With an easy cooking method—with minimal chopping and less than 30 minutes start to finish—this Minestrone Soup (that babies and big kids will love!) is a favorite comfort food meal to share. It’s easy to adjust for allergies as needed and it is packed with yummy flavor.
I love making a big pot of soup to share with my family and while my kids are not always eager to eat all of the soups I personally love, there are a few that they are happy to dig into.
This easy Minestrone Soup is one of them and it’s so darn comforting. And the texture and shapes of all of the ingredients are just perfect to share with a baby. And a toddler!
Plus, the method is seriously streamlined to save you endless chopping.
It has flavor from the veggies, tomato sauce, and Italian seasoning, and is also easy for kids to eat. You can top with Parmesan cheese or leave it as is—and we like to have cheese and crackers on the side too.
One batch of this family meal makes enough for 4-6 people, but feel free to double the recipe (you can scale it up by clicking the “2x” button in the recipe at the bottom of the post) to make a larger batch.
It’s really versatile and works well for a variety of ages—which is always a giant plus for our diverse families.
(You may also like my Favorite Soups for Kids, Vegetarian Lentil Soup, Black Bean Soup, or Red Lentil Soup recipes.)
Table of Contents
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Ingredients You Need
Here’s a look at what you’ll need to make this recipe so you know what to pick up at the store.
- Olive oil or unsalted butter: You’ll use this to briefly saute the onion and garlic.
- Onion: I use a yellow onion, but white is fine too.
- Garlic: You can use minced garlic from a jar to save yourself the chopping, or chop it yourself.
- Tomato sauce: I choose no-salt-added so I can control the saltiness of the soup.
- White beans: White navy beans or cannelini beans will work here. Pour the canned beans into a colander and rinse them with water before adding them to the soup.
- Broth: You can use reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth.
- Italian seasoning: This adds nice flavor to the mixture.
- Pasta: I use a small shell pasta, but another small pasta of a similar size would work too such as ditalini or elbows.
- Frozen veggies: I use a mix of carrots, corn, and green beans, which is usually called “California mix” or “veggie medley”.
Ingredient Substitutions
- If your kids don’t like seeing bits of onion and garlic (they’re not super noticeable in this, but they’re not invisible), you can skip them and add onion and garlic powder.
- Use just one type of veggie if your family prefers it—like swap in a bag of corn or green beans or peas for the mixed veggies.
- Gluten-free: Use a similar shape gluten-free pasta.
- Vegetarian: Use vegetable stock.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at how to make this easy soup for kids so you know what to expect. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full information.
Step 1. Mince the garlic and onion. Discard the peel.
Step 2. Warm the oil or butter in a large pot and add the onion and garlic. Stir and let cook for a few minutes.
Step 3. Add the tomato sauce, beans, and broth and bring to a boil.
Step 4. Add the pasta and cook until soft. Stir in the frozen veggies to warm through.
TIP: We like topping this with a little grated Parmesan cheese. Adults may enjoy crushed red pepper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Make it taste good, make it easy to eat by ensuring they have a spoon that works well and is easy to use, and serve their portion with less broth as needed.
You can stir in 1-2 cups fully cooked rice to the soup when you add the frozen veggies if you prefer.
It’s a great one for babies since you can skip adding the salt if you want and the pieces of the foods are all a great finger food size. There’s also plenty of flavor for those little taste buds.
How to Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Add a little additional water or broth when reheating as desired as the pasta will likely continue to absorb the liquid.
Best Tips for Success
- Use a small shape pasta like mini shells, ditalini, or elbows so the cooking times in the recipe work well. You may need to cook a little longer if you use a larger shape.
- Swap in a package of just one veggie (as opposed to the veggie medley) if you prefer. You could do all corn or green beans.
- If the kids don’t love bits of onion and garlic, omit it and add ½ teaspoon each of garlic and onion powder.
- Omit the salt if making for a baby and salt your own portion to taste.
- Double the recipe to make a larger quantity.
- Add more water or broth to make it soupier if you prefer.
- You might also like Alphabet Soup, Big Batch Veggie Chili, Easy Chicken Noodle Soup, and One-Pot Broccoli Mac and Cheese.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback on this recipe, so please comment and rate it below!
Extra-Veggie Minestrone Baby Soup (for Big Kids too!)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (or unsalted butter)
- 1 small onion, peeled and minced
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional, or to taste)
- 14.5 ounce can white navy or cannelini beans (drained and rinsed in a colander)
- 8 ounce can no-salt added tomato sauce
- 1 quart reduced-sodium chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 8 ounces mini shell pasta
- 10 ounce bag frozen vegetable medley (sometimes called "gardener's blend"; Iook for a green bean, corn, and carrot mixture)
- 1 cup water or additional broth (optional)
- Grated Parmesan (optional)
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large pot set over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Stir to coat. Sprinkle with salt if using. Cook for 4 minutes.
- Add the beans, tomato sauce, stock, and Italian seasoning. Turn heat up to high and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-high, or to a simmer, and add pasta. Cook for 8 minutes or until pasta is just soft.
- Stir in the frozen vegetables and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Turn off heat. Add additional liquid if you'd like it to have more liquid.
- Serve topped with grated Parmesan, if desired.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Add a little additional water or broth when reheating as desired as the pasta will likely continue to absorb the liquid.
- Use a small shape pasta like mini shells, ditalini, or elbows so the cooking times in the recipe work well. You may need to cook a little longer if you use a larger shape.
- Swap in a package of just one veggie (as opposed to the veggie medley) if you prefer. You could do all corn or green beans.
- If the kids don’t love bits of onion and garlic, omit it and add ½ teaspoon each of garlic and onion powder.
- Omit the salt if making for a baby and salt your own portion to taste.
- Double the recipe to make a larger quantity.
- Add more water or broth to make it soupier if you prefer.
Nutrition
This post was first published January 2022.
Yummy! So easy and great for the kids and adults. Very versatile base too.
Do you think I could substitute low sodium marinara for the tomato sauce?
Of course!
Can a different bean be used? Like garbanzo bean? Black bean? Red kidney bean?
Thanks!
Sure, you can use any. I would choose garbanzo or kidney bean from those options.
So delicious! I’m not a fan of tomato base soup and this was really hearty and delicious! My 4 year old who isn’t a big soup eater enjoyed it as well. Took about 20 min to make and got us out of our pb&j phase. Used 1tbs of tomato paste cause i didn’t have tomato sauce. Served it with a piece of buttered home-made sourdough. I’ll definitely make again.
Easy and delicious. My toddler and I are on our second cold in three weeks, and this was the perfect sick day lunch.
Can this be made and then frozen in a 12-portion baby silicone food tray? If so does the recipe need to be modified?
Yes, totally, the only thing to know is that you may want to add a little broth when you reheat it. Hope that helps!
Can you freeze leftovers?
Sure, that will work fine. You may need a little extra broth when you thaw and reheat.
My 7 yo gobbled this up. He asked to have the leftovers for lunch AND dinner the next day! I added some rice cauliflower, as well as an extra cup of broth towards to end, as mine had become a bit thick, but otherwise stuck to the recipe. I also added some garlic chicken sausage I had on hand, which was also yummy. Thanks for another recipe hit!
I’m so glad to hear that!
I really like your site and I am more inspired by you for my own creativity.
So so good the whole family loved it, will make again! Thank you !!
Ridiculously quick and easy! My two year old and I love it!
I’ve made this a few times and the whole family loves it. The leftovers are great for school lunches too. Thanks, Amy!