If you love dining at Carrabba’s you’ll love this copycat Minestrone Soup recipe. This hearty Italian minestrone soup recipe is done in just over an hour.
My husband and I try not to frequent chain restaurants. Instead eating at locally owned restaurants. Since we live in Orlando, Florida we have more restaurants here than I think we have time or money to eat at. But there is one chain that we can’t get enough of and I can honestly say we probably eat their once a month… that is Carrabbas. I love their food. We’ve taken our out-of-town family to Carrabbas countless times and now its become a tradition that they have to dine there while on vacation visiting us.
I almost always order a cup of the minestrone soup. It’s chocked full of veggies and beans and the broth has so much flavor to it. I’ve written our local newspaper to see if they will find the recipe and publish it in the weekly restaurant “thought you’d never ask” about this recipe segment–and nothing.
I did a little searching on the internet a few months back and that’s when I found this recipe. I guess I never know how many vegetables and beans were really in this soup until I made it. Of course the recipe I found is made to feed an army or probably the exact large batch recipe they use at the restaurant. I think we ate this soup for a week straight and still had a massive container to freeze!
Even though its consistently 90 degrees in Florida right now, I still can’t eat a bowl of soup. You’ll even find me eating a bowl of soup during the “dog days” of summer when its over 100 degrees out. I love soup–and have been known to eat it for breakfast! I’m super thankful that my husband loves to eat soup, too! Although, I don’t think its to my level of soup eating, but he will eat soup nevertheless!
Adapted from Food.com
Carrabba’s Copycat Recipes
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
Carrabbas Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Salted Butter
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 4 Celery Stalks
- 5 Carrots
- 1 White Onion
- 2 Garlic Cloves Minced
- 2 oz. Prosciutto (Left Whole)
- 1/2 cup Green Beans Cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 lb. Green Cabbage Chopped in 1×1-inch pieces
- 1 Zucchini Diced
- 1 tbsp Freeze Dried Parsley
- 1 tbsp Freeze Dried Basil
- 3 32 oz. Boxes of Chicken Stock
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 2 Plum Tomatoes
- 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, 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.
- 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.
This is my favorite minestrone soup of all time. It was great! Thank you!
Hi Jeannine, it’s mine too! I make this recipe at least once a month. So happy to read you enjoyed it!
This recipe is spot on, tastes just like theirs. We have made it several times and the whole family loves it. I have contemplated putting some chicken in it but I guess that wouldnt make it minestrone any more. I do add a bit more cheese though.
Oh, and liked your comment about soup for breakfast. Believe it or not, i eat soup almost everyday of the week for breakfast have been for years now. I just dont care for traditional breakfast food, cereal, oatmeal, etc. I will eat eggs and bacon/sausage. Otherwise soup it is, and this recipe for dinner has made my breakfast also!!
Hi Bret, thank you for leaving feedback! Glad you love this recipe. It makes a bunch and perfect for leftovers or soup for breakfast!
Katie, how best to cut the recipe down in size? Just me and my two girls. It sounds Fantastic. We love veggies.
Thanks
Merrie–oh gosh, I honestly don’t know. Maybe try cutting in half with all the ingredients. If not–you can always freeze the leftovers in small freezer ziplock bags and then reheat at a later date!
I eat at Carrabba’s frequently, including the original family location. My soup has never had tomatoe in it!
Hi Linda! Wow–very cool you get to eat at the original one! My Carraabba’s has tomatoes in the soup. Didn’t think that the ingredients would vary from store-to-store!
Tried your minestrone recipe tonight and it is delicious ! Carrabbas version is my favorite and your recipe is a perfect remake! Thanks for sharing it!! I have a Carrabbas cookbook with their “version” and it didn’t come close to the restaurant version… Yours does!
Deanie–thanks for the kind compliments! I haven’t made a batch of this soup in a while… I need too! I love it!
Now that looks just wonderful! I miss their food so much, I need to try this!
Thanks! I could not live without this soup in my life!
This sounds delicious…more like my Mom always made. I’ll be making it tomorrow…can wait. Thankd
Rose–I hope you are enjoying it as much as we do!