Minestra
A crowd-pleasing vegan built around courgettes, aubergine and pumpkin — roughly 65 minutes start to finish, and rated medium to make. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 6 steps.
You'll mainly reach for large pot and saucepan. At medium difficulty across 6 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, every ingredient resolved to a plant source.
What you'll need
Shopping list (7)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: vegan — no meat, fish, dairy, egg or honey, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: none of the major allergens we track from the ingredients listed.
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic, then dice the courgettes, aubergine, peeled pumpkin, kohlrabi and turnips into roughly even 1.5 cm cubes so they cook at a similar rate.
- Warm the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat, add the onion and a pinch of salt, and sweat gently for 6 to 8 minutes until soft and translucent, then stir in the garlic for a further minute.
- Add the firmer vegetables first, the turnips, kohlrabi and pumpkin, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, to let them take on a little colour and flavour.
- Stir in the aubergine and courgettes along with the chopped tomatoes, then pour in the vegetable stock and bring the pot up to a gentle boil.
- Lower the heat, partially cover, and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes until every vegetable is tender and the broth has thickened slightly and tastes rich.
- Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper, tear in the fresh basil, and ladle into warm bowls with a drizzle of olive oil over the top.
You'll use: Large pot · Saucepan
Tips & common questions
How long does Minestra take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 13 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Minestra vegan?
Every ingredient listed on this page resolved to a plant or mineral source in our ingredient ontology — no meat, fish, shellfish, dairy, egg or honey. Labels can still differ by brand, so check packaged items.
Related recipes
Adapted recipe — rewritten in our own wording from an open-licensed community cookbook, not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Minestra is adapted by Consomee from the Wikibooks Cookbook, rewritten in our own wording and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: Minestra Maltija 02.jpg by Continentaleurope, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.