Copycat Olive Garden Minestrone Soup
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Olive Garden’s Minestrone soup is one of their most famous soup recipes and it’s so delicious. This copycat version is full of veggies like carrots, onions, celery, zucchini and tomatoes and even a little pasta – plus it’s ready in just 30 minutes!
This copycat Olive Garden minestrone soup recipe is very filling because it’s so packed with pretty much every vegetable you can think of and the flavors just meld together so perfectly! Just follow these step-by-step instructions for a delicious and inexpensive Italian-style soup.
What is Olive Garden minestrone soup made of?
This is the best minestrone soup recipe out there! I researched and then went back to Olive Garden and got the soup again – it tastes just like the original!
- Olive oil
- Vegetables: yellow onion, celery, carrots, zucchini, diced tomatoes, green beans & kale (or spinach)
- Beans: Northern beans & Kidney Beans
- Seasonings: minced garlic, salt & black pepper, oregano & basil (or Italian seasoning)
- Vegetable broth
- Ditali pasta – or you could use a small shell pasta
How do you make Olive Garden’s Minestrone soup?
This soup takes just 30 minutes from start to finish and it’s so comforting! Here’s where we start:
- Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven style pot over medium high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots and zucchini to the pot.
- Saute onion & vegetables until tender, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add salt and pepper.
- Add the tomatoes, vegetable broth, oregano, salt and basil to the pot. Bring to a boil, turn down to medium heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add uncooked pasta, white beans, kidney beans, green beans. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the chopped kale (or spinach leaves) and cook for 2-3 minutes or until wilted.
- Serve with salad & breadsticks of course! Top with fresh parsley and grated parmesan cheese
Can you make copycat minestrone soup in a crock pot?
Definitely! I would still saute the veggies on the stove top and then put everything – but the pasta – in the crockpot. Then, add the pasta and kale 30 minutes before you’re ready to serve the soup.
Is Olive Garden Minestrone Vegan or Vegetarian?
Olive Garden Minestrone is vegetarian and even vegan – as long as you don’t sprinkle the Parmesan on top! This copycat Olive Garden minestrone does not have any meat or chicken broth – I used vegetable stock and it was great. There’s also no wine in the soup.
Is Olive Garden Minestrone Gluten Free?
It is not gluten free because of the pasta – but you could easily swap out a gluten free pasta.
Does Olive Garden Minestrone have dairy?
No dairy but I sprinkled on a little Parmesan at the end. The recipe does not have any dairy in it though.
How do you store and reheat leftovers?
The soup recipe makes enough for 6 people so you might have leftovers! Store leftovers in an airtight container and store in the fridge up to a week – or in the freezer up to three months. Reheat in the microwave for two minutes.
Copycat Olive Garden Minestrone
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup yellow onion medium diced (not fine)
- 1/3 cup celery diced
- 1/3 cup carrots peeled, quartered, sliced
- 1 zucchini small, halved, sliced
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 14 oz canned Italian tomatoes diced
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- 1 tbsp coarse sea salt
- 1/3 cup ditali pasta uncooked
- 7 oz northern beans 1/2 can, drained, rinsed
- 7 oz kidney beans 1/2 can, drained, rinsed
- 1 can Italian green beans
- 1 cup kale roughly torn
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven style pot over medium high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots and zucchini to the pot.2 tbsp olive oil, 1/3 cup yellow onion, 1/3 cup celery, 1/3 cup carrots, 1 zucchini
- Cook until the vegetables are tender, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add salt and pepper.2 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper
- Add the tomatoes, vegetable broth, oregano, salt and basil to the pot. Bring to a boil then turn heat down and simmer for 10 minutes.14 oz canned Italian tomatoes, 4 cups vegetable broth, 1 tbsp dried oregano, 1 tbsp dried basil, 1 tbsp coarse sea salt
- Add uncooked pasta, white beans, kidney beans, green beans. Simmer for 10 minutes.1/3 cup ditali pasta, 7 oz northern beans, 7 oz kidney beans, 1 can Italian green beans
- Stir in the chopped kale and cook for 2-3 minutes or until wilted.1 cup kale
- Serve! Top with fresh parsley and grated parmesan
I love the minestrone at olive Garden. This is perfect to make at home!
Loved this minestrone soup! One of the best I have had!
My kids love Panera’s minestrone soup. So happy I found this recipe – will save me lots of money.
Heather, you’ve done it again! My family LOVES The Olive Garden’s minestrone, and now we can make your tasty version whenever we’re craving it. Thanks for another winning recipe!
I recently moved far away from the Olive Garden and have been craving this soup almost every day since! This recipe tastes exactly like the real thing! My craving has finally been satisfied and now I can make it any time I want!
Has anybody substituted potatoes for the pasta? Or added meat like chicken?