Kate's Minestrone Soup

This minestrone is loaded with vegetables and built to fill you up. Potatoes, carrots, green beans, cabbage, spinach, zucchini, and canned tomatoes all simmer together in a beefy broth with kidney beans stirred in near the end. It’s a full garden in a pot.

The vegetables go in two stages to prevent overcooking. Onion, carrots, potatoes, and green beans get browned first for about 20 minutes, building a caramelized base. Then the water, cabbage, tomatoes, spinach, zucchini, and bouillon join for a 40-minute simmer. That browning step is what gives the broth depth instead of tasting like boiled vegetables.

Orzo cooks separately and gets stirred into each individual bowl rather than simmered in the pot. This is smart. Pasta left sitting in hot soup absorbs all the broth and turns mushy. Adding it per bowl means leftovers stay soupy.

Pro Tips

• Don’t overcook the vegetables. They should be tender, not falling apart. Check at the 30-minute mark.
• Cook the orzo separately and keep it in its own container. Add it to each bowl as you serve.
• Break up the canned tomatoes as the soup comes to a boil. You want chunks, not whole tomatoes.
• A generous shower of finely grated Parmesan on top adds salty, umami richness to every spoonful.

Variations

• Use vegetable bouillon instead of beef for a vegetarian version.
• Add a Parmesan rind to the pot while simmering for extra savory depth. Remove before serving.
• Swap kidney beans for cannellini or chickpeas for a different texture.