• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

One Dish Kitchen logo

  • Recipes
  • Articles
  • Store
  • About
  • FAQ
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Articles
  • Store
  • About
  • FAQ
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Articles
  • Store
  • About
  • FAQ
×

Home » Recipes » Single Serving Soups

By Joanie Zisk Published: Oct 6, 2016 · Updated: Nov 10, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links · Please read my disclosure

Minestrone Soup For One

Jump to Recipe
soup with beans and pasta

Easy single serving minestrone soup recipe made with vegetables, bacon, and pasta. The perfect recipe when you are craving a great bowl of hearty soup but don't want the leftovers.

Bowl of minestrone soup topped with shaved parmesan cheese

Minestrone soup is an Italian classic. Our version is made with canned red beans, chicken broth, plenty of vegetables, and Parmesan cheese.

If you're a fan of Olive Garden restaurants in the United States, minestrone soup is one of their most popular menu items. It's also one of my favorite soups to make at home.

Why This Recipe Works

  • Easy to customize: Minestrone soup, the Italian soup made of mixed vegetables and beans is also a soup that can be made with any number of your favorite vegetables and ingredients. It's kind of like a "clean your pantry out" soup and the recipe itself is very flexible.
  • Easy to make: Minestrone is an easy soup to make. It's also hearty enough to be a meal in itself. You really can't mess up a good minestrone soup. I use canned beans and canned tomatoes along with frozen vegetables to keep it simple. Feel free to use same amounts of fresh vegetables and fresh chopped tomatoes instead.
  • Tasty: This soup is hearty and incredibly delicious!

RELATED: The Best Soup Recipes For One

Ingredients

See below for ways to use leftover ingredients.

There really isn't a "recipe" for minestrone soup, since it's usually made with whatever vegetables are in season. You can make your soup vegetarian, add meat, or use a meat-based soup broth such as chicken broth.

The ingredients you put in minestrone soup is really up to you. If you don't like beans, leave them out. Want to leave out the pasta? It's perfectly fine to do so. Minestrone is about improvising and using ingredients you love or ones that you have on hand.

Here are the ingredients in my base recipe:

  • bacon
  • chopped onions
  • garlic
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • canned beans
  • diced tomatoes
  • mixed vegetables
  • chicken broth
  • salt & pepper
  • small shaped pasta
cooking for one subscription ad

How To Make This Recipe

See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.

  1. Begin by cooking the chopped bacon in a 2-quart saucepan. After the bacon has crisped, remove the pieces from the pot and set them on a paper towel-lined plate.
  2. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and sauté until tender.
  3. Add beans, vegetables, tomatoes, the cooked bacon, chicken broth and a splash of Worcestershire sauce.
  4. Finally, add the pasta which will cook while the soup continues to heat. I like using Conchiglie pasta and they look like small seashells.

Expert Tips

  • To make a vegetarian minestrone soup, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and omit the bacon.
  • Cook the pasta in the soup until it is al dente (meaning it has a little bite to it) because it will continue cooking after you remove it from the stove.
  • If you aren't eating the soup right away, cook the pasta separately and add it to the minestrone when you are ready to eat it. Otherwise, the pasta will get mushy.
  • Remember to customize your soup with ingredients you already have. From small shaped pastas to beans and vegetables, any will work well here.
  • Consider adding a protein to your soup. Make a chicken minestrone using leftover chicken or beef minestrone made with cooked ground beef.
  • Use rice instead of pasta. If you choose to use rice, I recommend cooking it separately to ensure it is properly cooked.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Kinds Of Vegetables Can I Add To Minestrone?

One of the best things about Italian minestrone soup is that it's a clean-out-your-fridge kind of soup. Use what you have on hand or what's in season. A few favorites include:
potatoes
zucchini
spinach
green beans

How Do I Store Minestrone Soup?

Minestrone leftovers can be refrigerated for 1 week and reheated either in the microwave or on the stovetop.

