Winter Minestrone Soup Recipe (2024)

This soup starts with the standard soup base of onion and garlic sauteed in olive oil until soft, then chopped carrots and butternut squash.

I also added canned cannellini beans, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree and red wine. Towards the end of cooking I added spinach and some mini pasta shapes.

One of the things I noticed about Ina's soup, is that she added toppings to her soup which is something I have to admit I never do.

In her honour I served this soup topped with a dollop of pesto and some grated Parmesan (vegan).

Vegetarian and vegan parmesan alternatives

If you're looking for a good strong vegan Parmesan, we like Violife Prosociano, which has that tang you want from a good Parmesan.

If you're vegetarian, check the budget hard cheese or pasta cheese beside the Parmesan in your supermarket, the home brand one. They are often vegetarian, whereas standard Parmesan uses animal rennet, something we all want to avoid.

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Which pasta is best in soup?

The rule of thumb when adding pasta to soup is the thinner or lighter the soup the smaller the pasta. So when you are making a thick stew of a soup, you could add full size farfalle (bows), fusilli (twists), conchiglie (shells) or macaroni (twists or short pipes).

When you are making a thinner broth or a lightsummery soup, you want to use some mini pasta shapes, such as anelli (tiny hoops). alphabet pasta (tiny letters). orzo (rice shaped pasta),stelline (tiny star pasta),quadrettini (small squares) ormargheritine (mini shells).

I used margherite pasta in this minestrone.

Soup pasta tip

If you have trouble finding mini pasta for soup, check the baby food aisle of the supermarket, as it will often include tiny pasta shapes or failing that you could just break spaghetti into small pieces.

How to prevent soggy pasta in soup?

When adding pasta to soup, think about the pasta cooking time. Don't add the pasta at the start of the soup, but add near the end when the soup is nearly ready to serve.

Check the pack for cooking instructions. If it takes 8-10 minutes to cook, add it to the pot 8-10 minutes before the end of cooking time.

Winter soup recipes

Today is the spring equinox, the first official day of spring here in Scotland, but it is still blooming cold, so thick winter soups are still the order of the day.

Here are some of my favourite warming soups:

Yellow Split Pea Soup

A simple creamy and lightly spiced soup made with split peas that is full of flavour and super healthy. A great meal to take you through the year that's kind to your bank balance and your waistline.

Scottish Tattie, Neep and Carrot Soup

A chunky filling (tattie) potato, (neep) turnip and carrot soup, perfect for cold Scottish winters. Scottish turnips are also called swede in England and Rutabaga in the US.

Hearty Spiced Cauliflower and Carrot Soup

A simple but hearty soup rich with vegetables and lightly spiced for a warming bowl of deliciousness that will fill you up and leave you feeling satisfied at lunch or dinner. Cauliflower and carrots are the star of the show in this vegan and dairy free soup.

Spiced Carrot Lentil and Spinach Soup

A gently spiced soup that has so much flavour. It's vegan and dairy-free and perfect if you are watching your weight. It's only 184 calories for a huge bowlful or 138 calories for a standard bowlful. I'm making this soup as part of my trip back into the 5:2 diet.

Make this bread to serve with your homemade soup

An easy, basic white loaf with the tastiest crust.

Prepare to make two as one doesn't last long at all.