Okay, it’s official… I have a new favorite soup! This Minestrone Soup is d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s!
I’ll be honest, not every recipe I make knocks it out the park. Just ask my husband and kids. Some recipes just plain don’t turn out well, and they never make it on Meal Planning Mommies. It’s sort of like a science project every time I make a new recipe. You know… like I am making my “best educated guess.” Well, I am happy to tell you that this “science experiment” turned out even better than I thought it would, and I could not wait to share it with you!
I ♥ this Minestrone Soup!
There, I said it. Besides it tasting amazing, I love minestrone soup for all its heartiness and wonderful flavor. Because the bulk of the recipe is beans, vegetables, and broth, it is also a low calorie/low Smart Point/high fiber soup that your body will thank you for. Plus, by using Knorr Pesto Sauce Mix, you don’t have to use multiple seasonings, keeping this recipe really simple and very flavorful.
No joke. I could eat this stuff every day, which is fantastic because it makes a lot… which means two things…
- I will be eating the leftovers from this soup for lunch tomorrow, and probably the next day (it reheats well).
- This is a perfect soup for when you are feeding a large crowd.
I’ll tell you a fun little thing that happens with this soup that I think you will love: the pasta continues to grow even after it is cooked, so the Ditalini pasta (my all time favorite pasta) is actually bigger the next day when you eat it. How fun is that? One cup of Ditalini goes a LONG way!
One more thing… this soup can be made vegetarian by swapping the beef broth for vegetable broth.
Are you ready to give this yumminess a try?
Here is what you need:
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup carrots, sliced of chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups fat-free beef broth
1 (15.5 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15.5 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup Ditalini pasta
1 (.5 ounce) packet dry Knorr Pesto Sauce Mix
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, snipped
Here is what you do:
Heat oil in a large stockpot. Add carrots, onion, and zucchini to the stockpot and cook until softened, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
Add broth, kidney beans, chickpeas, tomatoes, pasta, and pesto mix. Bring soup to a boil. Bring down to a simmer and cook covered about 15-20 minutes, or until pasta and vegetables are tender.
Mix in parsley.
Makes 8 servings.
One serving is 1-1/3 cups.
One serving is 6 Green, 2 Blue, and 2 Purple points.
Delicious Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup carrots, sliced or chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 small zucchini, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 cups fat-free beef broth
- 1 (15.5 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15.5 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 cup Ditalini pasta
- 1 (.5 ounce) packet dry Knorr Pesto Sauce Mix
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, snipped
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large stockpot. Add carrots, onion, and zucchini to the stockpot and cook until softened about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- Add broth, kidney beans, chickpeas, tomatoes, pasta, and pesto mix. Bring soup to a boil. Bring down to a simmer and cooked covered about 15-20 minutes or until pasta and vegetables are tender.
- Mix in parsley.
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Julie says
What would this be like (and in points) if we added a bit of ground beef? I guess we can add shredded chicken at no additional points, that sounds good too.
Alisha Hughes says
If you add 1 pound 95% lean ground beef it would be 4 WW FreeStyle SP per serving… and yes, chicken would be not add additional points.
Jan says
This soup is sooo good I’m on my second batch!! And it is so easy ! Thanks for sharing it!!
Alisha Hughes says
Glad you like it! ?
Lori White says
Alisha thanks for this recipe. It is delicious! My family loves it! I made a double batch this morning and gave some to my neighbors and the even the furnace man that was here today doing some repairs. It’s a big hit! Already added to my favorites!
Alisha Hughes says
Oh my gosh! I love everything about this!! 🙂
Tracy says
Hi Alisha, love your recipes. Have you tried this in the crockpot?
Alisha Hughes says
No, I haven’t. I’m sorry.
Jan says
I love this soup !! I can’t get enough of it! I’ve made it 3 times and I live alone , but it’s a great lunch or dinner for me ! Thanks for all your down to earth recipes that are really tasty !
Alisha Hughes says
Awesome, Jan! I love this one too. 🙂
Elizabeth says
Delicious! Have made it twice and will go into my fall /winter rotation! Love using the pesto packet! Lots of flavor!
Sharing your site with my WW members.
Alisha Hughes says
Awesome! Thanks, Elizabeth! 🙂
Joan Fisher says
This is OUR new favorite soup. I make it once a week. As most soups are, it is better the next day.
Alisha Hughes says
So happy to hear that, Joan! I will be making this soup for some of my friends this week, actually. 🙂 And yes, I totally agree with you that this soup is better the next day!