This Olive Garden minestrone soup is loaded with vegetables, beans and pasta in a tomato broth. It’s a copycat of the restaurant version that tastes even better than the original recipe!
Every time I go to Olive Garden I order the soup, salad and breadsticks. I just can’t get enough of their minestrone soup, it’s my favorite! This homemade version is easy to whip up and is a great way to get the family to eat their veggies. Serve your soup with garlic knots for a complete meal.
Every time I go to Olive Garden, I have to get the minestrone soup. It’s filled with tons of great flavors and textures, yet is light enough not to fill me up before the main course arrives. This recipe is an Olive Garden minestrone soup copycat, and I have to say, it’s as good (or better!) than the original.
How do you make Olive Garden Minestrone group?
This recipe calls for a variety of vegetables cooked in a savory broth. Onions, carrots, celery and zucchini are sauteed, then tomatoes, vegetable broth, pasta and beans go into the mix. Let everything simmer and dinner is served!
What vegetables go into minestrone soup?
This soup is loaded with veggies, it contains onion, carrot, celery, zucchini, tomatoes, green beans and spinach. This is the same blend of vegetables that Olive Garden uses, but you can absolutely change up the veggies depending on what’s in season and what you have on hand. Other great vegetable choices are
- Russet potatoes
- Butternut squash
- Sweet potatoes
- Leeks
- Kale
Slow cooker Minestrone Soup
This soup can easily be made in the slow cooker if you’d prefer to go that route. You can add all the ingredients to the slow cooker minus the pasta, spinach and parsley, then let everything simmer for 4-6 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high. Stir in the pasta and spinach and let everything cook for an additional 20-30 minutes, or until pasta is tender. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Tips for Minestrone Soup
- You can use fresh or frozen green beans, whatever you prefer.
- Try to cut all the vegetables the same size so that they cook at the same rate.
- This soup freezes well, although the pasta and vegetables may be a little softer upon thawing and reheating.
- Be sure to drain and rinse your beans before adding them to the soup, you want to get rid of all that extra sodium!
- This soup is hearty enough to serve as a main course, but if you’d like an extra dose of protein, try adding some cooked Italian sausage.
This Olive Garden minestrone soup hits the spot on a cold day, and it’s so easy to make too! Add a sprinkle of parmesan and some warm bread and you’ve for a quick dinner that everyone is sure to love.
More great soup recipes
Olive Garden Minestrone Soup Video
Olive Garden Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3/4 cup onion diced
- 1/2 cup celery sliced
- 1/2 cup carrots peeled, quartered and sliced
- 1 zucchini quartered and sliced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 15 ounce can small white beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15 ounce can kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup frozen cut green beans
- 1/2 cup small shell pasta
- 2 cups baby spinach leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots and zucchini to the pot.
- Cook until the vegetables are tender, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the tomatoes, vegetable broth, tomato paste and Italian seasoning to the pot. Bring to a simmer.
- Add the white beans, kidney beans, green beans and pasta to the pot. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until pasta and vegetables are tender.
- Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the spinach leaves and cook for 2-3 minutes or until wilted.
- Sprinkle the parsley over the soup and serve.
Always so delicious! I make this all the time…follow the recipe!
This soup is delicious, we love it. Thank you. We will be fixing this often.
When cooking in crockpot do you still add the olive oil?
For maximum flavor, saute the veggies in olive oil then add them to the crockpot!
My friend made this soup for a “friends-giving” get together with crusty bread! It was so delicious all of us wanted the recipe. Now I’m home making it for my family
This soup is so delicious! I will definitely be making it again. I also added a can on black beans too. I’m reheating it for a group tomorrow and I’m sure it will be a crowd pleaser. THANK YOU 😊
Can I use chicken broth instead?
Yes that’s fine!
This is the recipe to use. Honestly I’ve tried the rest but this one is rich and hearty and to perfection! I suggest to use half green zuchinni and half yellow zuchinni. Also just a bit more celery.
I doubled this recipe, followed directions exactly, had some for home and brought a crockpot full for my coworkers. This soup was amazing, thick and hearty and full of amazing flavors. Will be making again. So good!!
Can I use arugula instead of spinach?
That should be fine!
Can you use frozen spinach?
Yes that’s fine!
It’s so good! Totally hit the spot! Thank you!
It says serves 6, but how big are the portions for the calculated nutrition facts? Is it 300 kals for 1 cup of soup?
It’s 1 1/2 cups per serving!
I’ve made this soup about six times now, following the recipe exactly. It’s a hit with both family members and visitors.
Curious…Why at the Olive Garden Restaurant is the calories per serving for this soup sp much less than the amount in this recipe?
Thank you in advance for your response🌿
It’s probably a smaller serving size!
Look no further fo a minestrone recipe! This recipe is delicious. I like leftovers, so I will double next time and increase the broth quantity because it was a little thicker than Olive Garden’s version. Thank you for the recipe!
This has become my favorite soup recipe. I’ve made it several times, always great. I’m making it again today!
Is this recipe freezer friendly?
Yes you can freeze it!
The only suggestion I would have regarding freezing it is to cook the pasta separately and add to the soup in the bowls. Pasta doesn’t reheat well in this type of soup (from sad experiences!). Just gets kind of gummy.
Could I use the slow cooker for this recipe, adding the cooked pasta at the end?
Yes that’s fine!
I’ve been making Minestrone soup for years. Just made this version and my husband asked – “Is this a new recipe? Please move it to the top of the list. It’s the best!” I agree. So healthy and tasty. Wonderful. Thanks!
Delicious minestrone soup! My third time making this “Olive Garden” recipe, and it never fails. Top it with freshly grated Parmesan—served with a warm baguette and glass of wine—you’ve got dinner.
I love this recipe! I make it often and use either chicken or beef broth. Extra good with the shredded Parmesan cheese on top 🤤