Copycat Olive Garden Minestrone
Our Copycat Olive Garden Minestrone Soup consists of a tomato-infused broth chock full of vegetables, beans and pasta. It’s a filling vegetarian soup that is a great source of vitamins, minerals and fibre.
Olive Garden Minestrone Soup Recipe
Italians typically have a more elaborate lunch and a lighter supper, so minestrone is an easy supper option.
Traditionally, it was a simple way to use up any leftover vegetables so that nothing went to waste. For centuries, there was no exact recipe and still there are variations between different areas – minestrone simply means big soup, so there is some room for flexibility.
Today, I am sharing a copycat version of Olive Garden’s minestrone soup with the same vegetables, pasta and seasonings that the restaurant uses.
There is no need to ask for refills when you have a big pot of this minestrone soup simmering away on the stove. (Even better if you prepare a batch of homemade garlic breadsticks to serve alongside.)
It’s an excellent one-pot meal prep recipe to enjoy as an appetizer or hearty lunch all week long. Everything from the flavorful broth to the perfectly cooked pasta and the tender-crisp vegetables makes this recipe utterly satisfying.
Although Olive Garden doesn’t do this, in Italy, minestrone is traditionally served with a drizzle of olive and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. I highly recommend it!
For the full olive garden experience, serve alongside our copycat olive garden breadsticks and a side salad. (And don’t skip our homemade tiramisu for dessert!)
Minestrone Soup Variations:
- can be made with pasta, rice or quinoa
- add some diced chicken or cooked Italian sausage
- while I use the same blend of vegetables that Olive Garden uses in their original recipe, you can swap out the vegetables based on your personal preferences.
- (for example, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, broccoli, kale, etc)
- swap out the pasta for zoodles just before serving (or omit altogether) for a gluten-free minestrone
- grate fresh Parmesan cheese overtop for a hit of umami-saltiness
- spice it up with some red chile flakes or a dash of hot sauce
- for some smoky-salty flavor, sauce 2 slices of bacon along with the onion mixture
Recipe note: opt for sodium-free or at least low sodium broth, tomatoes and beans – you can always add additional seasoning at the end, but it’s harder to take it away. (I’ve heard that you can add a peeled, uncooked potato to an overly salty soup and it will absorb some of the salt, but I’ve personally never tried this trick. If you’ve tried it, please let me know if it works in the comment section!)
What to Serve Alongside Copycat Olive Garden Minestrone Soup:
- side salad (this recipe is from Gimme Some Oven)
- roasted vegetables
- garlic bread
- Garlic Knots (this recipe is from my kids’ cooking site, In the Kids’ Kitchen)
- Cheddar Bay Biscuits
- Copycat Roadhouse Rolls
Store in the fridge for up to a week in an airtight container. The pasta can absorb some of the broth as it sits in the fridge, so you might want to add additional broth or water when reheating
How to freeze minestrone soup: Personally, I prefer to freeze without the pasta and then just add pasta while reheating on the stovetop or add cooked pasta if warming up in the microwave. Freeze the vegetable soup in ziptop freezer bags or your favorite freezer containers for up to 2 months. (This set of freezer containers is a crazy bargain.)
How to make minestrone soup in the crockpot: Add all ingredients except spinach and pasta and cook for 2-3 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low. Add the spinach and pasta in the last 20-30 minutes of cooking until tender.
How to make minestrone soup in instant pot: saute onion, celery, carrots, and zucchini in 2 Tablespoons of oil on the saute setting for 2 minutes, then stir in the spices and turn off the saute setting. Add remaining ingredients except for the pasta and spinach. Secure lid and cook for 6 minutes on high pressures, quick release. Stir in the pasta, cook for 2 minutes, quick release. Finally stir in the spinach and replace the lid back on the IP for 2-3 minutes until wilted.
More Copycat Olive Garden Recipes:
- Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup (with Video)
- Olive Garden Crockpot Chicken Pasta (with Video)
- Olive Garden Breadsticks from Bake Me Some Sugar
- Copycat Olive Garden Salad from The Recipe Critic
Copycat Olive Garden Minestrone Soup Ingredients
- Onion
- Celery, sliced
- Carrots, sliced
- Zucchini, halved and sliced
- Diced tomatoes
- Tomato paste
- Vegetable broth
- Water
- Italian seasoning <– grab our recipe for homemade Italian seasoning here
- Garlic powder
- Small white beans, rinsed and drained
- Kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- Frozen cut green beans
- Dry whole wheat pasta, elbow or rotini
- Baby spinach
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.
Tip: opt for sodium-free or at least low sodium broth, tomatoes and beans – you can always add additional seasoning at the end, but it’s harder to take it away.
Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Heavy stockpot or Dutch Oven <– highly recommended for even cooking and seamlessly transferring this recipe from the stove to the oven
- Sharp Kitchen Knife
- Cutting Board
- Wooden Spoon or Spatula <– I like these spatulas because they are one solid piece and don’t have removable heads for bacteria to get trapped underneath. Plus they are heat-resistant and have a lifetime warranty.
How to Make Minestrone Soup
Saute onion, celery, carrots, and zucchini in 2 T of vegetable broth for 3-5 minutes or until tender.
Top with spices and sautee 1-2 minutes more or until fragrant.
Add tomatoes, tomato paste, remaining vegetable broth to pot and cook over medium heat.
Add white and kidney beans, green beans, and pasta to pot.
Simmer for 10-15 minutes until hot throughout and pasta is tender.
Stir in spinach leaves and cook just until leaves are wilted.
Serve.
Grab your free printable recipe card for our copycat Olive Garden Minestrone soup recipe:
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Copycat Olive Garden Minestrone
Ingredients
- ¾ cup diced onion
- ½ cup celery, sliced
- ½ cup carrots, sliced
- 1 zucchini, halved and sliced
- 1 can (14 ounce) diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 4 cups vegetable broth, divided (1 32 ounce carton)
- 1.5 cups water
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 can (15 ounces) small white beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup frozen cut green beans
- 1 cup dry whole wheat pasta, elbow or rotini
- 3 cups baby spinach
Instructions
- Saute onion, celery, carrots, and zucchini in 2 T of vegetable broth for 3-5 minutes or until tender.
- Top with spices and sautee 1-2 minutes more or until fragrant.
- Add tomatoes, tomato paste, remaining vegetable broth to pot and cook over medium heat.
- Add white and kidney beans, green beans, and pasta to pot.
- Simmer for 10-15 minutes until hot throughout and pasta is tender.
- Stir in spinach leaves and cook just until leaves are wilted.
- Serve.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 173Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 474mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 6gSugar: 7gProtein: 8g
Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.
I hope your family loves this easy minestrone soup recipe as much as mine does!
For more scrumptious soups, check out our full soup recipe collection here:
For more scrumptious side dishes, check out our full side dish recipe collection here:
For more amazing appetizers, check out our full appetizer recipe collection here:
