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Katie's Cucina » Recipes » Soups and Stews

Carrabba’s Minestrone Soup

Published: Sep 17, 2020 · Modified: Jan 17, 2022 by Katie · This post may contain affiliate links

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Two photos: Top of a bowl of minestrone soup, bottom of a black ladle with soup.
Black ladle full of minestrone soup over a yellow filled soup pot.
Yellow soup pot filled with minestrone with text on image for Pinterest.
Top view of a yellow soup pot with two bowls filled with minestrone soup.

If you love dining at Carrabba’s Italian Grill you’ll love this copycat Minestrone Soup recipe. This hearty Italian minestrone soup has seven different vegetables and three beans. This soup recipe is done in just over an hours time and taste just like the soup you order at Carrabba’s.

Top view of two bowl so minestrone soup, yellow pot filled with soup, and vegetables on countertop.

My husband and I have been eating at Carrabbas Italian Grill for well over a decade now. We love their food, as do our children. My absolute favorite soup is Carrabba’s Minestrone Soup. I order it every time we go as a starter or sometimes even as a main meal. The soup is hearty with a variety of vegetables, filling with three types of beans, and full of so much flavor thanks to the prosciutto.

I’m warning you now, this copycat recipe makes a massive amount of soup. Unless you are feeding an army you will need to freeze some of the soup to enjoy at a later date. I’ve been making this minestrone soup for over a decade now, and still have yet to figure out how to scale down this recipe. However, my minestrone soup with noodles and my fall minestrone soups make much less.

Close up of a black ladle filled with minestrone soup over a yellow pot.
Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • Directions
  • FAQs
  • Tips & Tricks
  • Carrabba’s Copycat Recipes
  • Carrabba’s Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

Diced onions, pancetta, carrots and celery on white cutting board.
  • Salted butter & Olive Oil – Both are used to soften and caramelize the celery, onions, and carrots as they begin to cook.
  • Vegetables – Carrabba’s puts the following vegetables in their soup: celery, carrots, onion, garlic, green beans, cabbage, and zucchini.
  • Prosciutto – This is key to having a developed and deep flavor in the minestrone soup.
  • Seasonings – I like to use a blend of dried parsley, basil, salt, and black pepper.
  • Chicken Stock –
  • Bay Leaf – A bay leaf will help keep the soup light and balanced.
  • Pecorrino Romano – For this recipe you will use the rind of the cheese as well as grated on top once the soup is done and served.
  • Russet Potatoes – The russet potato holds its shape the best. Take the time to peel the potato just as Carrabba’s does.
  • Beans – Carrabba’s uses three different types of beans in their soups. They use garbanzo beans, kidney beans, and cannelini beans in the soup.

Directions

Melt the salted butter and olive oil in a 10 quart stock pot on medium heat. Sauté celery, carrots, onion, prosciutto, and garlic and cook until soft about 5 minutes.

Add the chopped green beans, cabbage, zucchini, parsley and basil and cook for about 10 minutes or until soft.

Add chicken stock, bay leaf, tomatoes, Pecorino Romano rind and potatoes. Bring the soup to boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes or until potatoes are soft.

Top view of fresh tomatoes, spices, and vegetables in a stock pot simmering.

Add canned garbanzo, kidney, and cannelini beans and simmer for 5 additional minutes.

Remove the Pecorino Romano rind and prosciutto (if you kept it whole). Stir in the grated Pecorino Romano cheese, stirring constantly until melted in.

Top view of a white bowl filled with minestrone soup with cheese grater and cheese next to it.

Ladle evenly among bowls.

FAQs

Is Carrabba’s minestrone soup vegan?

No, Carrabba’s minestrone soup is not vegan nor is it vegetarian. The soup is cooked in chicken broth and has flavors and pieces of Prosciutto as well as the rind of Pecorino Romano cheese.

How do you add flavor to minestrone soup?

