finishes the soup with bright flavors and the right amount of acidity.
Optional garnishes: Parmesan, lemon slices, red pepper flakes, and crusty bread are all good.
How to Make Green Minestrone Soup
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Cook the pasta: Fill a soup pot with water, bring to a boil and add the ditalini. Cook the pasta, then drain and set aside.
Sauté the aromatics: Cook onion in olive oil, then add the white and light green parts of your leeks and finely chopped celery, and sauté stirring frequently until soft.
Add garlic and herbs: Stir in garlic, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper until fragrant.
Simmer the base: Add broth and beans, then simmer to build flavor.
Stir in the pesto: Mix in basil pesto and continue simmering.
Add vegetables and pasta: Stir in kale, peas, pasta and snap peas, cooking briefly until tender.
Finish with lemon: Add lemon juice, remove thyme sprigs, adjust seasonings adding more salt and/or black pepper if needed, and garnish as preferred.
Substitutions and Variations
Gluten-free option: If you want a gluten-free version, use gluten-free pasta and double-check the ingredients in your vegetable broth.
Another broth: Use chicken broth or part vegetable broth or vegetable stock and part chicken broth. Using at least some vegetable broth will keep the broth green.
Use baby spinach leaves or Swiss chard: Swap out kale based on what’s in season.
Change up the pasta: Use orzo, elbow macaroni or even farro.
Use red pesto: Red pesto, or pesto rosso, is an alternative to green pesto (try my pesto rosso recipe!) Or you could try a mixed herb pesto or any store-bought decent basil pesto.
Add parmesan: If you have a parmesan rind, throw it into the soup and remove before serving (this gives it so much flavor!)
Add extra greens: Throw in your favorite fresh green veggies for more of a spring green spin like green onions, green garlic or extra spring peas. Fresh Italian parsley are another of spring’s green things. You could even use green pasta (which is typically made with wheat and spinach) to make it worthy not just of your springtime table but also as a St Patrick’s Day lunch idea! Use frozen peas in place of fresh peas if they’re not in season.
Try different beans: Great Northern beans, navy beans or chickpeas work well, or you could try canned or frozen lima beans.
Make it dairy-free (and vegan-friendly): Omit grated cheese and use vegan pesto.
Serving Suggestions
With bread: Pair your soup with classic focaccia, mushroom focaccia or soda bread.
With a salad: Enjoy a lemon parmesan salad on the side, or perhaps this white bean tuna salad.
How to Store Spring Minestrone Verde
Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 3 days.
Freeze: The soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. Leave out the pasta before freezing and add freshly cooked pasta when reheating for the best texture.
Thaw: Defrost it in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheat: You can warm it back up in a pan on the stove or in the microwave.
Top Tips
Use fresh, seasonal greens: Opt for fresh kale, snap peas and peas when in season.
Sauté for maximum flavor: Don’t skip the step of sautéing aromatics before adding broth.
Cook pasta separately: This prevents mushiness in leftovers.
Fresh pesto: Homemade pesto added at the end enhances the soup’s flavor.
Don’t overcook the greens: Add them at the end for texture and color.
Balance with lemon: A splash of lemon brightens the finished dish.
Customize your add-ins: Try different vegetables, grains or legumes.
Garnish for extra flavor: Add Parmesan, red pepper flakes, a sprig of tender basil or parsley, or olive oil to the finished minestrone just before serving.
Minestrone Verde FAQs
Yes, you can skip the pesto, but consider adding extra herbs or drizzling over some extra virgin olive oil before serving, for richness.
The word “minestrone” comes from the word “minestra” which simply means soup. The “-one” at the end of the word gives it emphasis, meaning a hearty, rather than a light, soup. As for “verde” that means green and refers to the green vegetables in the recipe.
Italian Green Minestrone di Verdure Recipe
Minestrone Verde
Ingredients
- 1 Cup ditalini pasta
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Cup onion, diced
- 2 leeks, white and pale green parts only, chopped
- 2 Stalks celery, diced
- 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
- 4 Sprigs thyme, fresh
- 1 Teaspoon oregano, dried
- 1 Teaspoon salt
- 1 Teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Can cannellini beans, 15-Ounce
- 6 Cups vegetable broth
- ½ Cup basil pesto
- 2 Cups kale, cut into ribbons
- 8 Ounces snap peas, halved
- 1 Cup peas
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, fresh
Optional Garnishes
- parmesan cheese, freshly shaved or grated
- lemon slices
- red pepper flakes
- crusty bread, to serve
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to directions on the package but cook for 1 to 2 minutes less than recommended, as the pasta will continue to cook when added to the hot soup.
- Drain and set aside until ready to add to the soup.
- In the same pot, heat 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the leeks and celery and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until softened.
- Stir in the minced garlic, thyme sprigs, oregano, salt, and black pepper, and cook for a minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the vegetable broth and add the drained cannellini beans.
- Bring to a simmer and let it cook for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- Stir in the pesto and continue to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the kale, peas, pasta, and snap peas, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until just tender but still vibrant.
- Stir in the fresh lemon juice for brightness.
- Discard the thyme sprigs and ladle the soup into bowls.
- Garnish with Parmesan cheese, a squeeze of lemon and/or a pinch of red pepper flakes if liked. Serve with crusty bread on the side.
Notes
Sauté for maximum flavor: Don’t skip the step of sautéing aromatics before adding broth.
Cook pasta separately: This prevents mushiness in leftovers.
Fresh pesto: Homemade pesto added at the end enhances the soup’s flavor.
Don’t overcook the greens: Add them at the end for texture and color.
Balance with lemon: A splash of lemon brightens the finished dish.
Customize your add-ins: Try different vegetables, grains or legumes.
Garnish for extra flavor: Add parmesan, red pepper flakes, a sprig of tender basil or parsley, or olive oil to the finished minestrone just before serving.
Nutrition
Minestrone verde is the kind of soup that tastes both comforting and fresh, thanks to its mix of seasonal greens, beans and pasta. With a base of sautéed aromatics and a swirl of pesto, every spoonful is full of flavor and texture. This minestrone verde recipe is a great fit when you want something nourishing, colorful and satisfying. All the green things in this vegetable soup make it healthy as well as delicious.
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
