This Hearty Minestrone Soup Recipe is a delicious and flavourful soup that can use up any number of vegetables that you have on hand. It works with or without beans (my husband can’t have legumes). I use gluten-free pasta (but it would work fine with normal pasta).
If you have fresh tomatoes, use approximately 2 pounds (peel beforehand if you don’t like the peels). Use half scallions or half onions if that is what you have. Use garlic scapes instead of garlic cloves. This is a great summer recipe when all these vegetables are readily available!
Check out the very easy recipe you will love. This Hearty Minestrone Soup Recipe is a must for my family and I hope it willl be for your as well!

Hearty Minestrone Soup Recipe
Ingredients
2 ounces ground chicken (minced chicken)
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1 large white onion - diced
3 cloves garlic - minced
2 small bay leaf (bay leaves) - dried
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 stalks celery - sliced thinly (optional)
¾ medium zucchini - diced
½ medium eggplant (brinjal, aubergine, or guinea squash) - diced (optional)
2 medium carrots - sliced thinly
1 handful green beans - trimmed to 1 to 2 inches
3 medium potatoes - diced with skins on
28 ounces tomato - diced with juice
6 cups water
1 ½ tablespoons beef stock (beef broth or beef bouillon)
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chili flakes (chilli flakes in British English) - sprinkle it
1 can red kidney beans - drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon dried basil - crushed
1 teaspoon basil - fresh, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large saucepan to medium-high. Saute onion, garlic, bay leaves, and oregano until onions are tender. Add all the other vegetables (except tomatoes).
- Cook for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, water, bouillon, honey, vinegar, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add beans, pasta, and dried basil. Simmer another 30 minutes or until vegetables are all tender. Top with fresh basil.
- Note that rice pasta cooks very quickly, so you might want to add it with only 15 minutes left of cooking.