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.
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.
In this post you will learn exactly how to make this copycat Carrabba’s minestrone soup recipe.
Ingredients
- 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.
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.
FAQs
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.
I love using Prosciutto and a rind of either Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese to the broth of minestrone soup.
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
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.
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
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!
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Carrabba’s Minestrone Soup
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 Freeze Dried Parsley
- 1 tablespoon Freeze 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, 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.
- 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 freeze dried herbs feel free to use dried herbs or even fresh herbs.
- 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
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Love this soup! however, my peccorino romano rind melted and i can’t pull it out. is this normal?
Hi Tara, I have had it happen before and it was either because it wasn’t a hard rind or it was left in too long. Sorry that this happened to you.
This is a great recipe. And my son loves it!
Hi Wendy, thank you for taking the time to leave a 5-star review! So happy you all love this recipe so much. It is one of my favorites, too!
I can’t wait to try this recipe. Do you dice the tomatoes? Do you leave the skin on? Are the freeze dried herbs easy to find?
Hi! Yes, dice the tomatoes and I always keep the skin on. But that is preference. You can use dried herbs–no need to worry about finding the freeze dried herbs!
Delicious thank you so much for sharing your recipe!
Ann, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a 5-star review. I’m actually making this for dinner tonight. It’s one of our favorites!
It is fabulous just like Carrabas. I’m so happy you shared this recipe. 5 stars the best minestrone soup ever!!!
Hi Jeannine, Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a 5-star review! I agree–it’s one of my favorites and tastes just like Carrabba’s! Glad you enjoyed it so much!
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!