Description
This easy homemade minestrone captures the iconic Olive Garden Vegetable Soup flavor with fresh vegetables, beans, and pasta in a rich tomato broth. A comforting, healthy meal ready in under an hour.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup green beans, fresh or frozen, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium zucchini, diced
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup ditalini pasta (or other small pasta like elbow or small shells)
- 2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Sauté the Aromatics: In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 7-8 minutes, until the vegetables have softened and the onion is translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for one more minute until fragrant.
- Build the Broth: Pour in the crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth, stirring to combine. Add the kidney beans, cannellini beans, green beans, diced zucchini, dried basil, oregano, thyme, and the bay leaf. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Simmer to Perfection: Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for 20 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld beautifully and the vegetables to become perfectly tender.
- Cook the Pasta: While the soup simmers, cook the ditalini pasta separately according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Finish the Soup: After the soup has simmered for 20 minutes, remove the bay leaf and discard it. Stir in the cooked pasta and the fresh spinach. The spinach will wilt almost instantly in the hot soup. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve: Ladle the hot soup into bowls and top with a generous sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately with a side of crusty bread.
Notes
Smart Substitutions: For gluten-free version, use gluten-free pasta. You can use all kidney beans or all cannellini beans if preferred. Chicken broth can be used for non-vegetarian version. For extra protein, add cooked shredded chicken or Italian sausage. Always cook pasta separately to prevent it from becoming mushy in leftovers. Store soup and pasta separately for best texture. Soup freezes well for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 11g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 0mg