This Olive Garden Minestrone Soup copycat recipe is my go-to when I’m craving a cozy bowl of hearty, vegetable-packed goodness. Loaded with zucchini, carrots, beans, and pasta, it has all the flavor of the classic restaurant version, but made fresh right at home! Plus, it’s incredibly easy to whip up in just one pot, making it perfect for busy weeknights when you need something both nutritious and delicious.
London’s tips to make this recipe a winner: Make the Italian seasoning mix from scratch! It adds so much more flavor than the store-bought blend. Elbow pasta also makes it taste the most like the restaurant’s version!
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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 minestrone soup 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 Olive Garden Italian Dressing at home.
Why You’ll Love This Veggie-Packed Soup
- Versatile. Serve this soup as a healthy 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 soup!
- Warming. It is chock full of vegetables and broth that warms you from the inside out.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Notes about the ingredients needed for this Olive Garden Minestrone Soup recipe are below. Jump to recipe for the exact measurements.
- 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 soup 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 of this soup. 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.
- 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 soup. Fresh spinach leaves are added at the end—opt for regular or baby spinach.
How to Make Olive Garden Minestrone Soup at Home
Please see the recipe card below for more detailed ingredient amounts. Jump to recipe for the printable instructions.
- Prep the ingredients. 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.
- Cook the vegetables. 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 fresh veggies for 2 to 3 minutes, until softened and the onion is translucent. Toss in the garlic and continue cooking for another 30 seconds. You should smell its unmistakable scent.
- Add the broth, tomatoes, and herbs. Carefully pour in the vegetable broth, then stir in the diced tomatoes. Then, stir in the tomato paste, Italian seasoning, oregano, parsley, sugar, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Turn the stove up to high heat and bring the soup to a full boil.
- Combine the rest of the ingredients. After the soup is boiling, add in the squash along with the kidney and cannellini beans, once they’re rinsed and drained. Return it to a boil.
- Cook the pasta and spinach. Add the pasta noodles and the frozen green beans to the boiling soup. Reduce the heat to medium-high and allow the soup to cook for another 7 to 8 minutes. Finally, stir in the chopped spinach and immediately turn the heat off. Let the soup sit for 1-2 minutes to let the spinach cook slightly. Serve this soup piping hot!
Storage and Reheating Instructions
- 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.
- Freezing: 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. (Learn more about how to freeze soup!)
- Reheating: Leftover soup is best warmed back up in a large stock pot or Dutch oven on the stove over medium heat.
FAQs
Minestrone soup 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.
Minestrone soup is a very healthy dish full of good-for-you vegetables in a savory broth base.
While there is no hard and fast recipe, there are some basic ingredients in most minestrone soups. 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.
Recipe Tips
- DIY spice. Throw together a big batch of homemade Italian seasoning and keep it on hand.
- Be choosy. Elbow pasta also makes it taste the most like the restaurant’s version!
- Save the noodles. If you want to make extra to freeze, wait to cook and add the pasta until reheating.
- Wait ’til the last minute. Stir in the spinach just before serving so it isn’t too wilted.
- Some like it hot. Add more or less red pepper flakes depending on how spicy you want the soup.
- Make it thick. Add a bit of a cornstarch slurry or learn how to thicken soup 5 easy ways!
What to Serve with Minestrone Soup
This classic minestrone soup can either be the main dish 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 soup.
More Soup Recipes
Flavorful soup is so comforting and can be made in so many ways.
- Cabbage Soup
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup
- Cream of Asparagus Soup
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
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Olive Garden Minestrone Soup Recipe
Email this recipe!
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Stir in the chopped spinach and turn off the heat. Let the soup sit for a few minutes before serving.
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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.
Stunningly delicious. Made 4 times now. No changes to recipe except used 7 cups of stock. Even my daughter who does NOT cook has made it 3 times. She and I both love it. We both successfully freeze leftovers.
Woohoo!! That’s incredible! You’re actually reminding me how much I love this soup and need to make it as soon as it gets cooler here in Texas! lol And great idea to add more stock- that pasta can soak up a bunch of it as it sits! Thanks for leaving a comment & rating- it really means a lot. Can’t wait to hear what you and your daughter cook up next! ❤ London
Love the recipe
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Martha! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
Definitely delicious and good.I enjoy your soup.
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Martha! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
Very forgiving recipe – I made a few subs based on what I had in my fridge and it still came out delicious! I can’t speak to how much like the OG version it seeks to copy, but as a recipe for warm soup on a cold night? Big win!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Jen! It’s perfect for a cold night. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
This is my go to recipe..I’ve started experimenting a bit, using half the sugar which seems to give it a heartier taste, adding cabbage and using chili beans. I even use a bit more broth and noodle when the mood strikes..but love, love this recipe.i add homemade croutons and cheese, el yumko!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Debbie! This sounds awesome. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
I hope this isn’t as salty as the in-store version. I’ve tried it at several different locations, and it’s always too salty for me to eat.
You can easily adjust the salt content of this soup when you make it at home.