Easy Dutch Oven Minestrone

5 from 9 votes

Easy Dutch Oven Minestrone

This Dutch Oven Minestrone is easy, simple, and delicious! It's packed with veggies, bacon bits, beans, and pasta for a comforting bowl of soup. Serve it as-is, or add crusty bread to the side so you can soak up every last drop!

Prep Time20

Cook Time46

Total Time1 6

Course: Main

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Author: Brianna May

Equipment

Ingredients

4-5 pieces bacon, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, chopped
2 large ribs celery, chopped
8-9 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespooon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon Morton kosher salt*
4-5 cups chicken broth*
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 heaping cup chopped green beans
1 heaping cup 1-inch cubes red potatoes
1 bay leaf
1 parmesan rind
3/4 cup ditalini pasta or elbow macaroni
1 15-ounce can great northern white beans
2-3 cups chopped kale or spinach

Instructions

In a large dutch oven or pot, fry the diced bacon over medium low heat, until all of the fat has rendered and it is brown. Do NOT drain the grease.
4-5 pieces bacon, diced
Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 6-8 minutes. Add a drizzle of olive oil if the vegetables look dry.
1 yellow onion, diced, 2 carrots, chopped, 2 large ribs celery, chopped
Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper, and salt. Sauté for 2 minutes or until fragrant.
8-9 cloves garlic, minced, 1 Tablespooon Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon Morton kosher salt*
Add the chicken broth (or water and better than bouillon), diced tomatoes (with liquid), crushed tomatoes, green beans, potatoes, bay leaf, and parmesan rind. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to medium low (the broth should still be boiling). Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are almost fork tender.
4-5 cups chicken broth*, 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes, 1 heaping cup chopped green beans, 1 heaping cup 1-inch cubes red potatoes, 1 bay leaf, 1 parmesan rind
Stir in the pasta. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to medium low (the broth should still be boiling). Cook the pasta according to the package instructions or until al dente. It will finish cooking in the next step.
3/4 cup ditalini pasta or elbow macaroni
Stir in the beans and kale. Simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes or until the greens are wilted to your liking. Remove the bay leaf and parmesan rind.
1 15-ounce can great northern white beans, 2-3 cups chopped kale or spinach

Notes

Kosher Salt: All of my recipes are tested with Morton kosher salt unless noted otherwise. It is the best salt for everyday cooking because of its size and flavor. If using table salt, the amount should be reduced. I highly recommend picking up some kosher next time you are at the store!
Chicken broth: I like to use water, and better than bouillon concentrate for the best flavor when creating Dutch oven minestrone. As a bonus, this also makes it easier to add more because you can just mix it up as needed.
Cut the vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Cutting the veggies into smaller pieces makes it easier to eat this Dutch oven minestrone. It also means the vegetables are more likely to cook evenly, so you won’t have overly mushy or crunchy pieces.
Use whatever veggies or beans you have on hand. The best part about this dish is that you can be spontaneous with the minestrone soup ingredients. If you have veggies, you need to use up, chop them up, and toss them into the soup. This tasty soup works well with kidney beans, cannellini beans, boxed chopped tomatoes, fresh spinach, etc.

Nutrition