Olive Garden minestrone soup is onion, celery, carrots, zucchini, green beans, two kinds of beans and shell pasta simmered in a tomato vegetable broth with Italian seasoning, ready in 40 minutes. That makes this Olive Garden minestrone soup recipe a vegetarian one-pot dinner that serves 6 at 300 calories a bowl.
Cutting every vegetable the same size is the step that stops some pieces being mush while others are still raw. Carrots and celery take the longest, zucchini the shortest, and if one is diced small while the other is left in thick chunks they will never finish at the same time. Uniform cuts mean uniform cooking.
This version uses vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, which keeps it fully vegetarian and is closer to the traditional Italian original. Tomato paste goes in alongside the canned diced tomatoes, and that double hit of tomato is what gives the broth its colour and depth. Without the paste, the liquid ends up thin and pale.
Olive Garden Minestrone Soup
Course: Soups, DinnerCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy6
servings15
minutes25
minutes300
kcalSeven vegetables and two kinds of beans simmered in a tomato vegetable broth with Italian seasoning, finished with shell pasta and wilted spinach. Vegetarian, no cream, no meat, one pot.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, sliced
1/2 cup carrots, peeled, quartered and sliced
1 zucchini, quartered and sliced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
4 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 (15 oz) can small white beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup frozen cut green beans
1/2 cup small shell pasta
2 cups baby spinach leaves
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Directions
- Sauté the vegetables:Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots and zucchini. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper.
- Build the broth:Add the diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, tomato paste and Italian seasoning to the pot. Bring to a simmer.
- Add the beans and pasta:Stir in the white beans, kidney beans, green beans and shell pasta. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the pasta and vegetables are tender.
- Finish and serve:Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the spinach leaves and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until wilted. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.
FAQs
Can you make this in a slow cooker?
Yes, and the author gives a specific method. Add everything except the pasta, spinach and parsley to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours or high for 2 to 3 hours. Stir in the pasta and spinach for the last 20 to 30 minutes of cooking. The pasta needs the heat of a simmer to cook through, so do not add it at the start or it turns to mush.
Can you add meat to this?
The author suggests cooked Italian sausage for extra protein, and a commenter used hot Italian pork sausage and preferred it to the vegetarian version. Brown the sausage separately and stir it in with the beans. Switching to chicken broth instead of vegetable broth makes sense if you are adding meat anyway.
Why does the soup get thick after sitting?
The pasta absorbs liquid even off the heat, same problem as the pasta e fagioli. Add a splash of broth when you reheat to bring the consistency back. If you plan on lots of leftovers, cook the pasta separately and add it to individual bowls so the stored soup stays loose.
How do you store and freeze minestrone?
It keeps in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. It freezes well, though the pasta and vegetables will be softer when you thaw and reheat. For best results, freeze without the pasta and cook fresh shells when you reheat. The beans and broth hold up perfectly from frozen.
What is the actual serving size?
The author confirmed in the comments that one serving is 1.5 cups, and the recipe makes 6 of those. At 300 calories per 1.5 cups, this is the lightest soup in the Olive Garden lineup by a wide margin. Double the pasta and you get closer to a main-course portion.
