Olive Garden Minestrone Soups are a popular menu item at Olive Garden. It’s a vegetarian soup that is made with a variety of fresh vegetables, beans, and pasta, and is typically topped with Parmesan cheese.
But, despite being a classic favorite for those visiting Olive Garden for a bite to eat, is it possible to make your very own version of the beloved Olive Garden minestrone soup from the comfort of your very own home?
The good news is that, yes, it is possible to prepare your own version of the Olive Garden version, and we’re here to show you how. In this guide, you will find a helpful breakdown of all you need to know about preparing the Olive Garden minestrone soup recipe.
While this recipe might not be the exact one that Olive Garden uses, it will allow you to prepare a hearty and comforting minestrone soup that will be very similar in taste to the minestrone soup you order at Olive Garden.
The Olive Garden Minestrone Soup is one of the most popular food items to order off the menu, and is also one of the most popular Olive Garden recipes to attempt at home!
While the exact recipe that Olive Garden follows might very well be a closely guarded secret, the good news is that it is possible to recreate the same flavor and texture of the soup.
By following our recipe that you’ll find in this guide, you will be able to prepare a delicious version of the soup in your very own kitchen.
The Olive Garden Minestrone Soup copycat recipe that you’ll find in this guide is a great way to enjoy a healthy and tasty meal that is not only perfect for colder weather, but ideal for enjoying whenever you’re in the mood for a hearty, comforting soup.
What Is Minestrone Soup?
Before we get any further, we first want to take a moment to provide you with a quick breakdown on what minestrone soup is, as well as how this classic soup dish came to be.
As we’re sure you might very well already know, minestrone soup is a classic Italian soup that is both nutritious and delicious. Does it get any better than that?
Minestrone soup is a hearty soup that is typically enjoyed during the cold winter months, but can also be enjoyed all year round.
In line with traditional recipes, minestrone soup is typically made with a variety of fresh vegetables, along with the addition of pasta and beans.
Thanks to this, not only is minestrone soup a great choice for vegetarians, but minestrone soup is also perfect for anyone seeking a great source of fiber, protein, and vitamins.
As for how minestrone soup came to be? Well, you might be interested to discover that the origins of minestrone soup date back to ancient Roman times!
During this time period, minestrone soup (or, what came to be known as minestrone soup) was made with food leftovers and whatever vegetables were available at the time to use.
Over the many years since its first creation, the minestrone soup recipe has gone on to be known for including staple ingredients that create the foundation of the minestrone soup, regardless of any recipe variations.
These staple ingredients consist of a hearty blend of vegetables (such as carrots, zucchini and tomatoes), pasta and an assortment of different beans.
Today, there are many variations of minestrone soup (including Olive Garden’s) and each region of Italy is known for having its own unique twist on the recipe.
Regardless of variation, one thing is for sure: the key to a good minestrone soup is to use fresh, seasonal vegetables, plenty of beans and soft pasta.
Speaking of pasta, the pasta used in minestrone soup can vary, but small pasta shapes like ditalini or elbow macaroni are popular choices.
To ensure the best flavor and taste experience, the pasta that is used is typically added towards the end of cooking the soup and is allowed to cook until soft,
Similarly, beans (such as kidney beans) are also typically added to the soup towards the end of cooking and allowed to warm through. This will allow for the best flavor.
It’s also worth noting that Minestrone soup is a super versatile dish that can be served as a main course or as a starter.
Regardless of what point of the dining experience minestrone is being served, it is often topped with grated Parmesan cheese and served with a slice of fresh crusty bread. Or, in Olive Garden’s case – with those delicious complimentary bread sticks!
If there are any leftovers of minestrone soup, it can be stored in the fridge for several days, and many people often claim that minestrone soup tends to taste even better the next day, as the flavors will have been given the chance to marinate overnight.
Now that we have learned more about the history of the minestrone soup, we’re sure that you’ll now be keen to learn how to prepare your very own version inspired by Olive Garden.
Just keep on scrolling through to our next section to discover our copycat recipe that will taste just as good as the real thing.
How To Make the Copycat Olive Garden Minestrone Soup
Before we jump into the instructions of how to make your very own minestrone soup that will taste just as delicious as the one that you like to order while eating out at Olive Garden, you are first going to need to make sure that you have all of the ingredients you need to make it.
Below, you will find a helpful list of all of the ingredients that you will need to prepare your yummy Olive Garden-inspired minestrone soup:
Ingredients You’ll Need
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 onion, preferably diced
2 cloves garlic (if possible, we recommend dicing the garlic)
2 stalks of chopped celery
2 carrots that have been thinly sliced
1 zucchini that has been carefully diced
1 can (14 oz) of fresh tomatoes
6 cups of either vegetable or chicken stock
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup small pasta (such as ditalini or elbow macaroni)
1 teaspoon of dried basil
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
Parmesan cheese to put over top!
Of course, please feel free to adjust these ingredients that we have shared with you above as you see fit due to dietary restrictions or taste preferences.
Although, just keep in mind that the ingredients that we have provided you with will help to prepare a minestrone soup that will taste very similar to the minestrone soup you can get at Olive Garden.
When you’re ready, you can move ahead to the instructions section below!
Step-By-Step Instructions
1. Choose a cooking spot: First things first, you are going to need to begin by preparing the area where you will be preparing the minestrone soup.
We recommend choosing a spot in your kitchen that is spacious enough to be able to lay out all of the ingredients that you plan to use.
