Brighten up dinner with this easy spring minestrone soup—loaded with fresh veggies, herbs, and pasta, it’s the best soup for a light, healthy meal.
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Pin ItHow to Make Spring Minestrone Soup
- Sauté the Vegetables. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Cook the leek for 2–3 minutes, then add garlic, carrot, and celery.
- Simmer the Soup. Pour in vegetable stock, bring to a gentle boil, then add chickpeas and pasta. Stir in zucchini. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the pasta is tender.
- Finish and Serve. Stir in lemon juice, oregano, basil, and spinach. Cook just until the spinach wilts, season with salt and pepper, and serve warm with crusty bread if desired.
Make-Ahead, Storage and Freezing Instructions
To Make-Ahead: You can chop all vegetables and store them in the fridge up to 2 days in advance. The soup can also be fully cooked ahead and stored without the pasta, then reheated and finished with fresh pasta before serving to avoid sogginess.
To Store: Store leftover spring minestrone soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. If already mixed with pasta, the noodles may absorb some broth—add a splash of water or stock when reheating.
To Freeze: Freeze the soup without the pasta for best texture. Store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stovetop. Cook pasta separately and add before serving.
Spring Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 leek, chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 10-12 asparagus spears, chopped
- 1 medium zucchini, diced
- 1 14 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 2 oz small pasta
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
- 3 oz baby spinach
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped leek and cook for 2–3 minutes until softened.
- Stir in garlic, carrot, and celery, and cook for another 5 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the zucchini and asparagus, and cook for 2–3 minutes more.
- Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a gentle boil.
- Add the chickpeas and pasta, reduce the heat, and let simmer until the pasta is tender—about 10 minutes.
- Stir in lemon juice, fresh oregano, basil, and baby spinach.
- Cook for 1–2 minutes, just until the spinach wilts.
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Serve warm with crusty bread if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
