Minestrone soup is so hearty it can stand on its own as the main dish! I fell in love with minestrone at the Olive Garden, so this is a pretty darn close attempt at copying the classic Italian soup.
If you want a few more Olive garden Copycats, here is the Best Alfredo Sauce and Zuppa Toscana recipe.

Minestrone soup is not just tasty, it’s healthy as well! The delicious tomato-y broth is chock-full of vegetables and beans. It’s the perfect dish to serve to kids who are finicky with eating produce.
Made in one-pot, healthy minestrone is a great option for a quick weeknight dinner as the weather starts to cool off and the kids gear up to go back to school. Sometimes knowing that I will have a quick clean-up is enough to motivate me to make a homemade dinner… just sayin’.
What is Minestrone Soup?
Minestrone is an Italian soup known for its thick tomato-based broth. It can be made with pasta or rice, and typically contains carrots, tomato chunks, kidney beans, celery, onions and potatoes. However, the creation of this soup came from a need to use up leftover vegetables. So, feel free to use any veggies that are taking up space in your refrigerator. Or, alter the recipe to whatever is fresh and in season. Seriously, you can’t go wrong!

Tips for Minestrone Soup
- Make Gluten-Free Minestrone Soup – Have gluten allergy? No problem! Substitute the pasta for wild or white rice.
- Make Minestrone Soup Spicy – Like it spicy? Add some red pepper flakes to your minestrone for the perfect touch of heat.
- Make Minestrone Soup Vegan – Easily make your minestrone vegan by using egg-free noodles (or rice!) and a vegetable-based broth. One of my new favorite products is Better Than Bouillon’s No Beef Base broth concentrate.
- Switch up the Vegetables You Use – Minestrone is extremely versatile. If you don’t have the exact ingredients this recipe calls for, don’t worry! You can use red or yellow zucchini, sweet potatoes, kale, spinach, butternut squash, broccoli, cauliflower… I mean, anything! The broth compliments any vegetable. Use what you have and don’t let anything go to waste.
- Noodles Make Broth Disappear! – Noodles are notorious for sucking up liquid. As your leftover minestrone sits in the fridge, you may notice that your noodles are slowly absorbing your broth. If this is a problem for you, add more broth to the soup.

