Why you’ll love this family favorite recipe!
It’s no secret that I love Olive Garden. I have so many memories of eating there over the years. It was our favorite in the big city of Beaumont!
Because of this, I have spent lots of time re-creating some of my favorites from their menu at home, and this dish is one of my go-tos when I want something cozy AND nourishing for me.
If you love this recipe, be sure to try this Zuppa Toscana, Chicken Gnocchi Soup, and even this Italian Dressing at home.
Why You’ll Love This Veggie-Packed Soup
- Versatile. Serve this up as a tasty side dish, or as the main course!
- Hearty. You can serve it up for meatless Monday and I bet no one will even miss the meat in this hearty plant-based dish!
- Warming. It is chock full of vegetables and broth that warms you from the inside out.
Excellent! I wasn’t a fan of minestrone until my daughter made this recipe and shared it with me. Now I make it too.
– Carol
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
- Veggies. Yellow squash or zucchini both work fantastic. Keep a bag of frozen green beans on hand and you’ll be one step closer to making this recipe. Fresh spinach leaves are added at the end—opt for regular or baby spinach.
- Onion. You need one diced onion. Sweet, yellow, or white options can all be used.
- Vegetables. This recipe calls for both celery and carrots. They are cooked with the onions to create the flavor base.
- Garlic. Finely minced fresh garlic is recommended, but garlic powder can be used. It will, however, impact the flavor.
- Broth. Vegetable broth keeps this dish vegetarian. You could use chicken broth if needed, but steer clear of beef broth because the flavor could overpower.
- Canned tomatoes. Fire roasted tomatoes are one of the secret ingredients. While you can opt for regular canned tomatoes, the results won’t quite be the same.
- Tomato paste. This reduced tomato sauce adds a punch to the base of the soup, so don’t skip it.
- Italian seasoning. It is super quick and easy to make your own Homemade Italian Seasoning mix. You can also buy a pre-mixed blend from the grocery store.
- Herbs. Both dried parsley and oregano are needed for this recipe. If you prefer fresh herbs, be sure to increase the amount used.
- Beans. Both cannellini and kidney beans are called for. Rinse and drain both cans before adding them in.
- Pasta. There is no hard and fast rule on what type of pasta to use, but the best types are probably ditalini or elbow.
Step-by-step Instructions
Please see the recipe card below for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.
Make the base.
Finely dice the garlic and onion, cut the celery and carrots into small chunks, and chop the squash into bite-sized pieces. Give the spinach a rough chop.
Pour the oil into a large Dutch oven or large pot and heat the stovetop to medium. Add in the onions, celery, and carrots. Cook the veggies for 2 to 3 minutes, until softened and the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
Carefully pour in the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, oregano, parsley, sugar, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Turn the stove up to high heat and bring it to a full boil.
Add remaining ingredients.
After it is boiling, add in the squash along with the kidney and cannellini beans, once they’re rinsed and drained. Return it to a boil.
Add the pasta noodles and the frozen green beans to the boiling soup. Reduce the heat to medium-high and allow everything to cook for another 7 to 8 minutes. Finally, stir in the chopped spinach and immediately turn the heat off. Let it sit for 1-2 minutes to let the spinach cook slightly. Serve this soup piping hot!
FAQs
This is from Italy. These days, it is quite popular in America thanks to Olive Garden. This soup usually has a tomato-based broth filled with beans, pasta, and vegetables.
While there is no hard and fast recipe, there are some basic ingredients in most versions of this soup. There is usually a tomato and vegetable broth base that is loaded up with a variety of vegetables, beans, and pasta.
Yes! Opt for your favorite gluten-free pasta when making this soup.
Allow everything to cool before transferring to an airtight, resealable container. Keep leftover minestrone in the fridge for up to 4 to 5 days. You can either freeze this dish in a large container or freezer-safe bag, or portion out individual servings for easy reheating. Keep in the freezer for up to 4 to 5 months. (Learn more about how to freeze soup!)
What to serve with it?
This classic dish can either be the main course or you can serve it alongside your favorite protein.
Opt for Homemade Croutons and a salad, like this Chopped Kale Salad.
Or, make up some Olive Garden Chicken Marsala or Honey Balsamic Chicken to enjoy with the meal.
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Olive Garden Minestrone Soup Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil avocado or olive
- 1 cup onion finely diced
- 2 stalks celery cut into ½-inch slices
- 1 cup carrots quartered, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- 6 cups vegetable broth regular sodium
- 1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon oregano dried
- 1 teaspoon Parsley dried
- 1 tablespoon sugar optional
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ – ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 1 squash or zucchini quartered, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 (15-ounce) cannelini beans canned, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15-ounce) red kidney beans canned, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup ditalini pasta or elbow
- ¾ cup frozen green beans
- 2 cups spinach coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Add oil to a large Dutch oven along with the onions, celery, and carrots. Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, or until the vegetables become translucent. Add garlic and continue cooking for an additional 30 seconds, or until fragrant.2 tablespoons oil, 1 cup onion, 2 stalks celery, 1 cup carrots, 3 cloves garlic
- Pour in the vegetable broth and add the tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, oregano, parsley, sugar, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Mix until it is all well combined. Increase the heat to high and bring everything to a boil.6 cups vegetable broth, 1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes, 3 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon Parsley, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ – ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Once boiling, add the squash and the rinsed and drained beans. Bring everything back to a boil and then add the pasta and frozen green beans. Reduce the heat to medium-high and boil for 7-8 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente.1 squash or zucchini, 1 (15-ounce) cannelini beans, 1 (15-ounce) red kidney beans, ½ cup ditalini pasta, ¾ cup frozen green beans
- Stir in the chopped spinach and turn off the heat. Let the soup sit for a few minutes before serving.2 cups spinach
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Video
Notes
- Spices. Make your own Italian seasoning for the best flavor.
- Noodles. Elbow pasta is the best option.
- Spinach. Don’t add the spinach too early.
- Storage. Allow the soup to cool before transferring to an airtight, resealable container. Keep leftover minestrone in the fridge for up to 4 to 5 days.
- Freeze. You can either freeze this soup in a large container or freezer-safe bag, or portion out individual servings for easy reheating. Keep in the freezer for up to 4 to 5 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Soup Recipes
Flavorful soup is so comforting and can be made in so many ways.
Excellent! I wasn’t a fan of minestrone until my daughter made this recipe and shared it with me. Now I make it too.
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Carol! That’s awesome, and thanks to your daughter. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!