Minestrone Soup

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This Olive Garden Minestrone Soup is filled with delicious vegetables, herbs, and a rich tomato soup. It’s great for using leftover vegetables and pantry staples! No going to the store for this recipe!

Overhead view of a pot of soup with soup ladle and garnished with parmesan cheese.

If you haven’t made a big pot of minestrone soup yet, you are missing out! It’s the perfect weeknight meal and you can throw any veggie you have on hand in this soup. Which makes it great because then you don’t have to run to the store!

Another great soup using pantry staples is this Creamy Potato Soup. It’s both delicious and satisfying! Or maybe you are looking for something more stew like? Try this Green Chile Stew or Hearty Beef Stew. Both are great for cold nights!

Minestrone soup is a hearty Italian vegetable soup made with tomato broth, herbs, pasta, or rice. It was designed to use up leftover vegetables so use any vegetable you have.

This Minestrone Soup recipe is:

  • a hearty vegetarian soup
  • easy to make and budget friendly
  • healthy, warm, and wholesome
  • easy to adjust to suit your needs or what you have on hand
  • freezer friendly and makes great leftovers
  • so much better than Olive Garden minestrone soup
Ingredients to make minestrone soup like broth, canned tomatoes, and loads of assorted veggies!

Minestrone Vegetable Soup Ingredients:

ONIONS, CELERY, CARROT: This is otherwise known as a soffritto to Italians. These three vegetables are used to make an aromatic and flavorful base for the soup.
GARLIC: Another very flavorful component of this soup. Please don’t skip out on these two bases for the soup. The rest can be changed easily!

VEGETABLES: I am using zucchini, potato, and spinach because it’s what I had in the refrigerator at the time. But as stated earlier please use whatever vegetables you have on hand!
TOMATOES: I am using both crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes for texture.

BROTH: To keep this a vegetarian soup I chose to use vegetable broth.
HERBS: Italian seasoning, oregano, and basil all add loads of flavor to the soup
BEANS: Add protein to this vegetarian soup. Feel free to add more or replace the pasta with more beans if you like.

PASTA: Use any small pasta such as small shells, ditalini, elbow, or orecchiette. It cooks right in the soup and releases its starches which helps to thicken the soup.
PARMESAN: Used as a topping to your bowl of soup. You can leave it out if you prefer or if you have a parmesan rind add it to the soup while it is simmering for even more flavor.

Four pictures showing how easy it is to make this vegetarian soup.

How To Make The Best Minestrone Soup Recipe:

SOFFRITTO: You will start by sauteeing your flavorful base of onion, celery, and carrot. Stir in the garlic at the end so it doesn’t burn.

SOUP: Add all the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the pasta and spinach and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. This gives the potato a head start in softening. If you don’t want your zucchini really soft wait to add it when you add the pasta.

PASTA AND SPINACH: Stir in the pasta and simmer until al dente. The length of time will depend on what type of pasta you are using. Remove from the heat and stir in the spinach. Serve garnished with parmesan cheese if desired.

A ladle pulling up a full scoop of soup ready to serve.

FAQs

CAN I FREEZE MINESTRONE SOUP?

Yes! Pour completely cooled soup into a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

HOW TO REHEAT MINESTRONE SOUP?

I like to reheat on the stove top gently stirring often. You can also add a little extra broth if it’s a little too thick. The pasta will continue to soak up liquid as it sits. Can also reheat individual bowls in the microwave.

HOW TO STORE MINESTRONE SOUP?

Store completely cooled soup in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

Soup in a white bowl garnished with parmesan cheese and a spoon in the bowl ready to take a bite.

Variations:

  • VEGETABLES: Please use this recipe more as a guide and use what vegetables you have on hand. Try sweet potatoes, kale, summer squash, and green beans just to name a few. Just remember some vegetables may take longer to soften so make sure to cut them no larger than 1/2 inch.
  • BROTH: If you don’t have vegetable broth replace it with chicken broth or stock.
  • BEANS: You can replace the canned beans with soaked dry beans. You will need to cook these ahead of time and then add them to the soup.
  • PASTA: If you need this to be gluten-free try using gluten-free pasta or replace the pasta with rice. You can also substitute the pasta for quick cooking barley. Or leave out the pasta and use more beans.

Serving Suggestions:

This soup is perfect for serving with a nice loaf of crusty bread or even this Rosemary Parmesan Bread. It’s also great with a simple side salad dressed with your favorite dressing or try this Homemade Ranch Dressing!

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Overhead view of a pot of soup with soup ladle and garnished with parmesan cheese.

Minestrone Soup

Course: Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: olive garden minestrone soup, vegetarian minestrone soup
This vegetarian Minestrone Soup is thick and hearty, filled with delicious vegetables, herbs, and a rich tomato soup.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 220kcal
Author: Malinda Linnebur
Print Recipe Save Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 large carrot, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 small zucchini, quartered and sliced
  • 1 large potato, peeled, washed, and diced
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 (28 oz) (793g) can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 (14.5 oz) (411g) cans petite diced tomatoes
  • 6 cups low sodium vegetable broth
  • 2 (15 oz) (425g) low sodium cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup (135g) ditalini pasta or other small pasta
  • 2 cups (75g) spinach

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrot and cook until onion is softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
  • Add the rest of the vegetables, seasonings, canned tomatoes, broth, and beans. Simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Stir in the pasta and simmer until pasta is al dente and vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and stir in the spinach. Garnish with parmesan cheese if desired.

Notes

  1. STORAGE: Store cooled soup in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. 
  2. FREEZER FRIENDLY: Pour completely cooled soup into a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. 
  3. Taste your soup and add salt and pepper as needed. If you feel the soup needs a little something still add a splash of red wine vinegar or a squeeze of fresh lemon. Both will brighten up the flavors of the soup.
  4. Be sure to read the post for lots of substitutions. 

Nutrition

Calories: 220kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 68mg | Potassium: 728mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 7136IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 3mg

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