Storing Minestrone Soup
- Keeping Minestrone Soup Fresh – Store your minestrone soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. The kicker? Minestrone gets tastier as it marinates in the fridge. That’s right…each bowl you reheat will taste richer and richer.
- Freezing Minestrone Soup – You probably know by now that I am the queen of having frozen, homemade food on hand. However, I would discourage you from freezing minestrone. The reason is that this soup contains fresh vegetables.
Serving the Minestrone Soup
Some freshly grated parmesan cheese is the perfect garnish for minestrone. After all, that’s what they do at Olive Garden! It wouldn’t hurt to add some chopped basil or cracked pepper to the mix.
Like I said before, minestrone is a stand-alone kind of soup. However, there is nothing like sopping up that hearty broth with nice piece of bread. Try making my Parmesan Garlic Flatbread Recipe or No Knead Bread.
Other Soup Recipes to Make
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 medium carrots (diced into small cubes)
- 2 small zucchinis (diced into small cubes)
- 1/2 large onion (diced into small cubes)
- 6 celery stalks (diced into small cubes)
- 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 28 oz canned diced tomatoes
- 32 oz vegetable broth
- 15 oz canned great Northen beans (drained)
- 15 oz canned Kidney beans (drained)
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp dry basil
- 1/2 cup noodles
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Preheat the pot with olive oil, add zucchini, carrots, celery and onions. Sautee for about 10 minutes, until vegetables soften.
- To the pot, add canned diced tomatoes. Season with Italian seasoning and dry basil.
- Add vegetable broth, noodles, kidney and Great Northen beans. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Depending on the thickness of the soup, you can add 2 more cups of water to the mix.
- Press garlic into the mixture and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Serve while the minestrone soup is still warm.
Do you pre cook the beans before adding to soup
Hey Angel, Use canned beans and there's no need to pre-cook them.
Is it possible to make it with other beans when you do not have great northern beans?? I realized i forgot to buy them them at the store. 🙁
Hi Rachel, Feel free to use what beans you have on hand. Enjoy!
Made this for company tonight. It was excellent and many said it was the best minestrone they have ever had! I also added the Parmesan rind and extra broth.
The parmesan rind is a nice touch! Glad everyone loved it.
I’ve made this recipe several times and it’s wonderful! A great vegetarian meal! I add a Parmesan rind like I’ve seen many Italians do when making their minestrone.
Hi Suzanne, What a great tip! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
How large is a serving. Looking at calories
Hi Barb, It's about 1.5 cups per serving. Enjoy!
Could this be made in an instant pot? Would like to make at my office.
Hi Sal, It could be, however I have not tried it in the instant pot.
Red zucchini???
Hi J, Thanks for pointing that out!
When I was a kid, in the 60’s we use to go to the Placerville hotel every Sunday night. I would have minestrone soup, salad, and bread sticks. One of my favorite memories. This soup tastes just like the hotels minestrone. I love it.
Hey Marcia- some of our favorite meals are the ones tied to childhood memories. 🙂 I love when readers find a recipe of mine that is nostalgic. Thank you very much for giving it a try!
Excellent recipe. I made it with and without the tomato paste, and it is much heartier with it. I added pre-cooked Italian mild sausage for my meat-loving family to make it more filling as well. It also freezes just fine...the fresh veggies are fully cooked, so no issue there. The only trick with noodle soups is to allow it to fully defrost in the refrigerator...no microwave :). Also, freezing cooked pasta separately in portions also works very well. Just allow to defrost in the fridge and you'd never know. It also helps keep the noodles from absorbing too much of the broth. Thanks again for the recipe. It's a new favorite in my house!
Tomato paste? Don’t see that in recipe…
Hi Janene, Thanks for sharing all the great freezing tips! Very much appreciated. 🙂
Since I'm cooking for one, I shared this with friends. Cooking for others is my love language. They loved it. They continue to rave about it. I'm making it again tomorrow and they are so excited. Thanks for sharing. I'm interested in checking out your other recipes.
Hi Lisa, Your friends are sure lucky to have you share your cooking! 🙂 I hope you try our other recipes!
I loved it! I ended up making the pasta separate because of one wheat allergy in the family and made her separate brown rice pasta. but tasted perfect still. I did add salt to taste and a bay leaf just because I love them in soup.
I'm glad you made this recipe work for your family, Ashley! Love the addition of bay leaf, it always adds something. Thanks for giving this recipe a try! 😀
This recipe needs salt and you have to make sure the noodles are cooked through
Hi Amy- I always love to suggest that people season to taste or with their heart! Thank you for trying this recipe and sharing feedback with us. 🙂
I’m going to try this recipe but in a crock pot any advice on what temp and for how long?
Hey Brooklyn- this is a great question! I haven't tried making this recipe in a crockpot but I hope to test this method soon! Per other reader comments, combine all the ingredients except for the noodles and cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours. I recommend that you add the pasta in the last 30 minutes of cooking so it doesn't get too mushy. Hope this helps! Enjoy!
The pasta isn’t listed in the ingredients? It is in the picture for sure! How much? When?
Hi Janet, In the ingredients list, the pasta is listed as "1/2 cup of noodles." The noodles are added in with the broth and beans. Hope this helps!
Too good, just adjusted salt to tast!
Glad to hear this. Thanks for the feedback.
Love this, added smoked farmers sausage. Will defiantly make this again. Thank you.
Oh yum! I love smoked sausage. Sounds like a great addition to the soup. I need to try this next time I make it.
I have added a smocked hock and turned out excellent.
Paul, that sounds delicious. Where do you get smocked hock?
In the pork section of your grocery store or butcher. Look for 'smoked ham hock'. Delicious seasoning for greens and dried beans.
Thank you for sharing this!
Very thick soup but a lot of fflavor.
Its all about the flavor 🙂
The best minestrone soup I've ever made. Thank you!
Hi Regina, this is so wonderful to hear. Thank you so mush for letting us know your feedback.
Have you made in crockpot?
Hi Angella, I Have not personally, but there have been people that have used this recipe in a crock pot and they said It turned out very well! I hope this helps.
How much soup is in a serving? A cup?
Hi Taylor. This soup makes about 1.5 cups per serving. Thank you for reaching out. Enjoy!!
Absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing.
Hi Jacintha, I am thrilled that you loved this recipe! Enjoy it dear!
Delicious. I added green beans and spinach to mine. 🙂
Hi Kattie that sounds amazing! Thank you so much for sharing your process and feedback. Enjoy!!
In the picture of ingredients, there looks to be some tomato sauce or paste...is that supposed to be in this?
Hi Katie, Thank you for bringing that to my attention. That is Tomato paste. It is optional, I tested the recipe again and the soup tasted great without it.
Just made a pot and it’s delicious! I thought it needed salt, but then I decided the the parmesan added just enough saltiness!
Hi Carla, I am thrilled that the recipe was a success! Thank you for sharing your feedback. Enjoy!!
I made this soup for the first time ever. My family loved it. So did the neighbors. I made way too much. Also detracted a bit from the vegan version and added one pound each of ground beef and sausage. My meat-eating husband loved it so much he wouldn't stop praising it.
Debb
PS, I will be making the vegan, gluten free version this Saturday, for a fundraiser at my church to help the local food bank.
Hi Debb, your comment made me smile! I love that you shared with your neighbors and that the recipe was a success! I am confident that the vegan and gluten free version will also be a hit! Thank you for your feedback, enjoy!!
Here's a tip cook the pasta separately and the add to recipe the pasta turns out soggy at that length of time other than that it's great.
Hi Tony, Thats a great tip! Thank you for sharing that and leaving feedback, enjoy!
Absolutely DELICIOUS! So easy, so healthy. Wonderful vegan recipe. a new staple in our house! Tastes so good.
Hi Allie, that warms my hear to hear this! Thank you for your feedback. Enjoy!
5th time making this, thanks for the recipe!
Hi Bob, I am so thrilled that you love this recipe! Its also one of our favorites. Thank you for your feedback. Enjoy!
I tried this soup Yesterday, It was so tasty and loved this dish so much . What kind of vegetable broth is good for to buy it in stores in case if I can't find the vegetable broth as shown in the recipe?
Im making this tomorrow. Try a teaspoon or so of Vegetable flavor Better than Boullon. Use less salt in the recipe.
Hi Jyothi, Any organic vegetable broth is going to work just fine. Thank you for reaching out!