This is, hands-down, our favorite minestrone soup recipe. It’s packed with veggies, beans, and pasta, all swimming in the coziest tomato-Parmesan broth. We can’t get enough of it.

I love this soup so much. It’s perfect on day one, but somehow it gets even better as the days go by. The trick is to add a Parmigiano Reggiano rind to the broth as it simmers. It melts a bit, seasons the broth, and adds a light cheesy flavor.

Thanks to the beans, tomatoes, loads of veggies, and a handful of pasta, this soup is hearty enough to be a meal all on its own. If you want something even heartier, check out our minestrone soup with sausage or try one of our other veggie soups like this easy vegetable soup.

Key Ingredients

• Vegetables: The heart of any minestrone is a lot of veggies. You can play around with what you have on hand or what’s in season, but in our most made version, we use onion, carrots, celery, green beans, zucchini, and spinach.
• Canned Tomatoes: I’m all about fire-roasted canned tomatoes for this soup. They add a little extra flavor compared to regular tomatoes.
• White Beans: Use whatever white beans you love best. Canned or cooked both work. We usually go for cannellini, navy, or Great Northern beans. That said, kidney beans are popular in minestrone soup, so if you have a can of them, feel free to use them.
• Pasta: I love a handful of dried pasta added to this soup. Go for a smaller shape like ditalini or orzo, or use shells, which trap some of the vegetables inside.
• Stock: I used chicken broth in the photos, but vegetable broth is just as good. If you want to make your own, check out our chicken broth, chicken stock, and vegetable broth recipes.
• Garlic, Tomato Paste, Rosemary, and Parmesan: These are what make the broth so good. Use fresh garlic if you can. Tomato paste makes the broth richer, and a tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary makes it aromatic. If you have a Parmesan rind, drop it right into the pot and let it work its magic as the soup simmers. If you don’t have a rind, just stir in some grated Parmesan at the end.

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Our Favorite Minestrone Soup

Tip 1: Sweat the vegetables. To remove the raw flavors of onions, carrots, and celery, briefly sauté them in olive oil. After a few minutes, that raw flavor will disappear, and they will smell sweet. We keep the other vegetables to the side for adding later since they do not need as long to become tender.

Tip 2: Build flavor with garlic, tomato paste, and rosemary. Just before pouring in your canned tomatoes, add the garlic, tomato paste, and rosemary. A minute or so of stirring them around the pot toasts the garlic and turns the tomato paste from a bright red to orange, which deepens its flavor.

Tip 3: Make the broth. Now, you can pile in the green beans, zucchini, canned tomatoes, beans, and broth. We drain and rinse our beans before adding them.

Tip 4: Add a Parmigiano Reggiano rind. This is my secret for the best minestrone soup. It works wonders. As the soup simmers, the cheese melts a bit and seasons the broth. Depending on how hard the rind you use is, it may not dissolve completely.

Tip 5: Add the pasta towards the end. So it doesn’t get too mushy, add your pasta when the soup has about 10 minutes left. The veggies only take about 20 minutes, so I usually simmer them for 10 minutes, then add my dried pasta and stir.

Tip 6: Turn off the heat, then stir in the spinach. I love finishing this soup with a generous amount of roughly chopped fresh spinach. It doesn’t take long to cook, so turn off the heat and stir in the spinach. Leave it for a minute or two, and it will be nicely wilted into the soup.

Serving Suggestions

I am perfectly happy to sit with a bowl of this soup and call it a day, but if you are looking for more, I’ve got a few suggestions for you. First off, a slice of homemade focaccia or sourdough with salted butter would be lovely. Then, for something light, try a salad on the side. Some of our favorites include panzanella salad, Caprese salad, arugula couscous salad, and lemon-herb zucchini salad.

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Our favorite taco meat recipe calls for ground beef, turkey, or chicken, along with basic spices you probably already have on hand. Easy and so much better than what you can make from the packets sold at the store.

My entire family loves this taco meat recipe, and we use it all the time for quick dinners like beef tacos, turkey tacos, taco salad, burritos, nachos, and more.

It’s absolutely a recipe you should keep in your back pocket, because when those busy days happen (which they do!), knowing that you can make a 15-minute dinner with basic spices from your spice cabinet and a pound of ground meat helps.

