It’s hard to beat a hot bowl of Classic Minestrone Soup! From the colorful herbs and veggies to the creamy beans and tender pasta, each bite is full of robust Italian flavors. It’s hearty, satisfying, and the perfect addition to any menu! Loved by grown-ups and kiddos alike, it’s no wonder minestrone has long been a family favorite.

In my recipe for Classic Minestrone Soup, I’ve put together a delicious line-up of nature’s best and brightest flavors to bring you a soup worth remembering. Both satisfying and waistline friendly, this soup is the perfect addition to your menu!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you when you shop using these links, which helps to make this blog possible. Thank you for your support!

Nutrition in Every Bite

Minestrone is just chock-full of the good stuff. The colorful vegetables and herbs provide an array of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants for health and wellness. Though I’m featuring leeks, garlic, carrots, celery, sweet bell peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, kale, and zucchini, this soup is a wonderful way to show off whatever’s in season or on hand.

Next up on our ingredient list we’ve got a couple varieties of beans–kidney beans and Great Northerns. Inexpensive and oh so good for you, beans are a pantry staple for good reason. These humble legumes boast some serious nutrition value! They’re a great source of complex carbohydrate, fiber, and protein as well as an assortment of vitamins and minerals, such as folate, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium.

And finally, we’re keeping this minestrone classic with just the right of amount of pasta. I went with ditalini, but go with whatever little pasta shape you’ve got on hand!

Whole grain or otherwise, pasta adds complex carbohydrate and B vitamins for lasting energy. Though you can certainly skip the pasta if you’re looking to cut back on carbs, the small amount used here won’t be a problem for most diets. With only 14 grams of total carbohydrate (of which 3 grams are fiber!), this Classic Minestrone Soup is a great option for both health and weight loss!

Perfect for Weight Loss

Speaking of weight loss, did you know that adding soup to your eating plan is a great way to lose extra pounds? Studies have shown that enjoying a bowl of lower-calorie soup prior to your meal is an easy way to decrease your total caloric intake all while keeping hunger at bay. More specifically, that bowl of soup can help you eat 20% fewer calories at your next meal without ever feeling like you’re eating less.

But that’s not all! Aside from having a lower body weight and waist circumference, regular soup eaters also have an overall more nutritious diet. They typically consume less total fat and increased amounts of protein, carbohydrate, fiber, and several vitamins and minerals.

So if you’re looking to lose a little weight and do something for your health, you just can’t go wrong with the soup du jour! Whether you like it chunky or pureed to a smooth bisque, consider adding a broth-based vegetable soup like my Classic Minestrone Soup to your menu!

My Recipe

Full of Flavor

I really do love this soup–and I love making it! There’s something therapeutic about whipping up a big pot of soup. Maybe it’s all the chopping or how the aromatic herbs and veggies make the kitchen smell so amazing. It’s unfussy and uncomplicated, and yet takes just enough effort to feel like an accomplishment. Bonus points if you make fresh bread to go with!

As far as soups go, this Classic Minestrone is straightforward and hassle-free. Simply dice up your veggies, give them a quick saute to bring out their flavors, deglaze with a bit of wine, and gradually add the remaining ingredients to the pot. Finish things off with a fresh grating of Romano and dig in! One bite and I think you’ll agree that this soup is molta deliziosa!

Serves a Crowd

So let me point out that this recipe makes a big ole’ pot of soup. We love having soup with dinner (it’s a great way to get in more veggies!) and I like to make enough that I can stash some away in the freezer for later. Though minestrone is best eaten when freshly made, it’s still quite tasty after being frozen. To brighten up the soup’s flavor and appearance, just toss in a handful of fresh herbs and call it good.

If, however, 6½ quarts of Classic Minestrone Soup is more than you care to make, you can absolutely cut this recipe in half! Most of these ingredients are easily scaled back and if you don’t want to use just half a can each of the kidney and Great Northern beans, feel free to pick only one variety to crack open.

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Classic Minestrone Soup

With its colorful veggies and fresh herbs, creamy beans, and tender pasta, you're going to love this Classic Minestrone Soup. It's an Italian classic!

