Easy Italian Minestrone Soup in 20 Minutes

Making minestrone soup is usually a labor of love because of the enormous amount of time it takes to soak the beans (hours), chop the vegetables, cook the pasta, and then make the soup. But, there’s an easier way to make an authentic Italian minestrone soup in 20 minutes by using the Pedon Italian Minestrone Timesavers Soup Mix.

Each 8.8 ounce packet is filled with non-GMO products: pre-cooked farro, pre-cooked barley, ditalini pasta, red split lentils, pre-cooked yellow split lentils, pre-cooked green and yellow split peas to provide a high fiber, high protein, salt and sugar-free foundation for homemade soup. 

Simply add chopped vegetables, low sodium vegetable broth, and the seasoning of your choice and dinner is ready in less than 20 minutes. They call these “The Timesavers” for a reason.

The beauty of this soup is the convenience but also the texture and flavor. Thick and hearty, the minestrone soup is filled with vegetables that haven’t had the life cooked out of them, which makes for a thicker, more satisfying soup when combined with the grains, pasta, lentils, and split peas. An abundance of flavor and textures simply makes a wholesome and  delicious soup.

Easy Italian Minestrone Soup

• 1 8.8 ounce packet Pedone Italian Minestrone soup mix*
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 2 large celery stalks, chopped
• 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
• 1-2 cups water
• 1 26-ounce package or can of chopped tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon of Italian Seasoning (I use Penzy’s Tuscan Sunset Salt-Free Italian Style Seasoning which contains basil, oregano, red bell pepper, garlic, thyme, fennel, black pepper, and anise seed) or your favorite seasoning
• 4 ounces of cooked green beans, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon pesto (I use Seggiano Basil Pesto Genovese which contains olive oil, cashew nuts, fresh basil, and pine nuts) – available at Whole Foods Market; or your favorite pesto sauce
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

Chop the onion, carrots, and celery stalks and set aside.

Place the onions in a large soup pot on medium heat and sauté until just tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the carrots and celery and cook for about 2 minutes.

Add the vegetable broth, water (1 cup for a very thick chowder-like soup and 2 cups for a more soup like texture), chopped tomatoes, and Italian Seasoning and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 12 minutes.

Remove the cover and add the cooked green beans, pesto, and chopped parsley. Bring back to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Serve immediately with a hearty bread and/or a mixed green salad.

Packets of Pedon Italian Minestrone soup mix are available at fine grocery stores nationwide for about $5. (I found mine at Dean & DeLuca in New York City but Amazon also carries this product from time to time).