Key Ingredients

• Taco Seasoning: I know you can buy packets at the store, but trust me, our taco spice blend is so much better. Also, I bet you already have all the spices you need to make it in your spice cabinet. You’ll combine chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, oregano, and salt together. It’s easy and makes the taco meat extra delicious. Another option is to use this taco seasoning recipe, which makes a larger batch has a few optional ingredients for flavor.
• Ground meat: Our photos show ground beef, but you can use ground turkey, ground chicken, ground pork, or really any ground meat you have on hand in our recipe below. We like a little fat, but not too much, or else the meat turns out greasy. Look for 7% to 10% fat.
• Veggies: These are optional, and I don’t always add them. That said, when I have them in the fridge, I love adding chopped onion and Anaheim pepper to my skillet. It adds a bit of extra texture, and I love how they both turn out sweet once cooked.
• Tomato Paste and Stock: These bring everything together. A little tomato paste deepens the rich flavor of the meat and spices, and the stock keeps it from drying out. I like vegetable broth, tomato broth, beef stock, or chicken stock. You only need 1/2 cup, so use whatever you have (water will work in a pinch, too).

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make the Best Taco Meat

Tip 1: Make our homemade spice mix. Skip the packets at the store, our simple taco meat seasoning calls for spices I bet you already have on hand. You’ll stir together chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, dried oregano, and salt. So simple!

Tip 2: Brown the ground meat. For the best results, get a little color and crispy texture on your ground meat. I like patting it down into the skillet and leaving it for a minute so it starts to pick up some color. Add your spice mix, and then use a wooden spoon to break the meat apart into crumbles. A heavier skillet (like a cast-iron pan) is perfect.

Tip 3: Add some extra veggies. I don’t always do this, but when I have them on hand, I love cooking some chopped onion and Anaheim peppers with the meat. They soften and take on a little sweetness, which is really nice with the spices.

Tip 4: Finish with tomato paste and stock. Here’s where we bring everything together and make sure our taco meat stays juicy, not dried out. Stir in a bit of tomato paste, then, when it’s distributed, pour in a bit of stock. Let it simmer, and then you are good to go!

Serving Suggestions

I’m betting you already have a few ideas for using your taco meat, but here are a few more suggestions. We love it tucked into homemade tortillas (try corn tortillas or flour tortillas), spooned on top of taco salad, and stuffed into burritos. The toppings and sides for this are endless. Here’s a list of our favorites:

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I’ve fallen hard for this easy farro salad recipe made with cooked farro, sweet apples, arugula, and a zippy lemon dressing.

The lemony dressing for this salad is fresh and bright, which works so well with the nuttiness of the farro and the sweetness of the apples. If you have not cooked with farro much in the past, this easy salad is a great place to start.

Below, you’ll find all my tips for how to cook farro. If you can cook pasta, you can cook farro. You can also easily substitute the farro for other grains like quinoa (see how to cook quinoa), wild rice, brown rice, or pearl couscous, which we use in our arugula couscous salad.

Key Ingredients

• Farro: Farro is an ancient whole grain derived from wheat. It’s not gluten-free, but it’s rich in protein and fiber and has a wonderful nutty flavor. We use whole farro in the recipe below, but see the tips for other varieties like cracked farro. Wild rice, fluffy quinoa, pearl couscous, or orzo pasta are all excellent substitutes.
• Lemon Dressing: The dressing for this is almost identical to the one we use for our couscous salad. It’s made with fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper. It’s zippy, fresh, and perfect with the other ingredients.
• Apple: Sliced apples really make this salad fresh and delicious. The crunchy apples against the chewy farro is such a great combination. Pear would be lovely, too.
• Arugula: I love peppery arugula here, but you can swap it with your favorite greens like spinach, bok choy, or kale.
• Fresh herbs: These are optional, but I love tossing in a handful when I have them. Parsley, mint, basil, and dill are all excellent choices.
• Nuts and Dries Fruit: I list pecans and golden raisins in the recipe below, but use what you have. The nuts add crunch, and the dried fruit adds a chewy sweetness that makes the salad more interesting. I use the same trick in our arugula couscous salad.
• Goat Cheese (optional): I love scattering crumbled goat cheese into this salad, but feta, grilled halloumi, or even shaved parmesan are great, too. You can also leave the cheese out to keep this dairy-free.

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Our Favorite Farro Salad

Tip 1: Cook the farro. I love whole farro, which is what’s shown in our photos. To cook it, add it to a saucepan with water, a bay leaf, and a pinch of salt, then simmer with the lid partially covering the saucepan until tender. It takes a bout 35 minutes.

Tip 2: Make the dressing and salad in the same bowl. To make the salad, I start by whisking my dressing in the bottom of a large bowl. When the dressing is ready, I toss in the cooked farro, apples, nuts, dried fruit, lots of fresh herbs, and some greens. Making your dressing in the same bowl you plan to serve it in saves you dishes!

Tip 3: Make it ahead. This salad holds well, use an apple variety that doesn’t brown as much, like Honeycrisp and Pink Lady, and choose a heartier green like kale or spinach instead of the more tender arugula. Another option is to keep the greens to the side of the salad and mix them in just before serving.