You can freeze minestrone soup although the vegetables will tend to soften after freezing and reheating. If you have added pasta to your soup, note that pasta does not freeze well. You may want to freeze the soup without the pasta and then add it after thawing and reheating. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Can This Recipe Be Doubled?

Yes! If you want to make a second bowl, double the ingredients.

A spoonful of minestrone soup filled with noodles, beans, carrots, and other vegetables

Serving Suggestions

You might like to consider serving any of these wonderful single serving side dishes with a bowl of minestrone soup:

  • Mini Irish Soda Bread
  • Spinach and Orzo Salad
  • Avocado Salad
  • Cornbread
  • French Bread

What To Do With Leftover Ingredients

If you have any leftover ingredients from this minestrone soup recipe, you might like to use them in any of these single serving recipes:

  • Bacon: Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf, Twice Baked Potato, Stuffed Fish, Cobb Salad
  • Canned beans: Vegetable Enchiladas, Chili Baked Potato, Turkey Chili, Red Beans and Rice
  • Canned diced tomatoes: Goulash, Chicken Chili, Shrimp Creole, Tomato Sauce
  • Mixed vegetables: Fried Rice, Chicken Pot Pie
  • Pasta: Italian Pasta Salad, Macaroni and Cheese, Crawfish Pasta, Mediterranean Pasta and Shrimp
  • Chicken broth: Chicken and Rice Casserole, Chicken and Dumplings, Risotto, Turkey Cutlets
An overhead view of a bowl of minestrone soup

RELATED: Single Serving Comfort Food Recipes

Other Single Serving Soup Recipes

  • Potato Soup
  • Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
  • Pumpkin Soup
  • Broccoli Cheese Soup
  • Curried Butternut Squash Soup
  • Carrot Soup
  • Vegetable Soup
  • Black Bean Soup
  • Zuppa Toscana
  • Clam Chowder
  • White Bean Soup
  • French Onion Soup
  • Creamy Vegetable Soup

For more information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.

For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.

If you’ve tried this small batch of minestrone soup or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.

Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it.

a white bowl filled with minestrone soup topped with shaved parmesan cheese

Minestrone Soup For One

Easy single serving minestrone soup recipe made with vegetables, bacon and pasta. The perfect recipe when you are craving a great bowl of hearty soup but don’t want the leftovers.
4.62 from 13 votes
Print Pin Rate
See the post above for expert tips,
FAQs and ways to use leftover ingredients.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Course: Main Dish
Servings: 1 serving
Calories: 538kcal
Author: Joanie Zisk

Equipment

  • 2 quart saucepan

Ingredients

  • 2 strips bacon
  • ½ cup chopped onions
  • 1 clove garlic , minced
  • ½ teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
  • ½ cup canned red beans , rinsed and drained
  • ½ cup canned diced tomatoes
  • ¾ cup frozen mixed vegetables
  • 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
  • ½ cup dried small shaped pasta
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Slice the bacon into ¼-inch pieces and cook in a medium-sized pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally until bacon is crisp. Remove bacon from pot with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined plate.
  • Add the chopped onions to the pot and cook 2 minutes until translucent.
  • Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute longer.
  • Stir in the Worcestershire Sauce, the red beans, the diced tomatoes and the mixed vegetables. Stir for 1 minute.
  • Add the chicken broth and stir in the cooked bacon.
  • Season with salt and pepper and bring to a gentle boil.
  • Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add the pasta and cook on low heat until pasta is al dente, about 4 minutes.
  • Pour into a bowl and enjoy hot.

