Olive Garden Minestrone Soup Recipe

Why This Minestrone Works

It's the lightest soup on the menu, so the flavor has to come from the vegetables. Sautéing them first builds sweetness, a vegetable broth and tomato base keeps it vegetarian, and two kinds of beans make it filling without meat.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 small zucchini, diced
• 1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
• 6 cups (1.4 L) vegetable broth
• 1 can (15 oz) red kidney beans, drained
• 1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• ½ cup (55 g) small shell pasta
• 2 cups baby spinach
• Salt and pepper
• Parmesan, to serve (optional)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Sauté. Heat the oil in a large pot. Cook onion, celery and carrot 5 minutes, then add zucchini, green beans and garlic for 3 minutes.
2. Simmer. Add tomatoes, broth, beans, oregano and basil. Bring to a boil and simmer 20 minutes.
3. Add pasta. Stir in the pasta and cook until tender, about 8 minutes.
4. Finish. Stir in the spinach, season with salt and pepper and serve with Parmesan if you like.

Tips for Restaurant-Style Results

• Cut all the vegetables about the same size so every spoonful has a bit of everything.
• Leave out the Parmesan and check your pasta to keep it vegan.
• A Parmesan rind simmered in the pot adds depth (remove it before serving; not vegetarian).

Homemade vs. the Restaurant Version

At Olive Garden, Minestrone Soup costs about $11.29 and has 110 calories per serving by the restaurant's published nutrition. It's the lowest-calorie soup on the restaurant menu, and the homemade version stays light while packing more vegetables.

Storing and Reheating

• Refrigerate up to 5 days.
• Freeze without the pasta for up to 3 months; add fresh pasta when reheating.

Olive Garden Minestrone Soup: Questions People Ask