Spring Minestrone Soup
This spring minestrone soup is a fresh and flavorful take on traditional tomato-based minestrone. Colorful, seasonal spring vegetables, creamy mini potatoes, savory pesto, and sharp parmesan cheese make this vibrant soup stand out. It's a versatile recipe for a satisfying one-pot meal that will be on the table in under 30 minutes.
If you love spring flavors, also try our spring veggie enchiladas, sweet sautéed radishes, or asparagus soup.
Even when the temperatures start to warm, there's nothing more comforting than a nourishing bowl of soup for dinner. This one-pot, springtime minestrone uses asparagus, carrots, mini potatoes, peas, and snap peas with a healthy dose of pesto and parmesan cheese. It's easy and affordable to make, loaded with nutrients, and leftovers store well in the fridge for a perfect packable light lunch.
What is minestrone soup
Minestrone soup is a hearty Italian vegetable soup that's traditionally made with vegetables, beans, tomato broth, and pasta or rice. It's a soup that's meant to use up abundant seasonal vegetables and greens, which makes it really versatile with the seasons. It can be made vegetarian or using animal bone-broth or meat.
How to make spring minestrone soup
This one-pot soup is really easy to make and comes together in just a few simple steps:
- Heat olive oil in a large pot and cook the vegetables for about 3 minutes, followed by the garlic.
- Add the potatoes, broth, and chili flakes and bring to a boil then lower to a simmer until the potatoes are almost tender.
- Add the asparagus, peas, and snap peas and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Stir in the parmesan cheese, pesto, and lemon juice then taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Top with fresh pesto and parmesan.
The full recipe instructions are in the recipe card below.
Variations to try
This spring minestrone soup is wonderful because it's really flexible. Use your favorite ingredients or mix it up with some of these variations:
- Beans: kidney beans, white kidney beans, cannellini beans, chickpeas, lima beans, fava beans, and borlotti beans
- Potatoes: this recipe uses mini potatoes (also called creamer) but any thin-skinned variety works well. If they are larger than a golfball size, slice them into quarters to make them bite-sized.
- Pasta: opt for small pasta like orzo, macaroni, shells, orecchiette, fusilli, farfalle – cook it in a separate pot and add in the cooked noodles at the end.
- Vegetables: most seasonal vegetables will work well. Just be mindful of different cooking times to avoid overcooking them. For example: chop dense vegetables into smaller pieces so they cook evenly or add quick cooking vegetables last.
- Leafy greens: If using leafy greens, chop them roughly into small pieces and stir them into the hot soup after it's finished cooking to wilt them. Some greens we love are kale, spinach, chard, collards, or mustard greens.
Spring Minestrone Soup: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Simply swap the chicken broth for a vegetarian one.
This soup contains potatoes, which turn grainy when frozen, so we don't recommend freezing it.
This soup will last up to 5 days stored in the fridge in an airtight container.
In a pinch! Frozen peas and corn are two ingredients that work well from frozen.
Serve this spring minestrone soup with a delicious slice of whole wheat Irish soda bread or no yeast bread with herbs and cheese with a smear of homemade butter.
Other popular spring soup recipes
- Best Kale Minestrone Soup
- Chicken Vegetable Soup
- Cozy Celery Soup
- Roasted Eggplant Soup
- Carrot Soup with Coconut and Ginger
Spring Minestrone Soup
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots, diced small
- 1 stalk celery, diced small
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 12 mini potatoes, sliced ⅛ inch thick
- 6 cups chicken bone broth
- ¼ teaspoon chili flakes
- 12 medium asparagus spears, chopped small
- 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
- 1 cup snap peas, halved
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons pesto
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh basil and grated parmesan, to serve
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute more.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 medium onion, 2 medium carrots, 1 stalk celery, 2 cloves garlic
- Add the potatoes, bone broth, and chili flakes, and bring the pot to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently with the lid partially on the pot for 10 minutes.12 mini potatoes, 6 cups chicken bone broth, ¼ teaspoon chili flakes
- Add the asparagus, peas, and snap peas and simmer for 5 minutes more.12 medium asparagus spears, 1 cup peas, 1 cup snap peas
- Stir the parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and pesto into the soup then season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with fresh pesto and extra parmesan on top.½ cup grated parmesan cheese, 3 tablespoons pesto, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
This hit the spot and really makes you feel like spring. Thank you for sharing this recipe!