Notes

Expert Tips
  • To make a vegetarian minestrone soup, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and omit the bacon.
  • Cook the pasta in the soup until it is al dente (meaning it has a little bite to it) because it will continue cooking after you remove it from the stove.
  • If you aren't eating the soup right away, cook the pasta separately and add it to the minestrone when you are ready to eat it. Otherwise, the pasta will get mushy.
  • Remember to customize your soup with ingredients you already have. From small shaped pastas to beans and vegetables, any will work well here.
  • Consider adding a protein to your soup. Make a chicken minestrone using leftover chicken or beef minestrone made with cooked ground beef.
  • Use rice instead of pasta. If you choose to use rice, I recommend cooking it separately to ensure it is properly cooked.
Nutrition Facts
Minestrone Soup For One
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 538 Calories from Fat 198
% Daily Value*
Fat 22g34%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Cholesterol 29mg10%
Sodium 339mg15%
Potassium 1355mg39%
Carbohydrates 82g27%
Fiber 13g54%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 32g64%
Vitamin A 7072IU141%
Vitamin C 25mg30%
Calcium 127mg13%
Iron 5mg28%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Receive Our Latest Single Serving Recipes!Sign Up for the weekly One Dish Kitchen Newsletter!!
« Beef and Cheese Pita Pizza
Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowl For One »

About Joanie Zisk

Joanie Zisk is the creator of OneDishKitchen.com, the number one go-to site for single serving recipes. The aim of One Dish Kitchen is to inspire individuals with access to single serving recipes that will enable them to enjoy the preparation of a meal that will nourish both body and soul. Her website is filled with hundreds of easy, flavorful recipes that are tailored for those cooking for one. Joanie is the author of "The Ultimate Cooking For One Cookbook" and her recipes and food photography have been featured in various publications including, TODAY.com, Huffington Post, Real Simple, Self.com,Women’s Day, Buzzfeed, and others. Come say hello and follow Joanie on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. Deepti says

    June 19, 2022 at 11:57 pm

    I made this recipe last week for the first time and absolutely loved it! I've never made minestrone soup before (only had it in restaurants).I made mine vegetarian instead (used Smart bacon and Better than Bouillon Vegetarian) and it was so good! Thanks for the recipe! Looking forward to trying more recipes.

    Reply
  2. Myra S says

    February 24, 2022 at 7:44 pm

    Hi,
    I tried this minestrone soup and it was delicious! It made more than a single serving, so I will have enough for lunch tomorrow. I am over the moon to have found your recipes on line! I have to watch my weight but I don’t want diet food. So I really rely on the nutritional charts for each recipes. I would love it if you would put together a book for 1600 calories or less and include a dessert from time to time. The recipes you have compiled gives lots of varieties, choices and prevents food waste. Thank you so much and I can’t wait to get my own copy of your cookbook. I will be trying the clam chowder next🎉!

    Reply
  3. Darlene says

    September 17, 2020 at 5:00 pm

    I doubled the recipe so we will have a leftover for a couple of lunches. Next time I’ll decrease the pasta. I added a couple shakes of italian seasoning. Because hot soup is too hot for use to eat when it’s first cooked, I added 2 ice cubes to cool it down a bit. Topped it with fresh grated parm cheese. Very good. So glad I found this site. I use it often.

    Reply
    • Joanie Zisk says

      September 17, 2020 at 6:02 pm

      I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for your feedback.

      Reply
  4. Lauren Phillips says

    May 09, 2020 at 8:06 am

    Thank you very much for this site! It's lockdown gold for a single person who also doesn't really know how to cook. 😉

    Reply
    • Joanie Zisk says

      May 09, 2020 at 6:42 pm

      We're so glad you are enjoying the recipes, Lauren!

      Reply
  5. Marjorie Lipsey says

    January 03, 2020 at 1:10 pm

    For medical reasons I do not eat beef or pork, how about recipes with out bacon?

    Reply
    • Joanie Zisk says

      January 03, 2020 at 5:26 pm

      Hi Marjorie,

      We have many meatless recipes here. You might be interested in browsing through our "meatless meals" article - https://onedishkitchen.com/single-serving-meatless-recipes/. Also feel free to leave out the bacon in this minestrone recipe - you won't even miss it.

