Copycat Olive Garden Minestrone Soup Recipe
I have fond high school and college memories of going to Olive Garden and ordering their minestrone soup, which hits the spot on chilly winter days. And of eating a basket of breadsticks by myself. I wish I could still eat a basket of breadsticks by myself without worry. But I can eat as much of this soup as I want. And it tastes even better than the Olive Garden version that I remember. Homemade is always best! It’s hearty, comforting, and filled with so many healthy vegetables, including carrots, celery, zucchini, tomatoes, spinach, and sweet Vidalia onions and garlic for flavor. There are three kinds of beans, including red kidney beans, cannellini beans, and green beans. I prefer my soup on the thicker side, but you can add more vegetable broth if you prefer it thinner. There are also quite a few herbs used, including bay leaves, basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, and parsley. The recipe makes a ton. It filled up my Dutch oven to the max but I love having leftovers to freeze and I can pull them out on a chilly day.
Minestrone Soup Ingredients
This quick and easy minestrone soup recipe uses quite a few easy-to-find veggies and spices. To make this accidentally vegetarian minestrone soup recipe, you’ll need:
Olive oil Vidalia onion Zucchini Carrots Celery Garlic Vegetable broth Macaroni pasta Petite diced tomatoes Beans Herbs and spices Lemon juice Fresh spinach Fresh parsley Salt and pepper
How to Make Minestrone Soup
This recipe makes a very hearty vegetable minestrone soup. It’s perfect for planned leftovers or dinner parties when you want to feed a crowd on a budget. Here’s an overview of how the veggie minestrone is prepared:
Can Minestrone Soup Be Frozen?
Yes, this easy minestrone soup can be frozen for up to 6 months. I like freezing my soups in smaller mason jars, that way I can reheat individual portions as needed.
Can I Use Another Type of Pasta?
Yes, any short, sturdy pasta should work in this vegan minestrone soup recipe. Avoid long, thin pastas like spaghetti.
Tips for the Best Minestrone Soup
I used dried herbs, but fresh may be substituted to taste. If you don’t have them all on hand or aren’t as fond of a particular herb, you can probably omit it. Your soup won’t taste exactly like mine, but it’ll be close. Also, make sure to salt your soup to taste. I use low-sodium vegetable broth and the canned tomatoes and various beans are all no-salt-added versions. I add bit of salt to my soup so I can control the overall salt level rather than having it be a salty surprise because some canned goods are just loaded with sodium. The saltiness of ingredients varies among brands and everyone’s personal preference for salt varies, so salt to taste.
What to Serve with Minestrone Soup
You don’t really have to serve this easy minestrone with anything. Between the beans, veggies, and pasta, it’s basically a meal in itself! However, here are some great side dishes for vegetarian minestrone:
Apple Spinach Salad 1-Hour Breadsticks Parker House Rolls No-Knead Dinner Rolls Kale Caesar Salad
More Easy Soup Recipes:
Easy 30-Minute Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup — Classic, comforting, and tastes just like grandma made but way easier and faster! This soup is amazing and it’ll be your new favorite recipe! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes!
Easy 30-Minute Homemade Chicken Tortellini Soup — A fun spin on classic chicken noodle soup using cheese tortellini! Fast, easy, comfort food that just hits the spot! You’ll make it over and over again!
Easy 30-Minute Homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup — Chicken, tomatoes, corn, black beans, avocado, cheese, and addictively crunchy tortilla strips! Fast, easy weeknight meal, and better than from a restaurant!!
Easy 30-Minute Homemade White Chicken Chili — Hearty, healthy, loaded with tender chicken, and packed with bold flavor! Fast and easy comfort food that everyone loves! It’ll be on rotation all winter!
Loaded Cheesy Chicken Potato Chowder — Potatoes, chicken, carrots, corn and more! Thick, creamy, rich, and wonderfully cheesy! Fast and easy comfort food that everyone loves!
The Best Broccoli Cheese Soup (Better-Than-Panera Copycat) – Make the best soup of your life at home in 1 hour! Beyond words amazing!
Creamy Tomato Soup (vegan, GF) – Panera copycat that’s fast, easy, and healthy!
Skinny Carrot Potato Soup with Honey Cream — Healthy, hearty, fast, and easy! Packed with flavor and you’ll never miss the fat and calories!
Immune-Boosting Vegetable Soup and Broth – (vegan, GF) – Easy soup that’s healthy, nourishing, and keeps you healthy! Bye-bye germs!
