Soup. Broth. Minestre are hearty vegetables soups with a long history, with records going back as far as the 11th century in Lombardy. They are made with a broth with vegetables cut into sizes that can be easily eaten and often with pasta or rice added and sometimes gnocchi. Historically the term referred to what came after the antipasto and could refer to soups or pasta or rice dishes. Now it is virtually confined to the soup course. They are more fluid than "zuppe" and "crema" refers to creamed soups.