I love using Prosciutto and a rind of either Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese to the broth of minestrone soup.

Is minestrone soup good for you?

If you enjoy minestrone soup from scratch, then yes it is good for you. It is chocked full of fresh vegetables and broth that leaves you full.

Tips & Tricks

Top view of yellow pot filled with minestrone soup with vegetables in background.

Here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks I’ve found helpful when making this Carrabba’s minestrone soup recipe.

  • Mise en Place – This soup has A LOT of vegetables and ingredients in general. It is important you prep as much vegetables as possible.
  • Prosciutto – Do not skip adding the Prosciutto to the broth. It lends so much flavor and is exactly why this soup is so flavorful.
  • Freeze – You can freeze the leftover cooled soup in freezer safe containers for up to 3 months.
  • Thaw – Remove the soup from the freezer. Place in the refrigerator to thaw for up to one day. Then reheat on the stove top on medium heat until piping hot. OR place the frozen soup (out of the container) in a sauce pot and cook on high heat until hot and bubbly.
  • Vegetarian – Make this soup vegetarian by omitting the prosciutto and using vegetable broth instead.

Carrabba’s Copycat Recipes

Two white bowls filled with minestrone soup topped with shredded parmesean cheese.

It’s no surprise that we love Carrabba’s Italian Grill. I’ve created quite a few Carrabba’s Copycat recipes. Here are a few other Carrabba’s Copycat Recipes that I’ve made over the years. Nothing better then “home” takeout without spending the restaurant price tag!

  • Carrabba’s Sausage Lentil Soup
  • Pasta Rambo
  • Instant Pot Sausage & Rigatoni with Goat Cheese
  • Penne with Fenel Sausage Pomodoro
  • Slow Cooker Sicilian Chicken Soup
  • Cavatapi Amatriciana

If you make this copycat minestrone soup recipe, I would be honored and love for you to take the time to leave a star rating and comment! I spend hours developing and testing these recipes, and always love to hear feedback and user experience!

Don’t forget to FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram, and subscribe to my email list!

Top view of 2 bowls filled with minestrone soup topped with cheese on top of a checkered tablecloth.

Carrabba’s Minestrone Soup

If you love dining at Carrabba's Italian Grill you'll love this copycat Minestrone Soup recipe. This hearty Italian minestrone soup has seven different vegetables and three beans. This soup recipe is done in just over an hours time and taste just like the soup you order at Carrabba's.
4.83 from 17 votes
Print Pin Save Saved! Rate
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Gluten Free
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 262kcal
Author: Katie

Equipment

  • Stove Top

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons Salted Butter
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 4 Celery Stalks
  • 5 Carrots
  • 1 White Onion
  • 2 Garlic Cloves Minced
  • 2 oz. Prosciutto (Left Whole)
  • ½ cup Green Beans Cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 lb. Green Cabbage Chopped in 1×1-inch pieces
  • 1 Zucchini Diced
  • 1 tablespoon Dried Parsley
  • 1 tablespoon Dried Basil
  • 3 32 oz. Boxes of Chicken Stock
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 2 Plum Tomatoes diced
  • 1 Pecorrino Romano Rind
  • 2 Russet Potatoes Peeled and Diced
  • 1 15 oz. Can of Garbanzo Beans Drained
  • 1 15 oz. Can of Kidney Beans Drained
  • 1 15 oz. Can of Cannelini Beans Drained
  • 2 oz. Pecorino Romano Cheese Grated
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Melt the salted butter and olive oil in a 10 quart stock pot on medium heat. Sauté celery, carrots, onion, prosciutto, and garlic and cook until soft about 5 minutes.
  • Add the chopped green beans, cabbage, zucchini, dried parsley and basil and cook for about 10 minutes or until soft.
  • Add chicken stock, bay leaf, diced tomatoes, Pecorino Romano rind and potatoes. Bring the soup to boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
  • Add canned garbanzo, kidney, and cannelini beans and simmer for 5 additional minutes.
  • Remove the Pecorino Romano rind and prosciutto (if you kept it whole). Stir in the grated Pecorino Romano cheese, stirring constantly until melted in. Ladle evenly among bowls.

