Hearty, healthy, and satisfying, this easy minestrone soup recipe is a delicious vegetarian lunch or dinner for chilly days. Full of beans, vegetables, and pasta, this version of the classic Italian dish is even better than Olive Garden’s!
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If you love vegetable soup recipes, don’t miss this Crock Pot vegetable soup, a pot of vegetable noodle soup, and this summer vegetable soup, too!
Video: How to Make Minestrone Soup
Olive Garden Minestrone Soup
Minestrone soup is a thick soup of Italian origin, made with vegetables such as onions, carrots, tomatoes, and celery, and often beans, pasta, or rice. There’s no single Italian recipe for minestrone, and instead you’ll find different versions throughout the country, depending on the region, the season, and the individual cook’s preferences. It’s one of those dishes that you can make with just about any vegetables that you have on hand!
Olive Garden, the Italian-American restaurant chain, popularized this soup in the United States. My friend Monica shared this recipe with me years ago, and it’s been a staple in our cool-weather meal routine ever since. It’s her version of an Olive Garden minestrone soup copycat recipe, and we think it’s even better than the restaurant’s!
Minestrone Soup Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a pot of easy minestrone soup. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Olive oil: to sauté the vegetables.
- Onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, green beans, and garlic: fresh vegetables that add so much flavor and texture to the soup.
- Vegetable broth: the base of the soup. You can substitute with chicken broth if you’re not looking for a vegetarian meal.
- Kidney beans and small white beans: any beans will work here, so pick your favorites. Other good options include chickpeas, red beans, pinto beans, or cannellini beans.
- Fire-roasted diced tomatoes: provide a hint of smokiness to the soup, which makes it taste like it’s been simmering on the stovetop all day. You can substitute with regular diced tomatoes, if necessary.
- Parsley: provides a touch of bright green color and freshness.
- Oregano, basil, and thyme: additional herbs that give the soup earthy, Italian flavor.
- Salt and pepper: season the soup to taste, since the total amount of salt necessary will depend your personal preference, as well as on the saltiness of the broth that you use.
- Pasta: pick a small shape such as ditalini, small shells, or even broken pieces of spaghetti. The pasta cooks right in the pot of soup, so there’s no need to boil it separately.
- Baby spinach: stir the leaves into the soup at the very end. They wilt instantly!
How to Make Minestrone
This soup comes together easily on the stovetop with just one pot!
- Sauté the vegetables and garlic in olive oil until soft.
- Add the broth, tomatoes, beans, and herbs. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Stir in the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10-15 minutes.
- Add fresh spinach, parsley, and lemon juice just before serving. You’ll wait to add the spinach, since the delicate leaves will wilt almost immediately when they hit the hot broth.
- Ladle into bowls. Garnish each bowl with plenty of grated Parmesan cheese for the best flavor. Extra fresh parsley or other herbs are also a delicious finishing touch.
What to Serve with Minestrone
Serve this hearty and healthy vegetable soup with a crusty baguette or no-knead bread, focaccia bread, flaky biscuits, homemade breadsticks, a Southern cornbread recipe, this garlic bread recipe, or Aunt Bee’s 3-ingredient biscuit recipe.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: If you’d like to prepare a batch of the soup in advance, I recommend making the soup through Step 5 (do not add the pasta). Cool the broth and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. When ready to serve, bring the soup to a simmer, add the pasta, and follow the rest of the recipe.
- How to Store: Leftover soup will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month; however, cooked pasta may be mushy when frozen and reheated.
- How to Reheat: Warm leftovers in a covered saucepan over low heat, just until heated through. Do not overcook or the pasta will become mushy. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Tips for the Best Minestrone Soup Recipe
- Simmer the soup with a Parmesan cheese rind for even more flavor in the pot. Remove the rind before serving.
- Don’t overcook the noodles or they will become mushy in your soup. Add them to the pot just before you’re ready to serve.
- The total cooking time for the pasta will depend on the size and shape that you choose. Ditalini typically needs about 10-15 minutes in the simmering broth, but keep an eye on it and turn off the heat when the pasta is just barely tender. It will continue to soften and plump up as it sits in the hot soup.
- Taste and season as you go. The total amount of salt necessary will vary depending on the saltiness of your broth, and on personal preference. Add extra salt for more flavor, and feel free to increase the other herbs and seasonings as well.
