Healthy and vibrant, my green minestrone soup is the perfect light meal for the spring and summer months. Brimming with lots of green veggies such as asparagus, peas, zucchini, fennel and celery, plus tender chicken and creamy white beans, my green minestrone soup recipe is simply mouthwatering topped with shaved or grated parmesan and fresh basil!
Minestrone Soup with a Vibrant Green Twist
As the warmer weather and sunnier days of spring make their way in, the idea of colorful, healthy meals begins to entice.
Since soup is always a favorite meal in our household, I often like to create a seasonal soup replete with the vibrant veggies that are available. And when I think of the spring season, I think green…
Green veggies such as tender peas, fresh zucchini, delicate asparagus and spinach, plus aromatics such as fennel and celery are all perfect ingredients to add to the soup pot, making for a fresh, delicious and seasonal new take on minestrone soup.
My green minestrone soup with chicken, white beans and delicate ditalini pasta has lots of savory flavor and vibrant green color, and makes for a filling-yet-healthy option going into the warmer months.
Kissed with a tiny squeeze of lemon, then topped with a sprinkle of grated or shaved paremesan and fresh basil (and perhaps served with a slice of garlic toast on the side) a bowl of this green minestrone soup is just what the sunny season needs!
My Recipe for Green Minestrone Soup with Chicken
Part of the appeal of this scrumptious green minestrone soup is how quick it is to simmer up and have ready to enjoy a big bowlful.
Sure, there’s some chopping, slicing and dicing of the vegetables, but the soup itself cooks in about twenty five minutes, and makes use of cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken or leftovers are terrific here) to keep things streamlined.
And because the veggies such as the zucchini, asparagus, peas and spinach are delicate and really do not need much cooking to retain a tender-yet-crisp texture, this green minestrone is an ideal offering when you’re craving a light and healthy meal that’s still cozy and belly-warming, yet not time consuming.
I like to use canned, organic cannellini beans as well as tiny ditalini pasta for the bean and pasta elements that go into classic minestrone soup, as these offer a bit more heartiness and texture.
Finished off with some fresh parsley and basil, along with a small squeeze of lemon to add a touch of brightness, a bowl of this healthy green minestrone soup is truly out of this world when topped with parmesan cheese and an extra drizzle of olive oil.
Here’s a sneak peek at my green minestrone soup with chicken recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe…)
- To get started, I add my aromatics to my soup pot and saute for just a few moments until softened.
- Next, I add in my beans and stock, and allow the soup to gently simmer for about 15 minutes.
- While the soup simmers, I prepare my ditalini pasta according to package instructions, and keep it warm.
- After 15 minutes, I add in my zucchini and asparagus, and continue to gently simmer the soup for 10 minutes longer.
- Off the heat, I finish the green minestrone with my peas, spinach, herbs and lemon, and stir to combine.
- To serve, I add some ditalini pasta to my bowl, ladle over some soup, then top with freshly grated or shaved parmesan, olive oil and a sprinkle of fresh basil leaves, and perhaps even accompany with garlic toast for dipping.
Recipe
Green Minestrone Soup with Chicken
by Ingrid Beer
This vibrant, green minestrone soup is filled with an array of nutritious green veggies, tender chicken and creamy white beans!
Category: Soup
Cuisine: Italian-American
Yield: Serves 6
Nutrition Info: 418 calories per serving (with ¼ cup ditalini pasta)
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes
Ingredients:
- Olive oil
- 1 medium white onion, finely diced
- ½ fennel bulb, finely diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 ribs celery, finely diced
- Salt
- Black pepper
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 8 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
- 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 7 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
- 1 cup uncooked ditalini pasta
- 1 pound thin asparagus spears, cut into 1 inch pieces (tough, stalky bottoms removed)
- 2 zucchini, sliced into thin semi-circles (about ¾ pound)
- 1 ¼ cup frozen peas, thawed
- 1 cup (packed) baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 ½ to 2 cups shredded or cubed cooked chicken (rotisserie is terrific here)
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Basil leaves (whole, torn or julienned), for garnish
- Grated or shaved parmigiano-reggiano cheese, for garnish
Preparation:
- Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
- Place a (roughly) 6 quart soup pot over medium-high heat, and add in about 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Once hot, add in the finely diced onion, fennel bulb and celery, plus a couple of generous pinches of salt and black pepper, and stir, allowing the veggies to soften for about 5 minutes.
- Next, add in the Italian seasoning and the garlic, and stir that in until it becomes aromatic. Once aromatic, add in the cannellini beans along with the chicken or veggie stock, and stir to combine.
- Bring the soup to a gentle simmer, cover, and allow the soup to gently simmer for 15 minutes.
- While the soup simmers, cook your ditalini pasta according the package instructions, then drain, set aside and keep warm. Keep the pasta separate.
- Once the soup has simmered for 15 minutes, add in the asparagus pieces and the zucchini, and continue to simmer the soup for 10 minutes longer, covered.
- After 10 minutes, turn off the heat. Add in the peas, the spinach, the cooked, shredded or cubed chicken, the parsley, the lemon zest and juice, and stir to combine. Check to see is any additional salt/pepper is needed.
- To serve, add some ditalini pasta to the bowl (about ¼ cup), then ladle some soup in and top with an additional drizzle of olive oil (if desired), some basil leaves, and parmigiano-reggiano cheese, as garnish. Serve with garlic toast or crackers, for dipping, as an optional accompaniment.
Tips & Tidbits for my Green Minestrone Soup with Chicken recipe:
- Thin asparagus spears for quicker cooking: If you can find the thinner spears of asparagus for this recipe, opt for those. They’re a little more delicate, and soften a bit quicker when added in toward the end of simmering. You can use the regular, thicker spears as well, just cut them into slightly smaller pieces, and peel if the skin is very tough.
- Rotisserie or leftover chicken for convenience: This is a terrific soup to make if you have some leftover chicken you’d like to use up for another recipe. Rotisserie is also terrific here, and all you need to do is either shred or cube about 2 cups worth to add to the soup.
- Make this green minestrone soup vegetarian: If you’d prefer to go a vegetarian route with this soup, you can leave the chicken out, and add a little more of each veggie and more cannellini beans instead, if you’d like. Also, if going vegetarian, use vegetable stock as your base.
- Don’t overcook the veggies to maintain that vibrant green color: What I love about this soup is how quick cooking it is! None of the veggies need long to simmer, as they are best when tender with a slight crisp texture. So take care not to simmer too vigorously while cooking, but rather gently, and only for the time called for to keep the veggies most vibrant.
- Substitution for ditalini pasta: If you can’t find ditalini pasta in your market, you can sub orzo here, or any other tiny pasta, even teeny elbow pasta works well. (However, you could probably find ditalini online, if you’ve got your heart set on using it.)
Craving more healthy and cozy soups? Check out my recipe for Tuscan Kale and Sausage Soup, Brussels Sprout Soup with Bacon, Vegetable Soup, Alphabet Soup, Sausage Tortellini Soup, Italian Vegetable Soup with Spicy Sausage, or my recipe for Asparagus Soup!
