Minestrone Soup Recipe (Olive Garden inspired)
This hearty minestrone soup recipe is a comforting tomato broth soup loaded with fresh vegetables, beans, and pasta. Feed your army on a budget with this delicious soup inspired by the famous Olive Garden minestrone!
Servings: 12 cups
Calories: 69kcal
Equipment
- 8-quart Dutch oven or stockpot or 6-quart pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 large Onion diced
- 2 ribs Celery diced
- 2-3 medium Carrots chopped
- 5 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 (15-ounce can) Red Kidney Beans rinsed and drained
- 1 (15-ounce can) Cannellini Beans rinsed and drained
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano or 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Salt or more to taste
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 (28-ounce can) Crushed Tomatoes
- 6 cups Vegetable Broth or more to adjust consistency
- 4 ounces Pasta Shells (or Macaroni or Ditalini) about 1 cup
- ½ pound Zucchini sliced or diced, about 2 cups
- 2 cups Chopped Leafy Greens Spinach or Kale
Optional Toppings
- Fresh Parsley, Croutons, Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Heat an 8-quart soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the OLIVE OIL and heat until shimmering.
- Add ONIONS and sauté for a few minutes, until softened. Then add CELERY, CARROTS, and GARLIC and cook until tender.
- Stir in BEANS, OREGANO, ITALIAN SEASONING, SALT, PEPPER, CRUSHED TOMATOES, VEGETABLE BROTH, and PASTA. Bring to a boil briefly.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the PASTA is al dente.
- Add the ZUCCHINI and LEAFY GREENS and continue cooking for 5 minutes.
- Serve warm, garnished with your favorite toppings.
- To store, cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
See footnotes for pressure cooker instructions.
Video
Notes
Pressure cooker method
Select "Sauté" on a 6-quart pressure cooker and heat OLIVE OIL until shimmering. Add ONION, CELERY, CARROTS, and GARLIC. Sauté until tender. Press "Cancel" and stir in BEANS, SEASONINGS, TOMATOES, BROTH, and PASTA. Secure the lid, set the valve to "Sealing," and pressure cook on HIGH for 1 minute (or 2 minutes if using thicker pasta). Use a long utensil (not your hand) to open the pressure release valve to quick-release all steam from the pot. Continue with line #5 in the above recipe.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 69kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 681mg | Potassium: 162mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2373IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 0.5mg