Course Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Beans, Healthy, Kale, Minestrone, Pasta, Soup, Vegetables

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 6 quarts

Ingredients

• 3 leeks (white and pale green parts), quartered and sliced
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups sliced carrots
• 3 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 cup diced sweet bell peppers
• ½ cup white wine
• 12 cups reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• ¾ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (drained, if in oil)
• ½ cup fresh basil, sliced (divided)
• ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped (divided)
• 2 – 3 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp dried marjoram
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• ⅛ – ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 cup uncooked ditalini pasta, about 4½ oz (or other small pasta shape)
• 1 14 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 14 oz can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed (or other white beans)
• 1 cup diced zucchini
• 2 cups deveined and chopped kale
• 3 oz finely grated Romano cheese, divided
• juice of ½ lemon

Instructions

• Before getting started, make sure your leeks are properly cleaned. Fill a large bowl with water and add in your sliced leeks. Stir them around with your hands and you'll see that all the dirt and grit sink to the bottom while the leeks float. Carefully scoop out the leeks and set aside.
• In a large soup pot (at least 7 quarts), heat the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering and then add in the leeks and garlic. Gently saute for 5 minutes.
• Add in the celery, carrots, and peppers. Give everything a good stir and saute for another 5 minutes.
• Pour in the white wine and deglaze the pot, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Simmer for a couple more minutes.
• Pour in the broth as well as the tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes, half of the fresh basil and parsley, 2 tsp of salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, dried marjoram, and dried oregano. Stir well and bring to a low boil.
• Add the ditalini to the pot and cook for 10 minutes.
• Now add the beans, kale, zucchini, the rest of the basil and parsley, and 2 ounces of the grated Romano. Simmer for 5 minutes. Pour in the lemon juice.
• Taste for seasoning and add the remaining salt, if desired. Serve hot and topped with a good pinch of Romano. Enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition information per serving (1 cup): 110 calories, 4 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 14 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 5 g protein

Did you try this recipe for Classic Minestrone Soup? Let me know how it went down in the comments!

Psst…hungry for MORE soup? Try my recipe for Hearty and Delicious Borscht!

Sources

Zhu Y, Hollis JH. Soup consumption is associated with a lower dietary energy density and a better diet quality in US adults. Br J Nutr. 2014 Apr 28;111(8):1474-80. Epub 2014 Jan 2.

Flood JE, Rolls BJ. Soup preloads in a variety of forms reduce meal energy intake. Appetite. 2007 Nov; 49(3): 626–634. EPub2007 Apr 14.

The post Classic Minestrone Soup appeared first on The Diet Oracle.

Welcome back to The Diet Oracle! Today I am bringing you a recipe that is loaded with flavor and packs a nutritional wallop. With its roasted root vegetables and savory herbs, this Hearty and Delicious Borscht is the very definition of rustic comfort food!

If you’ve never had it before, borscht is truly a soup worth remembering. Made with fresh beets, the finished soup is a gorgeous berry-red color. Traditionally served either hot or cold and with or without meat, borscht is a recipe for all seasons and can be tweaked to your heart’s content. Both practical and delicious, it’s no surprise that such a hearty and filling soup would have its origins in Russia and Poland.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you when you shop using these links, which helps to make this blog possible. Thank you for your support!

Beets?

Now if the thought of beets makes you wrinkle your nose, don’t let that stop you from trying this recipe! Believe it or not, I have never really liked them myself. I’d only ever tried them solo or, even worse, pickled and I just couldn’t get past the taste or texture. It wasn’t until I tried them as an ingredient that I truly enjoyed them.

The first dish I ever had with beets that truly knocked my socks off was a beautiful garnet-red risotto made with pureed roasted beets and chevre goat cheese. I’m telling you now, I have never been so shocked in my life! Despite being convinced I would gag on the first bite, I had never tasted something so complex and so delicious. One of these days I’ll have to try and replicate that amazing recipe!

The second dish that ultimately won me over for beets was–you guessed it–borscht! We have a fantastic European restaurant in the next town over owned and operated by a wonderful woman from Ukraine. Though her menu offers quite the culinary tour of Europe, her Eastern European dishes are some of our favorites. Her recipe for borscht was the first I’d ever had and to this day, is my standard. I like to think that my rendition comes pretty close!

Waistline-Friendly!

