Minestrone alla Genovese
A thick Ligurian vegetable soup with beans, potato and tiny pasta, finished with a big spoonful of fresh pesto.
Made with Basil pesto and Soffritto and Homemade vegetable stock. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time1 hr 10
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £1.63 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Warm the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add your ready made soffritto (see the base recipe) and stir for 2 minutes until sizzling.
- 2
Add the potatoes and pour in your homemade vegetable stock (see the base recipe). Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
10 min - 3
Add the courgettes, green beans, cabbage and cannellini beans. Simmer for 15 minutes until all the vegetables are tender.
15 min - 4
Stir in the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or to the packet time, until just tender. Add a splash of water if the soup gets too thick.
9 min - 5
Lightly crush a few potato cubes against the side of the pan to thicken the soup.
- 6
Take off the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes. Stir in the basil pesto (see the base recipe) at the end, or let everyone add their own spoonful. Season with salt and pepper and serve with the parmesan.
Tips
- Add the pesto off the heat. Cooked pesto loses its freshness and the soup turns dull green.
- Genoese minestrone is traditionally thick and eaten warm rather than scalding, which lets the flavours come through.
- Use gluten free small pasta or short grain rice to make it gluten free. Stir in the pesto at the end either way.
Storing and freezing
Cool within 90 minutes. Keeps 3 days in the fridge, or 3 months in the freezer without the pesto. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through, adding water as the pasta thickens it.
Questions
Can I make minestrone alla Genovese without pasta?
Yes. Leave it out for a gluten free soup and add 50 g more potato, or stir in 100 g cooked rice at the end. The soup is thick and filling without the pasta.
Can I freeze it?
Yes, but freeze it before adding the pasta and pesto. Defrost overnight in the fridge, bring to the boil, cook the pasta fresh and stir in the pesto at the end.
What if I only have frozen vegetables?
Frozen green beans, courgette and cabbage all work. Add them 5 minutes later than fresh, since they cook faster once the soup is hot.
More made with basil pesto
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.