Olive Garden’s Minestrone Soup is one of the most vibrant, colorful, and delicious soups out there. I’ve gone far out of my way to find an Olive Garden and even wait in a long line outside of the restaurant when I had a strong enough craving for minestrone soup – it is bottomless, after all! When I found this copycat recipe for Olive Garden’s Minestrone Soup, I was so excited, I couldn’t wait to try it. Now we’re sharing it with you – and the best part is, it’s still bottomless. You can make as much as you want, and there are no long drives or long waits.
This recipe calls for a lot of ingredients, but it’s a very simple recipe, packed with lots of Italian flavors. It’s both light and filling, and it’s the perfect soup for a vegetarian meal. This soup only takes about 30 minutes to cook, but you could also prepare it in a slow cooker for several hours. Check our tips and recommendations below this recipe on instructions for using a slow cooker.
You can serve the minestrone soup as an appetizer, side dish, or even as a main meal. I typically serve it with a salad and homemade garlic bread.
Olive Garden's Minestrone Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup white onion, diced
- 1/2 cup celery, diced
- 1/2 cup carrots peeled, diced
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 14 oz canned diced tomatoes
- 32 oz vegetable stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 15 oz canned small white beans, drained and rinsed
- 15 oz canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen green beans
- 1/2 cup small shell-shaped pasta
- salt and pepper to taste
- parsley for garnish
- freshly grated parmesan cheese for garnish
Instructions
- First, heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.
- When the oil is hot, add the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Add a pinch of salt to help the vegetables sweat. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the vegetables soften.
- Next, add canned tomatoes, vegetable broth, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and the bay leaf to the pot. Bring to a boil, and then turn down to simmer.
- Then add white beans, kidney beans, green beans, zucchini, and pasta. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the pasta and vegetables are tender.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve in a bowl, and garnish with parsley and parmesan cheese.
Notes
- You can use roasted diced tomatoes for a flavor variation.
- If you have leftover vegetables in your refrigerator, consider adding them to this recipe.
- This soup can easily be made in the slow cooker by adding all of the ingredients to the slow cooker minus the pasta, spinach, and parsley, and letting it simmer for 4-6 hours on low. Stir in the pasta and spinach, and let the soup cook for an additional 20-30 minutes, or until the pasta is tender. Sprinkle with parsley and parmesan, and serve.
While restaurants are transitioning to takeout and delivery services right now, Olive Garden is rolling out their curbside buy-one-take-one-to-go meal deal. This deal allows customers to choose a “hot and ready to eat” entree, soup or salad, breadsticks, and a second entree that’s chilled and ready to heat up for later.