Need another reason to dig in? Starting your meal with a hearty vegetable soup like borscht is a fantastic way to lose weight! Studies have shown that individuals who begin their meal with a veggie-packed broth-based soup end up eating 15% fewer calories over the course of their meal when compared with those who don’t.

Why? To begin with, a vegetable-based soup is a great way to physically fill up on lower calorie foods. Plus, in the time it takes you to enjoy that cup of soup, your brain is getting the all-important message that food is going down the hatch. Remember, it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to register satisfaction, so beginning with a low-calorie starter–like borscht–will ultimately help you to eat fewer calories without feeling like you’re eating less!

Vegetarian-Friendly!

Whether you live a veg lifestyle or simply prefer meatless options, this recipe has got you covered. Borscht is easily made vegetarian or vegan simply by swapping in vegetable-based options for the broth and sour cream. And, being meatless, this borscht would also make a lovely addition to any Lenten menu! Though many recipes suffer without the richness meat can provide, the roasted vegetables and fresh herbs bring such a depth of flavor that you won’t even notice it’s meatless. Just don’t forget that dollop of sour cream!

Nutrition Highlights

Though its humble list of ingredients is decidedly unsexy, the nutritional value of this soup is astounding! Thanks to all the root vegetables, borscht offers a smorgasbord of vitamins and minerals, namely vitamins A, B6, C, biotin, and folate, as well as magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, and iron.

Beets in particular have some intriguing nutritional properties and have been used in medicinal remedies for centuries. They are rich in the phytochemicals anthocyanins and saponins, two antioxidants which may offer protection against cellular damage and chronic disease. Beets are also rich in nitrates, which may offer ranging benefits from blood pressure reduction to training recovery. No matter how you slice them, beets are a smart addition to your diet!

I hope you love this recipe for Hearty and Delicious Borscht–I know we do! Whether you’re looking to add a new recipe to your soup repertoire, want to sample an Eastern European classic, or would like to take advantage of its nutritional benefits, you can’t go wrong with a cup of borscht!

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Hearty & Delicious Borscht

Whether you like it hot or cold, this recipe for borscht is sure to satisfy! Roasting the veggies brings out their flavor and makes for a truly delicious cup of soup. And whatever you do, don't skip the sour cream!

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine European, Russian

Keyword Beets, Borscht, Soup

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author Maureen @ The Diet Oracle

Ingredients

• 5-6 medium-sized beets, peeled and diced small
• 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 cups reduced-sodium beef broth (I use Better Than Bouillon mixed with water) Substitute vegetable broth for a vegan/vegetarian variation!
• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2-2½ tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 cups cabbage, thinly sliced (I use a slaw mix)
• 3 Tbsp fresh or freeze-dried dill (I use Litehouse Freeze-Dried Dill)
• 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• ¾ cup reduced-fat sour cream (I like Tillamook)

Instructions

• Begin by roasting your root vegetables to bring out their flavor. Preheat your oven to 400°. While it's heating up, pile the beets, carrots, and potatoes onto a large baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and give them a good toss with your hands to evenly coat. Spread them out into a single layer and once the oven's reached temperature, pop them in. Roast for 20 minutes.
• Once your roasting veggies are about halfway done, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and saute until just softened, about 5-7minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another couple minutes.
• Slowly pour the broth into the pot and take a moment to scrape up any browned bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon. Then add in the fresh thyme, bay leaf, and tomato paste and give it all a good stir.
• By this point, your root veggies should be ready to pull out of the oven. Transfer them directly into your pot and give it all another good stir. Season with the salt and pepper.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the soup for 40 minutes up to an hour. Once the veggies are tender to your liking, add the sliced cabbage, dill, and red wine vinegar. Stir well and simmer for another 5 or so minutes until the cabbage has softened a bit and the flavors have melded.
• Serve with a dollop of sour cream and garnish with extra dill, if you wish. Enjoy!!
• (Note: This soup is definitely one that gets better the next day, making for fantastic leftovers!)

Notes

Nutrition Facts per Serving (1/12 of recipe or about 1 cup served with 1 tbsp light sour cream): 120 calories, 4 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 18 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 5 g protein

Did you try this recipe for Hearty and Delicious Borscht? Let me know how it went down in the comments!

The post Hearty and Delicious Borscht appeared first on The Diet Oracle.