✔ Updated · fixed recipe card amounts + freezer and pasta tips
My copycat Olive Garden minestrone soup is a hearty, meat-free bowl of vegetables, two kinds of beans and small shell pasta in a tomato and vegetable broth. It's ready in about 50 minutes and tastes even better the next day.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: If you plan to have leftovers, cook the pasta separately and add it to each bowl. Pasta left in the pot keeps soaking up the broth.
Why You'll Love This Minestrone
- Meat-free and filling, with beans, pasta and plenty of vegetables in every bowl.
- One pot, pantry staples and about 50 minutes from start to finish.
- Great for meal prep: it keeps for days in the fridge and freezes well.
What's in Olive Garden-Style Minestrone?
The restaurant-style bowl is a light tomato and vegetable broth packed with diced vegetables, two kinds of beans and small pasta. This copycat-style version uses the same building blocks: onion, celery, carrot, zucchini and green beans, white beans and red kidney beans, and small shell pasta.
It's naturally meat-free and made with vegetable broth. For the classic pairing (and my favorite), serve it with our Olive Garden breadsticks.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Cut the vegetables the same size. A small, even dice (about 1/2 inch) means everything cooks in the same time and fits on a spoon. I put on a podcast and chop.
- Cook the tomato paste for a minute. Frying it briefly with the herbs deepens the flavor of the broth.
- Watch the pasta. Small shells cook in about 10 minutes. Stop when they're al dente, because they keep softening in the hot soup.
- Adjust the thickness at the end. Beans and pasta thicken the soup as it stands. Add a splash of broth or water before serving.
- Season last. Broth brands vary a lot in salt, so taste and add salt only after the soup has simmered.
Olive Garden Minestrone Soup (Copycat)
8
servings15
minutes35
minutes175
kcal50
minutesA copycat-style Olive Garden minestrone soup: onion, celery, carrot, zucchini and green beans simmered in a tomato and vegetable broth with white beans, kidney beans and small shell pasta. Meat-free, hearty and ready in about 50 minutes.
Ingredients
- For the Soup Base
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 medium zucchini, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 bay leaf
1 can canned diced tomatoes, with their juice (14.5 oz can)
32 ounces vegetable broth (4 cups)
2 cups water
- Beans, Vegetables and Pasta
1 can small white beans or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (15 oz can)
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (15 oz can)
1 cup green beans, fresh or frozen, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup small shell pasta (about 2 oz)
2 cups baby spinach (optional)
- To Season and Serve
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
grated Parmesan, to serve (optional)
Directions
- Build the Base
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and carrot with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, for 5 to 6 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Add the zucchini and garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste, Italian seasoning and bay leaf and cook for 1 minute more, stirring so the paste doesn’t catch.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juice, the vegetable broth and the water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Finish the Soup
- Add the white beans, kidney beans, green beans and pasta. Simmer, stirring now and then, for 10 to 12 minutes, until the pasta is al dente and the vegetables are tender.
- Stir in the spinach, if using, and cook for 1 minute until wilted. Remove the bay leaf, then season with salt and pepper. Add a splash more broth or water if the soup is too thick.
- Ladle into bowls and top with parsley and a little grated Parmesan, if you like. Serve with breadsticks or a green salad.
Notes
- This recipe is an incredible vegetarian soup that can also easily become vegan. The only ingredients you will have to check are the vegetable stock (which is usually vegan) and the pasta shelf.
- You can make this recipe healthier by reducing the salt content by either adding less fine salt or by using a low-sodium vegetable stock.
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Storing, Freezing and Reheating
- Fridge: cool the soup and refrigerate it in airtight containers within 2 hours. It keeps for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezer: freeze it without the pasta for up to 3 months. Leave about an inch of headspace, because the soup expands as it freezes.
- Reheat: warm it on the stove over medium heat until steaming hot all the way through (165°F). Add a splash of water or broth, since the soup thickens as it stands.
- Pasta for leftovers: cook it separately and add it to each bowl, so it stays al dente.
Variations
- Gluten-free: use a gluten-free small pasta, or swap it for 1/2 cup of rice and simmer a little longer.
- Extra greens: stir in chopped kale with the beans, or baby spinach at the end.
- Heartier: add diced potato with the carrots, or a parmesan rind while it simmers (remove it before serving).
- Slow cooker: soften the vegetables on the stove, then cook everything except the pasta on low for 6 to 7 hours. Add the pasta for the last 20 to 30 minutes on high.
More Olive Garden-Style Soups
Round out a copycat soup night with our Zuppa Toscana, the creamy chicken gnocchi soup or a classic French onion soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Olive Garden minestrone soup have meat in it?
This copycat recipe has no meat and uses vegetable broth, so it is vegetarian, and vegan if you skip the Parmesan. Restaurant recipes can change, so if you are ordering at the restaurant, check its current ingredient and allergen information.
How many calories are in this minestrone soup?
One serving of this copycat recipe, about 1 1/2 cups, has roughly 175 calories, with about 8 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber from the beans and vegetables. The figure is an estimate and will change with your broth, pasta and toppings.
How do I keep the pasta from getting mushy?
Cook the pasta separately and add it to each bowl if you expect leftovers. Pasta left in the pot keeps absorbing broth overnight. If you cook it in the soup, stop when it is just al dente.
How long does minestrone soup keep?
Cool it quickly and refrigerate it in airtight containers within 2 hours. It keeps for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat it on the stove until it is steaming hot all the way through (165°F), adding a splash of water if needed.
Can I freeze minestrone soup?
Yes. Freeze it without the pasta for up to 3 months, leaving some headspace in the container. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, reheat it until steaming hot (165°F), then add freshly cooked pasta.
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