Minestrone with Sausage and Pesto from The Food Charlatan. (2024)

Today I had a babysitter come over to watch little 16-month-old Valentine while I went to a Starbucks to work on this post. The mom guilt is killing me!! I know that’s ridiculous because I’m super lucky that I get to stay home with my kids, so I’m with them basically all the time. (ALL.THE.TIME.) I love having all that time! But sometimes I also hate having all that time. (insert crazy eyes here) Do you know what I mean?

I’ve been feeling really unbalanced lately, and am trying to establish better routines so that I’m a happier, healthier mom/wife/human being. My normal routine is to stay up really late working on this blog. Like, reeeally late. Full time mom during the day, full time blogger at night! Who needs sleep! I’ve been on that schedule for almost 5 years now, and I thought it would be my body that gave out first. But I was wrong, it was my brain!! It went kablooie!

You may have noticed that things have been quieter around here since Christmas…I’ve been posting a lot less. I love working on my blog and feel that it’s actually really important for me, so I’m not going anywhere! I just need to do some life-shifting to figure out how I’m going to cram it all in, because neglecting sleep is not going to work out anymore.

So. A babysitter. And mom guilt. Hopefully over time I can learn to balance those feelings as well. For now, I’m just grateful to have a post out and NOT be exhausted! (A part of my old schedule was waking up in a half-panic the morning after posting to make sure that I hadn’t misspelled anything, forgotten an ingredient, or said something wildly inappropriate. It’s like drunk calls, except I have 30,000 people on my email list. Haha!)

A few months ago I decided to try out a vegetarian chili recipe that I found in a cookbook. We all tried it and I kept thinking, something is missing. It just doesn’t taste five stars. Eric finally nailed it down… “I think it’s because you tried to make chili vegetarian, Karen. It’s not working.” Ha!

I’m kind of a meathead. I’ve never really been interested in making minestrone (and I never order it in restaurants) because every time I eat it, I’m just like, where’s the flavor? Soggy vegetables in watery broth. And not enough noodles. No thanks.

You will love this recipe for Minestrone Soup

But THIS soup, guys. It’s amazing. There is so much going on that every bite is like a party in your mouth. I’m never going back! My Aunt Shirley gave me this recipe. She is the BEST cook and baker. I have lots more recipes from her that I’m excited to share, but for now you can check out her Famous Dinner Rolls, Creamy Mashed Potatoes, and10 Minute Caramel Popcorn. She is really the best for sharing it all with me (and you!) Thanks Shirley!

How could I ever go back to regular minestrone soup after eating one with this much flavor?? It’s not one of those watery, sad-lunch soups: it’s a whole MEAL. Beans! Pasta! Veggies! Sausage! And then we’re adding delicious toppings–basil pesto and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

What is Minestrone Soup?

Minestrone is an Italian vegetable soup. It has a tomato-y broth and includes pasta or rice. Beans are also a common ingredient. It’s different from a more traditional vegetable soup because the beans and pasta (or rice) make it heartier and more filling. Today I’m sharing my recipe for Minestrone…and my recipe adds meat. If meat isn’t your thing you can still make this soup, it just won’t have the amazing sausage flavor. That might be a bonus for you. Not for me, I am a carnivore, thank you very much.

Italian Sausage Minestrone Soup ingredients

Here’s a quick shopping list to help you gather your ingredients. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions!

How to make Minestrone Soup with Italian Sausage

Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup Instructions

Here’s a quick overview of how to make this recipe. Full instructions can be found in the recipe card below!

1. In a large soup pot, brown the Italian sausage over medium to medium-high heat. Drain the fat.
2. Meanwhile, chop the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. Add them to the soup pot along with the dried oregano. Saute for about 5 minutes.
3. Pour everything into the slow cooker, then add the tomatoes and chicken broth.
4. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.
5. Stir in the beans, zucchini, yellow squash, and pasta. Cover and turn the heat to high. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, until the pasta is al dente.
6. Turn off the slow cooker. Stir in the spinach and cover another 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish each bowl with a teaspoon of pesto and a little Parmesan cheese.

(I always feel so accomplished and healthy when I dump mounds of fresh spinach in my soup. Anyone else??)

The only way I think this minestrone soup could possibly get any better is if you added a parmesan rind to the soup while it’s cooking. Have you ever tried that? It would add yet another layer of flavor! I haven’t tried it yet but I want to next time. Parmesan rind is how you get such great flavor in this Kale, Chicken, and White Bean Soup (I also posted a slow cooker version).

Minestrone Recipe substitutions and additions

Minestrone soup is definitely a “clean out the fridge” kind of soup. Here are some ideas for making it your own (but don’t let me stop you from even more experimenting–clearly, I am not a Minestrone soup purist!).

• Use whatever beans you want! I think this soup is great with about 2 cans. I like to use a can of red beans (kidney beans) and a can of white beans (cannellini beans) but you can use whatever you have on hand.
• As I mention in this post, I am all about adding a parmesan rind if you have one. It’s a perfect nutty, flavorful addition to your minestrone.
• Get crazy with the veggies. If you don’t have zucchini and yellow squash, you can absolutely switch to something else. Leftover roasted acorn or butternut squash would be amazing. You could use broccoli cut into small pieces, or try even asparagus cut into bite size pieces. If you enjoy the veggie on its own, it’ll go just fine in this soup.
• I like using mild Italian sausage; if you like spice, buy hot!

How to store Minestrone Soup with Sausage

Minestrone needs to be refrigerated in a covered container. It will last in the fridge for up to a week. If you’d like to freeze it, you totally can–just pour the cooled soup into labeled ziploc bags and freeze flat for easy defrosting. You could also put them in little individual tupperware containers to pull out whenever you need a hot, hearty meal fast.

Minestrone Soup with Italian Sausage FAQs

Other soup recipes I love (and you will too!)

Slow Cooker Chicken, White Bean, and Kale Soup with Parmesan Shavings << so easy, so good

Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup < this is one of the top recipes on my site! Recipe is from Eric’s grandmother.

Ham and Mac and Cheese Soup << 30 minutes, tops. Kids love this.

Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup << a classic! Get out that crusty bread for dipping!

Easy Potato Soup Recipe << one of top recipes year-round. Never enough potato soup!

<< I love making this to use up my leftover ham. So comforting and easy.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup from Charlotte Fashion Plate

Callo de Pollo Mexicano from Bake it with Love