Time for a big statement: Simple minestrone soup is one of the healthiest dishes on the planet, if not *the* healthiest.

There, I said it.

Yes it’s a bold claim, but I believe that with a few additions to the traditional Italian minestrone recipe, it’s an accurate statement.

In this article, I am going to explore this famous dish, tell you why it’s so healthy, and give you my own recipe for ‘ultra minestrone’! ✊ Andiamo…

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Here’s a quick glance at the article:

1. What is a simple minestrone soup?
2. Why is simple minestrone soup the healthiest dish in the world?
3. What are the minestrone main ingredients?
4. How do you make your ‘ultra minestrone’?
   1. Ingredients:
   2. Method:
5. Is your simple minestrone soup vegan?
6. The final word on making a simple minestrone soup

What is a simple minestrone soup?

Authentic minestrone soup is a simple, hearty vegetable dish that comes from Italy – one of the healthiest countries in the world.

It tends to be eaten in the colder autumn and winter months, although I know people who eat it during the summer too (i.e., me).

As it’s such a historic dish, its exact origins are unknown. However, I like to imagine it was invented by a guy called Giuseppe Minestrone. (Probably not, but who knows…).

On that note, the name minestrone is derived from the Italian word ‘minestra’, which – as you may have guessed – means ‘soup’.

In Italy, it tends to be served as a starter. It can also be a substantial and filling main course, especially when it’s prepared with a generous amount of vegetables, beans, and pasta.

Unless you are eating the minestrone from a tin can (which kind of resembles vomit*), it’s delicious and very satisfying. Savoury, earthy, tangy and rich… 👌

*(Interestingly, tinned minestrone soup was used as vomit in the famous Monthy Python sketch, Mr Creosote, in the iconic comedy film The Meaning of Life.)

Why is simple minestrone soup the healthiest dish in the world?

In short, minestrone is so healthy because it’s packed with nutrient-dense and fibre-rich vegetables of different colours (remember: eat the rainbow), while being both satisfying and pretty low in calories.

However, I class my recipe as an ‘ultra minestrone’, because I boost the protein content.

Don’t get me wrong the traditional Italian minestrone recipe contains protein thanks to the beans and pasta.

But I like my dishes to be higher in protein to support my strength training goals, while offering more satisfaction (because protein is the most satiating of the macronutrients).

So I will add beans and pasta as usual, then will either add lentils, TVP (textured vegetable protein) or vegan bacon lardons, which all boost the protein content.

While the vegan bacon is the most expensive option and not a wholefood, it does add an amazing smokey, salty, chewy contrast to the softer-flavoured veggies. 🤤

What are the minestrone main ingredients?

There is no exclusive minestrone recipe, yet the minestrone main ingredients always include the following elements:

Root vegetables: Authentic minestrone soup is packed with root vegetables, such as carrots, swede, parsnip and potatoes. These add a lot of bulk and contribute to its earthy flavour.

Other vegetables: Additionally, Italian minestrone will feature other veggies such as courgette, celery, cabbage, sprouts, cavolo nero, and/or spinach. Oh, and tomato passata for the tang.

Seasonings/Stock: Minestrone should have a robust umami flavour, which comes from a stock cube, onion, garlic, salt and pepper, as well as extra-virgin olive oil.

Pasta or Rice: Many minestrone recipes include pasta or rice, which makes it feel more satisfying to eat. Usually small pasta such as elbow macaroni, ditalini, shells, or orzo are used.

Parmesan Cheese: Grated Parmesan cheese is often sprinkled on top of minestrone before serving to add a nutty dimension. However, for vegetarians and vegans such as myself, you can either use a nutritional yeast or a vegan parmesan for the same effect.

How do you make your ‘ultra minestrone’?

As you now know, my ultra minestrone recipe is pretty much just simple minestrone soup, but with vegan bacon lardons.

Now, I am not a great recipe writer, but I will attempt to give you what I do to make my minestrone.

I learned this recipe from my dad (an Italian chef). He never measures anything, so neither do I – and neither should you!

Ingredients:

I usually use onion, celery, carrots, swede, leek, courgette, and brussels sprouts, along with chickpeas and orzo pasta. Again, you can use whatever you prefer, but any combination of those works well. Sometimes I will substitute cavolo nero or white cabbage in for sprouts.

As mentioned above, I will also add some TVP or chopped vegan bacon for that protein kick. For those in the UK, I use bacon from the brand This Isn’t (low in saturated fat and 24g protein per 100g), but choose the high-protein facon that you prefer.

I also use extra-virgin olive oil, a vegan stock cube, passata, salt and pepper for flavour. I don’t bother with garlic, but it can provide extra flavour and it’s great for your heart!

Method:

1. Start by chopping all your vegetables.
2. Add a tablespoon (or so) of olive oil to a large pan, then fry the onion, then the carrots, then the celery.
3. When those are all slightly soft, add in the rest of the veggies. Keep stirring.
4. After a few minutes, add in around half a carton of passata, a stock cube, salt, pepper and other seasonings.
5. Top the pan up with hot water, so that the water just covers the vegetables.
6. Simmer for around 5-10 minutes.
7. When the vegetables are soft, throw in the TVP and beans/chickpeas for a few minutes then turn off the heat.
8. I tend to cook the pasta and vegan bacon separately, then mix them into my minestrone depending on how hungry I am. (I may not always want the carbs from the pasta.)

This recipe should give you enough for a good few meals – it usually makes around 4/5 dinners for me.

Note: I like the soup to be quite dry – almost like a stew. If you prefer more liquid, just add more hot water and passata.

Is your simple minestrone soup vegan?

Yes! As I mentioned above, just be sure to swap dairy parmesan cheese for vegan, or use nutritional yeast instead. And, of course, use vegan bacon lardons!

The final word on making a simple minestrone soup

Minestrone soup is super simple and delicious, and takes very little time to make. It’s also perfect to batch cook, so you have multiple meals for the week.

There are no drawbacks to minestrone in my eyes, which is why I feel it is one of the healthiest dishes on earth.

But what do you think? Let me know if you make it – get in touch!