Olive Garden Minestrone Soup

two white bowls stacked with minstrone soup.

Olive Garden Minestrone Soup

Enjoy a piping hot bowl of Olive Garden Minestrone soup in the comforts of your home. This copycat recipe makes enough for 8-10 hearty serving and is chocked full of vegetables and beans in a rich tomato broth.

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American

Diet Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 225kcal

Author Katie

Equipment

Stove Top

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Olive Oil
4 carrots sliced
4 ribs celery sliced
1 onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 zucchini diced
1 teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
16 ounces Canned Diced tomatoes
4 ounces Tomato Paste
1 cup Green Beans cut 1-inch pieces
64 ounces Vegetable broth divided
16 ounces cannellini beans rinsed and drained
16 ounces Red Kidney Beans rinsed and drained
½ cup Tiny Shell Pasta
2 cups fresh spinach
1 tablespoon Parsley minced

Instructions

In a large stock pot, on medium heat add the olive oil, carrots, celery, and onions. Place a lid on the stock pot and let the vegetables begin to soften.
Then add the minced garlic and diced zucchini and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Mixing often.
Next, add the seasonings (salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning) as well as the canned diced tomatoes with juice, green beans, and tomato paste. Mix well then add in the vegetable broth. Mix again, place the lid on the pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
Bring the soup back up to a boil. Add the rinsed and drained beans and tiny shell pasta to the pot. Cook for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the pasta is fully cooked (mixing occasionally).
Pour in the additional 32 ounces of broth. Stir in the fresh spinach, and let sit until wilted. Sprinkle fresh minced parsley just before serving and stir into soup. Ladle into bowls and enjoy.

Notes

Prep Ahead - You can easily prep the vegetables ahead of time for this recipe by making a container of diced carrots, onions, and celery. Another container of diced zucchini and garlic, and an additional container of chopped green beans. By separating the vegetables you will be able to easily add them in the order you need them to cook in the soup.
Thicker Vegetables First - A good rule of thumb when making soup is that you need to cook the thicker vegetables like carrots and celery first. Then add in the vegetables that are not as dense and will take less time to cook.
Frozen Vegetables - You can use frozen vegetables for this recipe like frozen green beans and even carrots.
Broth - To keep this recipe vegetarian I used vegetable broth. However, you can use chicken broth if that is all you have on hand. In fact, I like this recipe best with chicken broth.
Pasta - I like to use the small shell pasta for a similar feel to Olive Garden's version of the soup. You can also use large shells, ditalini, or any other small pasta you might be able to find.
Sweating Vegetables - During the first step of this recipe I like to add in a cup of broth to the vegetables to help sweat and cook them faster. This will also prevent them from burning while unattended.
Cheese - My family loves to top their minestrone soup with grated pecorino romano cheese.
Cast Iron Pot - I use a large 5 quart Le Creuset cast iron pot for this recipe. Any large soup pot will work.

Nutrition