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
Easy Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 large carrot (or 2 small carrots), peeled and diced
- 1 large stalk celery (or 2 small stalks celery), diced
- 1 small zucchini, diced
- ½ cup fresh cut green beans (or substitute with frozen cut green beans)
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, not drained
- 1 (15.5 oz) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15.5 oz) can small white beans (or navy beans), drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or use 2 teaspoons fresh oregano)
- ½ teaspoon dried basil (or use 1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh basil)
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme (or use ¾ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves)
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup ditalini pasta (or other small pasta shape such as orzo, stars, or mini shells)
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Squeeze of fresh lemon juice (optional)
- For serving: grated Parmesan cheese; additional chopped fresh herbs
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, and green beans. Sauté until the vegetables are starting to soften and the onion is translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in vegetable broth, diced tomatoes and their juices, kidney beans, white beans, oregano, basil, and thyme. Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce the heat and gently simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes. Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper.
- Add pasta; simmer for about 10-15 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente (just barely tender). Remove from the heat.
- Stir in the spinach leaves and fresh parsley just before serving. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, if desired. Ladle into bowls and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and additional fresh herbs.
Notes
- Don’t overcook the noodles or they will become mushy in your soup. Add them to the pot just before you’re ready to serve.
- The total cooking time for the pasta will depend on the size and shape that you choose. Ditalini typically needs about 10-15 minutes in the simmering broth, but keep an eye on it and turn off the heat when the pasta is just barely tender. It will continue to soften and plump up as it sits in the hot soup.
- Taste and season as you go. The total amount of salt necessary will vary depending on the saltiness of your broth, and on personal preference. Add extra salt for more flavor, and feel free to increase the other herbs and seasonings as well.
Nutrition
Easy Minestrone Soup Recipe Variations
- Use just about any veggies that you have on hand. Other good options include sweet bell peppers, diced potatoes, or even butternut squash.
- Try other fresh or dried herbs. Additional options include fresh rosemary and chives. A bay leaf is also a great addition to the broth.
- Just about any beans will work in this soup. Try cannellini beans, red beans, or garbanzo beans.
- Chicken broth is a fine substitute for the vegetable broth if you don’t need a vegan meal.
- You can also add cooked, diced chicken, turkey, ham, or sausage to the soup for a heartier flavor and texture.
- Instead of spinach, use chopped fresh kale. The kale will need longer in the broth to become tender, so add it with the pasta (or shortly after).
More Easy Soup Recipes
Ham and Bean Soup with Canned Beans
1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup
3 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Slow Cooker Cabbage Soup with Hamburger
6 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
This was originally published in September, 2014. It was updated in December, 2024.
Hi Blair, this looks delicious! I love Minestrone soup and love all the veggies in this one, the wagon wheel pasta is a fun idea, will give this a try!
Hi, Joy! This really is a great version of Minestrone…I hope that you get to try it!
Another great-looking soup Blair! I’m collecting up a whole new soup menu from you for this fall! 🙂 Thank you for sharing. Pinned and sharing later today on my FB page.
Hi, Karen! I’m definitely loving soups right now…can you tell?! 🙂 This is a winner!
I love minestrone soup and this one looks delicious! Pinning this so I can make it later this fall and winter. Found you at Whimsy Wednesdays.
Thanks so much for the pin, Marie!
Morning, Blair,
I saw your fabulous soup at Miz Helen’s and just had to come see more Such yummy ingredients and flavours and beautiful photography! Thanks for a great recipe 🙂
Hi, Robyn! Thanks so much for stopping by!
I loooove soup. This looks amazing. It’s raining cats and dogs here and supposed to all weekend. Soup would hit the spot. And, wagon wheels!!!! Love! 🙂
Hey, Sarah! I’m in total soup mode these days too! This is one of my favorites. Enjoy!!
I love minestrone soup but have never made it myself, will definitely be trying this recipe now!1 Thank you so much for linking up at Tasty Tuesday! Your recipe has been pinned to the Tasty Tuesday Pinterest board! Please join us again this week!
Thanks, Stephanie! I hope that you get a chance to try it…it’s delicious! 🙂
I loooove Fall & I loooove soup!! This is the perfect combination. 🙂 I am totally pinning for later bc I am just waiting for those crisp fall days so I can have soup for lunch and not broil. haha
Thanks for linking up with the Merry Monday Link Party!
Thanks for visiting, Jillian! I hope that you get to try it, and thanks for the pin! 🙂
This minestrone soup looks delicious! I love soup when the weather cools off…this one looks awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much for stopping by, Jodee! It’s definitely the perfect cool-weather meal!
This looks like a delicious soup, yum! Thanks for linking up to Sweet and Savoury Sunday, stop by and link up again. Have a great day!!
I Was wondering do you drain the juices from the can beans?
Hi! Yes, the recipe says that the beans should be drained and rinsed. Enjoy! 🙂
To keep the cooked pasta from getting soggy and soaking up the broth, I cook the pasta separately; this way it stays firm. One can “eyeball” how much to add to the soup when you reheat it.
Thank you for sharing, Sandra! We hope you enjoy the recipe.