It’s officially winter here in Georgia. The temperatures have dipped down and later this week we’re expected to have highs in the 40’s and 50’s. As a person who believes anything under 80 is considered chilly, this is not good news to me! My family, who actually enjoys cooler weather, is basking in the cooler temperatures.
I, on the other hand, have migrated to the kitchen to prepare soup to warm me up. I wanted a soup that could use leftover chicken or pork. During my search, I found a simple Minestrone Soup recipe. I proceeded to change every ingredient in the soup but two and created a new version of this Easy Minestrone Soup Recipe
Easy Minestrone Soup Recipe
With only six ingredients and in less than 30 minutes, you can have a hearty dinner on the table. Serve it with a salad and crusty bread for a delicious quick meal.
One of the things I love about mixing up my own recipes is I can add ingredients I know my family will like. Plus, it’s a great way to use up leftovers. Because I had leftover pork and leftover vegetables in the fridge, I tossed them into the pot. But, there are plenty of other options!
Substitution Ideas:
- If you are in a hurry or don’t have leftovers, substitute cubed chicken from a rotisserie chicken. You can also use the cubed, cooked frozen chicken from the freezer section.
- Canned or frozen vegetables can be substituted for the leftover vegetables.
- Any of the following meats can be substituted; pork, beef, or chicken.
This recipe is naturally dairy-free and can be easily adapted for other diets.
- For a Vegan Version, omit the meat or replace the meat with a meat substitute.
- For a Gluten-free version, switch out the regular pasta for a gluten-free variety.
Add More Juice!
I prefer a thick, hearty soup without a lot of juice. If you prefer a soup with more liquid, add an additional 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes.
When to add the noodles to the soup:
TIP: Always add the noodles to the soup last! After adding the noodles to the soup, allow them to cook until they are only about halfway done. Remove the pot from the heat. The noodles will continue to cook even after the soup is removed from the stove. They will also absorb some of the juice from the soup so add extra diced tomatoes with their juices during the cooking time if you prefer soup with more liquid.
Choose Your Veggies!
You can use your favorite canned, frozen, or leftover cooked vegetables in the soup. Good choices include:
- diced potatoes
- onions and bell peppers
- frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, and corn)
- a mixture of all of the above
Printable Recipe:
The Easiest Minestrone Soup Recipe
10
minutes20
minutesAn easy Minestrone Soup that can use leftover vegetables and leftover pork, chicken, or beef.
Ingredients
2 cups cooked chicken OR pork OR beef, cubed
1 (28-ounces) can diced tomatoes, undrained (use two cans if you prefer a soup with more juice)
1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
2 cups vegetables of your choice, cooked (Good ones to use- mixed vegetables, diced potatoes, or onions and bell peppers. Or use a mixture of these.)
1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans
1 cup pasta (Use shells, bowties, or any other small pasta) — For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free pasta
shredded cheddar cheese, optional
Directions
- In a large stockpot or saucepan, over high heat, place the meat of your choice, diced tomatoes, vegetables of choice, kidney beans, and Italian Seasoning. Stir until blended. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium and simmer for fifteen minutes.
- Add the pasta noodles and stir until noodles are blended into the mixture. Place a lid on the saucepan or stockpot and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes or until noodles are about halfway done.
- Remove soup from heat and allow to set five minutes before serving. Top with shredded cheese, if desired.
I hope you enjoy this easy Minestrone recipe. What is your favorite soup or dish to prepare when the weather turns nippy? Tell us about it in the comments. We’d love to know!
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That is an easy recipe! I love soup when it’s cool, damp, dreary and just yucky outside. Something about a warm bowl of soup cheers me up and makes the day better.
This looks delicious! We have a lot of leftover meat, either in the fridge or freezer, so this may be a good way to make use of it. 🙂
I love minestrone soup, and adding pasta to it brings a new twist to it.
Yum! It hasn’t gotten cool here yet but when it does I’ll be checking out this soup recipe. I love a good minestrone.
Yum! Love minestrone soup around this time of year. Especially love that this recipe is easy!
This looks delicious although I had no idea what minestrone was. I have some leftover country style ribs and I’m totally going to make a soup with it. Excellent idea.
That looks delicious and I love that it is easy to prepare. My kids would love this for sure.
One of my favorite sour recipes is Minestrone soup. I love that you added pasta to you Makes it more wholesome. Yum!
This looks great! I love finding creative solutions for leftovers.
oh yes please, this looks so good. i tend to look at food so late at night. saving this for later.
I love minestrone…it is possibly my favorite winter soup. This is easy and perfect for weeknights..love the variations too!
We love minestrone soup and make it quite often since we can’t eat it out at many restaurants. We are vegetarians and hence load up mine with beans. This looks so easy to make and can be a meal by itself.
This sounds delicious. I am not a huge fan of minestrone on its own and I think the pasta is a great addition. Perfect winter dish!
I love so much the Minestrone! It’s delicious and easy to make! This post made me want to eat some!
Every one has their own version of minestrone soup. I got mine from my mom, but I think I am going to like yours better. This is exactly the reason I love the fall. There are so many delicious soups to try!
This is an easy recipe. It sounds delicious. We love to make homemade soups in the fall and winter. I’ll have to give this one a try.
I love this recipe. Minestrone soup is one of my kids’ fave soups of all time. I have to try your version!
Ya know, I’ve never had minestrone soup! With all the ingredients it sounds like something the whole family would love to have.
Oh yum, that looks really tasty. I’ve never tried to make Minestrone soup before, but I think I’ll have to with this easy recipe-thanks for sharing!
I too decided to make my own version of potato, ham and leek soup and I ended up not following the usual recipes at all. Loving your very of minestrone soup
I eat soup almost everyday for lunch in the Fall and Winter. This recipe looks delicious and I love how easy it is!
At this time of year I am all for a good warming soup and minestrone is always on my list of ones to have, I definitely need to give your recipe a try and see what I think!
We love minestrone soup. It’s probably one of my favorite soups to eat. It has everything in it that I love. I am going to try yours and see how different it is to mine!
I have a similar minestrone recipe but we use cannelloni and about 3 other types of beans. I’ve never used bowtie pasta but this would be an addition I’m sure the kids would love.
Making minestrone soup makes me very happy. So good and now I need to make some minestrone soup after reading your post.
I’ve never added pasta to minestrone before. I do add it to my Pasta e Fagioli and I love it so I’ll definitely try it this way. Looks amazing!
I’m all for easy – we rely on that so much lately. I’ve never seen a minestrone with a large pasta.