Name: Vegetable & white bean minestrone
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 medium yellow onion, diced; 2 medium carrots, scrubbed and diced; 2 stalks celery, washed and diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 (28-oz) can canned diced tomatoes with their juices; 5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth; 1 (15-oz) can canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed; 1 medium zucchini, washed and cut into small quarter-rounds; ¾ cup dry small pasta shells; 2 oz baby spinach, washed and roughly chopped; ½ tsp fine salt; ¼ tsp ground black pepper; 2 tsp lemon juice

Let’s get cooking

One step at a time.

0 of 4 steps complete

01Build the vegetable baseHeat oil over medium heat. Cook onion, carrots and celery for about 8 minutes, stirring. Add garlic and oregano for 30 seconds.
02Simmer the brothAdd tomatoes with their juices, broth, beans, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then partially cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
03Add zucchini and pastaStir in zucchini and pasta shells. Simmer uncovered for the pasta package time, usually 8–12 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Stir regularly and add a little water if the soup becomes too thick.
04Finish with greens and lemonAdd spinach for the last 2 minutes of cooking. Remove from the heat, stir in lemon juice and taste. Divide into six bowls.

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A few useful notes

Small pasta shapes cook at different speeds; use the package as the starting guide and taste a piece.

Pasta continues absorbing broth after cooking, so leftovers may need a splash of water when reheated.

Metric cup and spoon amounts are rounded volumes, not gram weights. Can sizes refer to unopened contents; drain and rinse where directed.

Researched, with credit.

This recipe draws on the published methods below, with instructions written for The Cook’s Brief. We have not cooked or kitchen-tested this version. Our image is an AI-generated illustration of the dish.

Sources checked 2026-10-06. How we work.

A little prep first.

One step at a time.

A few useful notes

Researched, with credit.