Notes

  • Mise en Place – This soup has A LOT of vegetables and ingredients in general. It is important you prep as much vegetables as possible.
  • Prosciutto – Do not skip adding the Prosciutto to the broth. It lends so much flavor and is exactly why this soup is so flavorful. I have made this soup multiple ways and prefer to remove the prosciutto from the broth and discard. You can always chop it up and put it back in the soup OR chop it up and top each bowl of soup. Totally up to you.
  • Freeze – You can freeze the leftover cooled soup in freezer safe containers for up to 3 months.
  • Thaw – Remove the soup from the freezer. Place in the refrigerator to thaw for up to one day. Then reheat on the stove top on medium heat until piping hot. OR place the frozen soup (out of the container) in a sauce pot and cook on high heat until hot and bubbly.
  • Herbs – If you don’t have dried herbs feel free to use fresh herbs. Measurements will be the same.
  • Vegetarian – Make this soup vegetarian by omitting the prosciutto and using vegetable broth instead.
  • Tomato – I have had a reader ask the question if you need to peel the skin of the tomato. This is all a preference and totally up to you. I always keep the skins on but they don’t bother me at all.

Nutrition

Serving: 1c | Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 458mg | Potassium: 821mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 4552IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 149mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @KatieJasiewicz or tag #katiescucina!

Disclosure: There are affiliate links present in this post. That means if you click on a link and purchase something. I will receive a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your continuous support of Katie’s Cucina!

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About Katie

Katie is a busy mom of 2 children who loves to feed her family delicious meals that don't take hours to cook! She started her blog 15 years ago as a way to help others get cooking in the kitchen.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Michelle

    May 04, 2025 at 5:40 pm

    5 stars
    Love, love, LOVE this recipe! Dare I say it might be better than Carrabba’s!
    Thank you, Katie for your hard work getting the recipe just so!
    There may be no leftovers this first go around

    Reply
    • Katie

      May 08, 2025 at 8:24 pm

      Michelle, I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe so much. It’s one of my favorite soups!

  2. Natalie

    March 10, 2025 at 12:46 pm

    5 stars
    Omg this soup is incredible. I never had it at Carrabba’s but I make yours all the time. I follow the directions exactly except for the zucchini because i never liked it. I legit get sad when I pull my last container out of the freezer.
    Thank you,
    Soooo yummy!

    Reply
    • Katie

      March 31, 2025 at 2:30 pm

      Natalie, happy to read you love this soup so much. I do too, and get the same way!

  3. Lucinda

    January 13, 2025 at 3:03 pm

    5 stars
    I made this (24 servings, twice)!! my family loved it, a few additions 2 large zucchini and 2 large yellow squash, chopped.
    2 tablespoons of roasted chicken “Better than Bullion”. soooooo delicious!

    Reply
    • Katie

      January 16, 2025 at 8:57 am

      Lucinda, I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! I love your additions. Thank you for taking the time to leave a 5 star comment.

  4. Lisa Batten

    December 18, 2024 at 8:22 pm

    5 stars
    This is delicious! I love making this, and freezing left overs.

    Reply
    • Katie

      January 06, 2025 at 5:01 pm

      Lisa, I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe.

  5. Micah

    October 16, 2024 at 2:44 pm

    Hi Katie!

    Do you drain the beans?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Katie

      October 17, 2024 at 10:15 am

      Hi Micah, yes, definitely drain the beans!

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4.83 from 17 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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I'm Katie Jasiewicz: home cook, food blogger, and recipe developer. A busy mom of two children who loves to feed her family delicious meals that don’t take hours to cook! My mission is to create easy-to-make modern comfort food for the busy family. (more)

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