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Copycat Olive Garden Minestrone Soup Recipe

Close-up of a steaming bowl of olive garden minestrone soup filled with pasta, carrots, celery, and spinach.
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Make the famous, hearty Italian vegetable soup from Olive Garden at home with this straightforward copycat recipe. This soup features a savory broth, mixed vegetables, beans, and small pasta.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 2 celery stalks, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup small pasta (like ditalini or small shells)
  • 1 cup shredded green cabbage
  • 1 cup fresh spinach, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
  2. Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  3. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
  4. Pour in the diced tomatoes (with their juice), vegetable broth, and water. Stir to combine.
  5. Add the basil, oregano, thyme, black pepper, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil.
  6. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
  7. Stir in the rinsed kidney beans and cannellini beans. Increase the heat slightly to return the soup to a gentle simmer.
  8. Add the small pasta and cook according to package directions, usually about 8 to 10 minutes, until the pasta is tender.
  9. Stir in the shredded cabbage and chopped spinach during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Cook only until the spinach wilts.
  10. Taste the soup and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
  11. Ladle the hearty soup into bowls and top each serving with grated Parmesan cheese.

Notes

  • For a thicker soup, you can mash about 1/4 cup of the cannellini beans against the side of the pot before adding them back in.
  • This copycat recipe tastes best when made ahead and reheated the next day.
  • Serve this easy vegetable bean pasta soup with crusty Italian bread for dipping.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookingbycarla.com/olive-garden-minestrone-soup-recipe/