This Spring Minestrone Soup with Herb Ricotta Topping is packed with seasonal vegetables and bright flavours for the season.
With so many fresh ingredients to choose from in the Spring, many of these are highlighted in this soup recipe.
Top each bowl of minestrone soup with a basil-lemon ricotta for an extra punch of flavour!
I love soup in the Springtime like this Easy Pea Soup. The beauty of minestrone soup is you can enjoy so many Spring flavours all together, cohesively in one dish.
The basil-lemon ricotta topping adds an extra layer of flavour, making the soup just slightly creamy and almost giving it the flavour of a delicious white lasagna.
why you’ll love this spring minestrone soup
- It’s a bright and fresh take on classic minestrone soup.
- The basil-ricotta topping is out of this world delicious!
- This soup is packed with Spring vegetables.
- It’s the perfect soup to celebrate the Spring season.
Ingredients needed for this Spring soup recipe
Vegetables: fresh green beans, chopped zucchini, baby spinach, carrots, celery and onions together bring a serious amount of flavour
Broth: to keep this recipe vegetarian, use vegetable broth but in a pinch you can use chicken broth if desired
Beans: a must for any minestrone soup is beans; for this lighter minestrone I love to use white beans, specifically cannellini beans
Pasta: ditalini pasta is my favourite pasta shape to use in this Spring minestrone soup; see below for substitution ideas
Seasonings: kosher salt, black pepper, dried thyme and garlic cloves are the base seasonings used in this Spring minestrone soup
Lemons: use fresh lemon juice and lemon zest to brighten up the soup and ricotta cheese topping respectively
Ricotta cheese: use full fat ricotta cheese to make the basil-ricotta topping
Parmesan cheese: grated parmesan cheese is a must for flavour
Fresh herbs: fresh basil and fresh parsley are a beautiful flavour pairing in this soup
How to make this Spring minestrone soup
Step 1: Make the basil-ricotta topping: In a small bowl mix together the ricotta cheese, shredded parmesan cheese, minced basil, lemon zest and a pinch of salt and pepper. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Step 2: In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once warm, add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 7-8 minutes until softened. Stir in the dried thyme, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute.
Step 3: Add 8 cups vegetable broth and cut green beans and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover the pot most of the way and simmer for 15 minutes.
Step 4: After 15 minutes, add cannellini beans, zucchini, parsley and pasta to the soup and bring to a simmer again. Once simmering, cook for about 8-10 minutes or until pasta is al dente, stirring occasionally with the lid partially on the pot. If you prefer a brothier soup, add 2 cups more of vegetable broth and cook 1-2 more minutes.
Step 5: Remove from the heat and stir in spinach until wilted. Finally, stir in the lemon juice. Taste adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if desired.
Step 6: Serve immediately topped with a scoop of the ricotta cheese mixture and fresh crusty bread if desired.
Expert tips
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If spinach isn’t for you, stir in kale or omit the spinach altogether.
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If you can’t find ditalini pasta, try another small pasta shape that cooks in a similar time frame, 8-10 minutes. You could try elbow macaroni or orzo pasta for example.
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Other green vegetables that you can add or substitute in include green sweet peas (frozen or fresh),
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Don’t use dry beans in this recipe; they will take much too long to cook.
Common questions about this minestrone soup
Do I have to use pasta in this Spring soup?
I love the addition of pasta, however, the soup is absolutely delicious with it omitted.
Can I make this recipe gluten-free?
YES! Make sure to use a gluten-free vegetable broth and gluten-free pasta. NOTE: If using gluten-free pasta, I recommend cooking the pasta separately and adding to your soup bowl just before scooping the soup in as some gluten-free noodles can become too soggy if cooked IN the soup.
What other white beans can I use in this soup?
If you can’t find canned cannellini, try navy beans. I don’t recommend white kidney beans.
More Spring recipes to make from the blog
Quick Spring Gnocchi with Asparagus, Pesto & Lemon
Spring Whipped Ricotta Dip with Honey & Pistachios
Spring Minestrone Soup with Herb Ricotta Topping
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 pieces of celery, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
- 8-10 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup cut green beans
- 2 14oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups chopped zucchini
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup ditalini pasta
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
For the basil-ricotta topping
- 1 cup full fat ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp minced fresh basil
- zest of one lemon
- big pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Make the basil-ricotta topping: In a small bowl mix together the ricotta cheese, shredded parmesan cheese, minced basil, lemon zest and a pinch of salt and pepper. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.
- In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Once warm, add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 7-8 minutes until softened. Stir in the dried thyme, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute.
- Add 8 cups vegetable broth and cut green beans and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover the pot most of the way and simmer for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, add cannellini beans, zucchini, parsley and pasta to the soup and bring to a simmer again. Once simmering, cook for about 8-10 minutes or until pasta is al dente, stirring occasionally with the lid partially on the pot. If you prefer a brothier soup, add 2 cups more of vegetable broth and cook 1-2 more minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in spinach until wilted. Finally, stir in the lemon juice. Taste adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if desired.
- Serve immediately topped with a scoop of the ricotta cheese mixture and fresh bread if desired.
Notes
- If spinach isn’t for you, stir in kale or omit the spinach altogether.
- If you can’t find ditalini pasta, try another small pasta shape that cooks in a similar time frame, 8-10 minutes, like elbow macaroni or orzo.
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