Make ‘hearty’ minestrone soup in minutes with simple recipe - it's even low in salt

A hot bowl of soup complete with vegetables and pasta is easy to make from scratch using this speedy recipe.

By Phoebe Cornish, Senior Lifestyle Reporter

Minestrone Soup with Pasta, Beans and Vegetables

Using frozen vegetables is a quick way to make soup from scratch (Image: Getty)

Minestrone is an Italian classic, loved for its simple flavour which blends pasta, beans, tomatoes, and vegetables with Italian herbs.

However, like most soups, making it at home is a labour of love that requires a long list of ingredients and a fair amount of time.

This simplified recipe makes it possible to whip up in a mere 10 minutes with preparation and cooking time included.

Sharing a recipe for “minestrone in minutes”, the BBC Good Food Team revealed the speedy shortcuts anyone can try at home.

They said: “Whip up a hearty bowl of soup in next to no time, perfect for a quick lunch or warming supper.”

Lentil and Vegetable Minestrone Style Soup

Make ‘hearty’ minestrone soup in minutes with simple recipe - it's even low in salt (Image: Getty)

The dish is healthy, vegetarian, and low in calories, at 162kcal per portion. It’s also surprisingly low in salt, at 0.54g per serving, unlike most minestrone dishes.

Moreover, the recipe calls for just seven ingredients including pesto and frozen vegetables to minimise the cooking time and need for a cocktail of herbs and spices.

BBC Good Food fans who have tried the recipe praised the "surprisingly tasty" results, noting that there is "no chopping involved". One person suggested adding a tin of black beans or chickpeas for extra protein and swapping pesto for a teaspoon of Italian herbs if they don't have it on hand.

Bowl of minestrone soup with a slice of bread on the side

Serve the soup with crusty bread for a delicious lunch or dinner (Image: Getty)

Ingredients

1l hot vegetable stock

400g tin chopped tomato

100g thin spaghetti, broken into short lengths

350g frozen mixed vegetable

Four tbsp pesto

Drizzle of olive oil

Coarsely grated vegetarian parmesan-style cheese, to serve

Method

Take a medium-sized saucepan and fill it with the chopped tomatoes and the stock.

Bring the ingredients to a boil before adding the broken-up spaghetti pieces and leaving them to cook for six minutes, or until done.

A few minutes before the pasta is ready, add the frozen vegetables and bring the liquid to a boil.

Simmer for two more minutes until everything is cooked, then serve piping hot in bowls drizzled with pesto and oil finished with a sprinkling of parmesan.

Would you like to receive news notifications from Daily Express?