Taste is 5 star but am giving this 3 Stars because of the misinformation when it comes to the ingredient amounts. I made this as directed except for using just 1 cup of elbow macaroni. Makes a lot so I sent some to neighbors. When I took mine out to serve the next day I couldn't believe it. There was NO broth left. The macaroni had absorbed it ALL and I didn't even use the full amount of macaroni. I called my neighbors and they said they enjoyed the STEW - too late to send them over a can or two more of broth to add to it. This soup needs a minimum of 24oz. more of liquid - I would use vegetable broth.

Recipe was very easy to make and it makes ALOT! I would recomend to cut your vegetable into small pieces especially the carrots and potatoes. As for the rest I doubled the broth and cut 1/2 cup of the pasta out, even this did not work as previously recomended I would go with 1/2 the pasta (and most importantly pre-cook it) I love the pasta in minestrone and it was too much for me! As for the cooking instead of slow simmering I brought the soup up to a boil reduced to a simmer and covered and it cut about 10 minutes off of the cooking time.

GREAT START, BUT...needed some adjustments to get to 5 Stars. Here is how I got to 5 Stars: Added 1/2 bag frozen chopped spinach, 1 can petite diced Italian tomatoes, 1 can pesto tomatoes paste (Contadina brand), 1/2 the recommended amount of dried spices, 5 cloves garlic, nixed the pasta, only 2 potatoes, 4 carrots 3 whole celery stalks (leaves and all!), 1 zucchini, 2 small yellow squash, 1 quart vegetable stock and 1 can chicken broth (no water!) 1 more can of regular tomatoe paste will likely make it 6 stars...NEXT TIME!!! Thanks for the recipe! PSST...don't forget the sprinkle of cheese!

WOW! such an easy, and tasty soup... my 1 year old and I just had it for luch!!! It was a big hit. I had to add extra broth, I also added some parsley and a chopped up zucchini, I'm sure you could add just about any veg.,..maybe corn next time!

I'm rewriting this review because I made the minestrone again and it is SOGOOD! Last time I made it, the liquid disappeared within an hour or two of taking the pot off of the stove. I mean it was totally gone--like a casserole or something. So here's what I changed this time: I used 3 potatoes, 3 carrots, 2 stalks of celery, one quite-small onion, 4 cloves garlic, 16 oz of veggie broth, 1-1/4 cups macaroni, and dried herbs instead of fresh (same quantities). All the other ingredients were the same. I heated the olive oil and cooked the onion and garlic for maybe 5 minutes, then added the rest of the chopped veggies and let them cook together for a few minutes. I think it tastes better that way. I had to cook longer than 30 minutes, and the macaroni took longer than 10 minutes as well. There isn't a lot of liquid but it's much better than last time. If it disappears again I'll add more veggie broth. Using smaller quantities of vegetables makes a much more manageable-sized soup and I don't think we'll have to throw any away this time. It also tastes better when there's more liquid. With these modifications, I really love this recipe! Thanks Corrigan!

Easy make ahead family dinner or cold weather party starter. Cook pasta separately. Place pasta in individual serving bowl & add the soup on top. Cooked and drained pasta will keep in a plastic bag in the frig for several days. Personal preferences include less onion & garlic (especially when freezing), chopped spinach, finely shredded cabbage, diced tomatoes, V8 juice and any veggie I have in the frig. Keeping the pasta separate also makes the recipe crockpot & freezer friendly for those rushed days. Enjoy

Warning: Makes a lot yet can be easily frozen for leftovers. This stuff was GOOD, and really easy to make for a weeknight. The most time consuming part is chopping the vegetables, and while the soup cooks, stir every so often. I didn't have veggie broth so I used a can of chicken broth instead, also added in a can of chick peas. Very yummy, will definitely be making again.

Very good - husband loved it :) Only change I made was adding the fresh herbs at the end with the macaroni. Thanks for an easy recipe!

This was a huge hit at a church supper last night. I needed a hearty vegetarian soup and this fit the bill. We doubled the recipe and had enough for about 23 people plus some extra. Everyone is asking for the recipe. I made a couple of small changes, but it would've been good without them too. I just added some chopped zucchini, used dry herbs since I didn't have fresh, and used small shells instead of macaroni for the pasta.It was excellent!

Delicious and very flavorful, served at a special dinner with vegetarian friend he loved it and immediately asked for the recipe!