2. Warm the olive oil: After you have prepared your area and you are ready to begin preparing the recipe, you will first need to begin by gently heating up the olive oil in a large cooking pot over a medium heat.
Allow the oil to warm while supervising, as you don’t want the oil to start spitting if it gets too hot.
3. Add in the onion and garlic to the cooking pan: After the oil has heated and you are ready to proceed, you are then going to want to go ahead and add in your onion and garlic that you are going to be using in your minestrone soup recipe.
For the most delicious taste and likeness to the Olive Garden minestrone soup, you should sauté until the onion is translucent.
4. Add the celery, carrots, and zucchini: After you have given the onion and garlic enough time to saute (typically, this will take around 5 minutes on medium heat) you’ll then be ready to add in the celery, carrots and zucchini.
You are going to want to make sure that you are cooking until the vegetables are softened without becoming soggy, which means that you will need to cook for about 10 Minutes.
5. Add the diced tomatoes: Take your can of diced tomatoes and add them into your cooking pan. For extra flavor, we recommend that you add in all of the juices inside the can, too!
Before proceeding to the next time, you should make sure that you have allowed the tomatoes to cook for 5 minutes or so.
6. Pour in the vegetable or chicken stock: Depending on which stock you have chosen to go with, you can then proceed to go ahead and add it into your cooking pan during this step.
After you have added it into the cooking pan, all you will then need to do is go ahead and bring the soup to a simmer. Once you can see a simmer, move on to the next step!
7. Add the additional ingredients; To really complete your minestrone soup, you’ll need to add in all of those yummy extras! Go ahead and add in your kidney beans, Great Northern beans (if you have them) as well as your pasta, basil, oregano and thyme.
8. Simmer the soup and add pasta of choice: Once you have added in the kidney beans that you are going to be using, along with any herbs and additional seasoning, you will then need to proceed to add in your pasta of choice.
Allow the pasta to cook through,usually this will take about 10-15 minutes, although this all depends on what heat you are using.
9. Season with additional salt and pepper: Now that you have added in all of the main ingredients into your minestrone soup, you will then be able to go ahead and add in salt and pepper to help enhance the flavor if this is necessary.
However, keep in mind that this step is optional.
10. Pour the soup into bowls and top with grated Parmesan cheese before serving: Last but not least, the final step that you will need to do is to simply pour the soup into bowls and then top with a generous dose of parmesan cheese! Yum.
By following the recipe that we have shared with you above, this recipe should allow you to make a hearty and comforting minestrone soup that will be very similar in taste and texture to the Olive Garden’s version.
Top Tip: If you want to enjoy the full Olive Garden experience, then why don’t you serve this soup with Olive Garden’s iconic complementary breadsticks and caesar salad? Trust us, it’ll go down a treat!
Olive Garden-Inspired Minestrone Soup: Preparation And Storage Tips
Below, please find our tips for both preparation and storage of your Olive Garden copycat minestrone soup:
Storage
If you happen to have any leftovers once you have finished preparing your batch, you will be able to easily store your minestrone soup leftovers to enjoy throughout the week or at a later date.
In order to store your leftover minestrone soup safely (as well as to preserve the taste and texture of your Olive Garden-inspired minestrone soup) you are going to need to make sure that you have allowed the soup to cool down before transferring it to a storage container.
After the soup has cooled, you can then place it inside a refrigerator-friendly container, where you will be able to keep it for up to one week. Although, most people agree that the flavor and texture of leftover minestrone soup begins to dwindle after the 5 day mark.
Alternatively, if you would like to store your Olive Garden-inspired minestrone soup to enjoy at a much later date, then you can also opt to freeze your leftovers. To do this, make sure that you have allowed the minestrone soup to completely cool down.
Then, once the soup has cooled off, you can then transfer the leftovers into a freezer-friendly container or ziplock bag. Once it is in the freezer and frozen, it will keep for a period of around 5 months.
Preparation
Even though minestrone soup is known for being a soup recipe that is relatively easy to make, the same can’t necessarily be said for the preparation of it!
As you will have seen from our ingredients section above, there’s plenty of preparing that you will need to do of the ingredients used, and this can take quite some time.
For this reason, if you are someone that has a busy schedule or simply likes to be organized, we highly recommend that you consider preparing the vegetables and various other ingredients that you are going to be using ahead of time.
One or two days prior to making your Olive Garden minestrone soup copycat recipe, we suggest that you slice and dice your vegetables, as well as make sure that you have gathered all of the additional ingredients that you are going to need, such as beans and stock.
Final Thoughts
All in all? Regardless of whether it’s from popular chain restaurants like Olive Garden or being made from scratch at home, minestrone soup is a delicious and healthy dish that is not only super easy to make, but perfect to be enjoyed any time of the year.
Plus, thanks to the delicious combination of vegetables, pasta, and beans, we think it;s pretty safe to say that minestrone soup is both a filling and nutritious meal that can be enjoyed by the whole family…even the pickiest of eaters!
Before you click off, why don’t you consider giving this page a bookmark? That way, if you ever needed to come back and refresh your memory on how to make an Olive Garden classic minestrone soup from home, you’ll know exactly where to find us.
Thanks for reading, and we hope you have fun getting creative in the kitchen with this copycat recipe!
Hey! I’m Lana, the original Soup Chick! I decided to create this website as I am a massive soup fan. I will literally make soup for every occasion. Whether a friend is under the weather, has the flu, or I just want to try out something new in my slow cooker!
I hope that you can find some really interesting and different soup recipes to try out with my site. I know I’ve had a lot of fun curating and trying them all, and I hope that you do too!