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These House Favorite Brussels Sprouts are the best side veg and are speckled with bright bursts of cranberries and nutty walnuts. The perfect addition to any meal!

Let’s talk about these roasty, sweet, nutty brussels sprouts that combine those tender-crisp, whole-brussel bites with the ultra thin and crispy leaves, all coated with a lil’ mustard-maple drench and speckled with juicy bites of dried cranberry. Oh my gosh. WHY ARE THEY SO GOOD.

To be honest, I have very few “house favorites” in our house because I always change it up. Always trying new recipes, always moving on to the next thing. We hardly stay on any one recipe for more than just a few repeats because new! exciting! rah rah rah. But this recipe has been made WEEKLY for… um, the last five months? It has solidly earned its House Favorite status. We make these brussels sprouts all. the. time. We’ve even added a spicy variation to our repertoire and I cannot be stopped.

Dad loves them, toddler loves them, Mom loves them AND loves that everyone loves them. Also: guests love them, although usually if it’s more than just us, we’re going to need to double the recipe because, yes, in our house, we will for sure finish one pan between the three of us.

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In This Post: Everything You Need For These Brussels Sprouts

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Ingredients For These Roasted Brussels Sprouts

This is an SOS series recipe – as in, an excellent back pocket choice for when you just need to get something on the table quickly – so here’s our super short and sweet ingredient list:

• brussels sprouts
• walnuts
• dried cranberries
• maple syrup
• Dijon mustard

And, of course, your standards: olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Prefer To Watch Instead Of Read?

How To Make Brussels Sprouts That Actually Taste Good

Here we go!

1. Prep your brussels sprouts. Cut off the base of the brussel sprout, remove the outer leaves, and cut it in half vertically. Turn on some music or a good show and go to town.
2. Then, the brussels get tossed in olive oil and roast in the oven, cut side down, until they are nice and crispy.
3. The walnuts get added for the last minute for a little toasting.
4. The cranberries join the cool-down party.
5. And finally, the sauce gets added directly to the pan. And by sauce, I mean an eyeballed little squirt of Dijon mustard and a solid drizzle of maple syrup (if you like things tangy, maybe a little balsamic vinegar too?). Get a little more olive oil, salt, and pepper up in there, maybe some red pepper flakes if you like things spicy, and ohhhkay yes.

That was easy. We are in business.

What To Serve with Brussels Sprouts

The brussels in and of themselves aren’t a meal (although, with the cranberries and walnuts in there…maybe they are?), but here are some ideas for what to serve them with – SOS STYLE.

The flavors of this recipe can go so many directions with whatever it is you’re eating. And I’m sure you can think of 100 or more fancier ideas to round out the table if you’re going for a more impressive-dinner-party situation, so don’t let me hold you back.

But for basic nights at home, when you want to really, truly, actually look forward to eating your vegetables, these basic, versatile, saucy, crispy sprouts are where it’s at.

I’m telling you – HOUSE FAVORITE.

House Favorite Brussels Sprouts: Frequently Asked Questions

I’m allergic to nuts. What can I substitute?

You could leave the nuts out completely or, if you can have seeds, you could add pumpkin seeds here. Once you add the pumpkin seeds, just keep a close eye on things so they don’t burn.

How could I prep brussels sprouts in advance?

Brussels sprouts are really best fresh and crispy out of the oven, so for prepping ahead of time, I would recommend just cutting the brussels sprouts so they’re ready to get roasted, and whisk the mustard and maple syrup together so that’s ready to go too!

Can I add meat to these brussels sprouts?

Sure! Some diced pancetta or bacon would be great! You could also cook up some salmon to go with this very nicely.

Are there any herbs I could add to this?

Absolutely! Thyme and/or rosemary would be lovely additions to this.

Can I add cheese to this?

That sounds delicious! Yes. Crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese would be delicious.

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Description

These House Favorite Brussels Sprouts are the best side veg and are speckled with bright bursts of cranberries and nutty walnuts. The perfect addition to any meal! 

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1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place brussels sprouts cut-side down directly on a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Roast brussels sprouts for 15-20 minutes, until cut sides are very brown and some of the leaves are crispy. Add walnuts, mustard, and maple; return to oven for 5-10 minutes to get the walnuts toasted. (You can choose to either add the sauce now, or when the pan comes out of the oven in step 3. If you add it now, it gets kind of baked into the brussels, but if you add it when they’re done baking, it’ll be a little more saucy. I like it both ways. Your choice!)

3. Remove from oven. Toss with cranberries directly on the baking sheet. Season and serve immediately. Yumo!

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Roast
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: brussels sprouts, walnuts, cranberries

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