Absolute Best Minestrone Soup with Pesto and Garlic Croutons

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This minestrone soup with pesto is light, yet satisfying, and full of spring vibes. Made with a flavorful garlic-and-ginger broth, beans for protein, couscous for texture, and finished with a scoop of herby pesto and crispy Parmesan croutons to bring everything together. Perfect for a cozy weeknight dinner or those in-between-season days when you want something fresh but still comforting.

Let’s talk springtime soup.

We’re in that in-between-time. Ya know, where the flowers are blooming and the sun is shining and there’s a hint of warm breeze in the air, but there are still days when it’s rainy and chilly. April showers are especially prevalent here in Portland.

I’m not willing to give up soup season quiiiite yet, so this is my compromise. A veggie-packed, light and refreshing springtime soup.

Normally, I find vegetable soup to be kinda bland and actually too light for my hungry little self. Not this one, folks. It is packed with a rainbow of veggies, with satisfying carbohydrates, protein, and fiber from beans, couscous and toasty little sourdough cubes on top. 

The key here is the finishing scoop of pesto! It adds a wonderful springy herbaceous finish and gives the soup a lovely green color. A lot of minestrone soup recipes call for tomatoes, and I did try a couple iterations of this recipe with tomatoes, but the fam and I really preferred this garlic/ginger broth-based variation over my trials with canned tomatoes.

I recommend making my classic spinach basil pesto recipe (so much better than storebought!) and although I never thought I’d be a bouillon gal, my bestie turned me onto Better than Bouillon, and it really is amazing for flavor! So that’s what I used for the broth sitch.

Perfect for Meatless Monday or ANY day, a satisfying springtime veggie soup needs to be in your future stat!

A Few Notes on What You’ll Need to Make This Minestrone Soup:

• The foundational flavor starts with these classic mirepoix ingredients: shallots (or sweet onion), carrots, and celery. Let them soften and get a little golden first.
• Garlic and fresh ginger add a layer of warmth and depth that sets this soup apart from a more tomato-based version. You can also use garlic and ginger paste if that’s what you have on hand.
• Pearl couscous (or any small pasta) and white beans make this feel like a full, satisfying meal rather than just a light veggie soup, adding both creamy texture and extra protein.
• Using a good vegetable broth makes a big difference here. I like to use Better than Bouillon for a richer, more concentrated flavor.
• The frozen peas and green beans are what really bring the springtime energy. Add them toward the end so they stay bright, slightly crisp, and not mushy.
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese is the way to go to have the best flavor for the croutons. Plus, you’ll have a parmesan rind to throw into the soup for a low-effort boost of savory depth.
• And the key finishing touch is the pesto. Stirred in at the end, it adds that fresh, herby finish and ties everything together. Highly recommend homemade pesto if you have the time, but store-bought works too.
• For the croutons, sourdough is ideal because it gets crispy on the outside while still having a little chew. I used the heels of a loaf, but any leftover bread will do.

Pour in the vegetable broth, add the pearl couscous and parmesan rind, and bring everything to a boil before lowering to a simmer. Let it cook until the potatoes are tender and the couscous is perfectly cooked.

Add the white beans, frozen peas, and green beans and let them warm through just until tender. Finish by stirring in the pesto right at the end.

For the croutons, toss cubed sourdough with melted butter, olive oil, and garlic powder until evenly coated. Then bake at 350°F until crisp (about 10 minutes).

Sprinkle the grated Parmesan over the croutons near the end, then return to the oven for 3–4 minutes, until melted and lightly browned.

Ladle the soup into bowls and top with croutons, an extra dollop of pesto, and a drizzle of olive oil.

FAQs

This is your sign to not give up on soup season just yet.

Watch How to Make Minestrone Soup with Pesto:

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Absolute Best Minestrone Soup with Pesto and Garlic Croutons

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• Author: Erica Baty
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Soup
• Method: Baking, Stovetop
• Cuisine: American Italian
• Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

A fresh and cozy minestrone soup with pesto, packed with veggies, beans, and couscous in a flavorful garlic-ginger broth. Topped with crispy parmesan croutons for the perfect finish.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Soup

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 shallots or 1 sweet onion, minced
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 1 Yukon gold potato, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced or 1/2 tablespoon garlic paste
• 1-inch knob ginger, freshly grated or 1/2 tablespoon ginger paste
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 3/4 teaspoon each kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• parmesan rind (if you have one!)
• 8 cups vegetable broth *see note
• 1/2 cup pearl couscous or ditalini
• 1 can cannellini or white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup pesto, plus more for dolloping

Croutons

• 8oz sourdough bread heels or leftover loaf, cubed
• 1 tablespoon salted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 oz parmesan cheese, freshly grated (about scant 1/2 cup)

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Instructions

Soup

1. In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add diced shallots, carrots and celery and sauté until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger, sautéing until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the diced potato, 2 teaspoons dried basil, a pinch of red pepper flakes and ¾ teaspoon each kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, stirring for another minute or so.
2. Pour in 8 cups vegetable broth, ½ cup pearl couscous and the parmesan rind. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes until the potatoes and couscous are tender. 
3. Add the beans, 1 cup peas, 1 cup green beans and simmer for a few moments until the green beans are tender.
4. Stir in ¼ cup pesto. Ladle soup into bowls and top with Parmesan croutons, another dollop of pesto and/or drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. MUAH! Divine vegetable soup, I’m tellin’ ya.

Croutons

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, melt 1 tablespoon salted butter. Stir in 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon garlic powder. Drizzle the butter mixture over bread cubes, tossing well to evenly coat. Bake for 10 minutes.
2. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on the croutons and return to the oven for 3-4 more minutes until the cheese and croutons are just beginning to brown. They’ll continue to crisp up as they cool!

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Notes

Broth: I use 2 heaping tablespoons Better than Boullion vegetable base + 8 cups water. The flavor is unmatched!

Refer to above blog post for step-by-step photos, ingredient information and answers to frequently asked questions.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/6 recipe (about 2 cups + 1/2-ish cup croutons)
• Calories: 406
• Sugar: 9.6 g
• Sodium: 762.6 mg
• Fat: 9.3 g
• Carbohydrates: 62.2 g
• Fiber: 9.5 g
• Protein: 20.6 g
• Cholesterol: 4.8 mg

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