      Joanie

      Reply
  6. Ana says

    March 26, 2018 at 7:31 pm

    This recipe looks awesome!

    BUT, I am a little bummed because, yes its cut down to size for one... but I can half or 1/4 any recipe. The problem is, now what do I do with all the leftover 1/2 can of beans, 1/2 can of tomatoes, the rest of the bag of frozen veggies? Either i have to get super creative to use them up, or (more commonly) they spoil before I can. That is what is so frustrating about cooking for one.

    Reply
    • Joanie Zisk says

      March 26, 2018 at 9:45 pm

      Hi Ana, I always suggest saving the rest of the ingredients not used in a recipe to use in different recipes. For instance, the remainder of the beans can be used in a Chili Cheese Baked Potato ( https://onedishkitchen.com/chili-cheese-baked-potato/ ) or in a Red Beans and Rice For One (https://onedishkitchen.com/slow-cooker-red-beans-and-rice-for-one/). Keep the remainder of the frozen vegetables in the freezer to use again when you need it. Canned diced tomatoes can be frozen once the can has been opened or use the remainder in other recipes like chicken chili (https://onedishkitchen.com/chicken-chili-for-one/) or Pasta with Vodka Sauce (https://onedishkitchen.com/pasta-with-vodka-sauce-for-one/). You can search our site for the ingredient and a list of recipes made with that ingredient will show up for you. I hate to waste food and don't recommend it. Hope these suggestions help.

      Reply
    • BC says

      December 29, 2022 at 10:13 am

      Make double using all the ingredients and freeze.BC

      Reply
  7. Annamaria says

    January 14, 2018 at 6:34 pm

    I just made this minestrone as it's 24 degrees outside! My husband opted for a cheeseburger (he's not really a soup person - his loss!! LOL!) So I found this because I am actually always looking for recipes we can both eat that are healthy but sometimes, he ends up eating something else and I still want to eat things he may not be crazy about. Anyway, made this tonight - it was delicious! I omitted the bacon and the Worcestershire sauce, sprinkled some cheese on it and it was so warming on this cold night! I used really tiny shells (soup shells) and it really made a good amount of soup! I ate it all!!

    Reply
    • Joanie Zisk says

      January 15, 2018 at 9:37 am

      Annamaria, I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you so much for letting me know.

      Reply
« Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Your Cooking for One Source - Because you are worth it - info graphic
joanie zisk leaning on a counter in the kitchen.

Welcome to One Dish Kitchen, I’m Joanie and I’m incredibly happy you’re here! Our aim is to inspire individuals with access to single serving recipes, education, and a supportive community that will enable them to enjoy the preparation of a meal that will nourish both body and soul.

More about me →

Our Store

red and ecru 5-inch baking dish advertisement

Keep Warm Recipes

  • Pork Stir Fry For One
  • Banana Pancakes For One
  • Cashew Chicken For One
  • Pork Tenderloin Recipe
  • Bacon, Egg and Cheese Cup
  • Chicken Caprese For One
Newsletter signup graphic

Popular Recipes

  • Easy Small Batch Banana Muffins Recipe
  • Fluffy Pancakes For One
  • How To Make A Small Loaf Of French Bread
  • Mini Pound Cake Recipe

Featured On...

Logos of publications that One Dish Kitchen has been published

Cooking for One Tips

Cooking For One - Tips To Eat Healthy and Save Money - Whether you live alone, you're a parent that wants to indulge while the kids enjoy their favorites, or you have a partner who travels, you're sure to find these simple tips for cooking for one and tasty recipes helpful. | One Dish Kitchen

Footer

↑ back to top

One Dish Kitchen

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure Statement
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Contact
  • Work with Us

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Food and Recipes

  • Recipes
  • Meal Plans
  • Cookbook
  • FAQ
  • Store

Copyright © 2023 One Dish Kitchen