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A bowl of spring minestrone with pasta shells, spinach, carrots, peas, and beans, topped with grated cheese.

Spring Minestrone

Chef Jenn
I love how light, fresh, and satisfying Spring Minestrone is! Packed with seasonal vegetables, tender pasta or beans, and bright herbs, this vibrant soup is perfect for welcoming warmer days. It’s a one-pot meal that feels comforting yet refreshing—ideal for lunch, dinner, or meal prep all season long.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean
Servings 6 servings
Calories 166 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 medium carrots diced
  • 2 stalks celery diced
  • 1 zucchini diced
  • 6 cups vegetable broth
  • 15 ounces cannellini beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup peas frozen
  • 1 cup baby spinach
  • ½ cup small pasta like ditalini or baby shells
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons fresh basil chiffonaded
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Parmesan grated, for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Cook the pasta 1 minute less than the package suggests, then drain and rinse it with cold water. Set aside.
  • Heat olive oil in a large Dutch-oven or heavy bottomed soup pot over medium heat.
  • Sauté the onion, carrots and celery and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the onion is softened but not brown.
  • Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute or until fragrant.
  • Pour in vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes.
  • Stir in cannellini beans, zucchini, and peas, and cook at a simmer for 2–3 minutes.
  • Add spinach and cook until just wilted, about 1 minute.
  • Stir in lemon juice and fresh basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Serve hot with grated Parmesan.

Notes

Chef Jenn's Tips

  • Store the pasta separately from the soup so that it doesn’t keep soaking up all the broth. If you’re freezing the soup, you can freeze it with the pasta in the broth.
  • Add the spinach at the very end to keep it bright green and tender. Overcooking it will make it lose that fresh flavor.
  • Use high-quality vegetable broth — it makes a big difference in flavor. Make your own if you can!

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cupsCalories: 166kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 7gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 1126mgPotassium: 309mgFiber: 6gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 4712IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 78mgIron: 2mg

A Note on Nutritional Information

Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.

Keyword healthy soup, Italian soup, seasonal recipe, Spring minestrone, vegetable soup
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