If you want the best minestrone soup recipe, then you have found it. Easy, veggie packed, and loaded with flavor. It’s perfect for those cold weather days!
I remember loving the minestrone soup at Olive Garden long before being vegan. Finding out I could still go in and grab a bowl after going vegan was such a win. However, being able to make the best vegan minestrone soup recipe based on a Copycat Olive Garden version is an even better flex.
While it’s always nice to walk into a restaurant and grab food, making it at home is often more flavorful, cheaper, and healthier for you.
Minestrone is a chunky soup with Italian origins. While the Olive Garden copycat recipe is not the same as the Italian versions, there is much crossover. This is especially true because the history and variation of minestrone is vast and there is no set recipe that many chefs go by.
It’s typically made with beans, onions, celery, carrots, leafy greens, tomatoes, stock and parmesan. It’s a true clean-out-the-fridge recipe, where it can be adaptable with what you have on hand.
Never miss another post! Sign up for our weekly newsletter and get them all delivered easily! Plus, 15 easy recipes delivered immediately!
Sign Up For My Newsletter Today!
Jump to:
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Budget Friendly – This is a great, versatile recipe that allows you to clean out your fridge. Use the base of the recipe and swap out the vegetables to have a delicious recipe that is low waste but great for your wallet as well
- Vegetable Packed – Thanks to more than a half dozen vegetables, there are a lot of vitamins, minerals, and goodness packed into this dish which is perfect for the colder weather season
- Meal Prep Perfection – This recipe can be made days in advance, or even frozen so it’s ready whenever you need
🥘Recipe Ingredients
Gather your ingredients!
- Vegetables – The onions, celery, carrots and garlic are the base of our soup and the aromatics of the dish. They add nutrients, flavor, and depth to the soup. Zucchini is also added for more vegetables and a component for the copycat version
- Beans – We are using kidney beans and great northern beans to this dish to keep it similar to the Olive Garden version
- Leafy Greens – The Olive Garden version has kale in it, but we are using spinach. Either works!
- Pasta – small shells are what we are using and what’s in the copycat version.
- Tomatoes – Minestrone is a tomato based broth, so we are using both canned tomatoes and tomato paste for that depth of flavor that we want the tomatoes to bring to this soup
- Brewers Yeast – the Olive Garden version has a yeasty/fermented taste to it when we compared it side by side. We are adding Brewers yeast to give us that same taste. This is optional and can be added to taste.
- Lemon Juice – not only amplifies your other ingredients, but it also helps balance out the flavors
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Substitutions and Variations:
- Vegetables – You can’t go wrong with adding more vegetables to this dish, but also switching it up. Snap Beans, Green Beans, Peas, Mushrooms, Corn, Potatoes, Squash (like Butternut) – whatever your favorites are, feel free to clean out and use up!
- Beans – You can mix up and beans or chickpeas that you enjoy!
- Leafy Greens – Spinach, kale, collard greens or even bok choy will work great in this recipe
- Pasta – you want to keep the noodles small, but any will work like ditalini or elbows
Step by Step Instructions for The Best Minestrone Soup Recipe:
Step 1: In a large pot, over medium heat, add the oil. Once heated, add in onions, celery, carrots, and zucchini. Saute for 3-5 minutes or until the vegetables are softened. Add garlic, stir, and cook for 30 more seconds.
Step 2: Add seasonings and let cook for 30 seconds. Add vegetable broth, water, tomatoes, and tomato paste to the pot. Bring to a simmer.
Step 3: Add the white beans, kidney beans, and pasta. Allow to simmer for 12-15 minutes or until pasta is cooked.
Step 4: Add greens and lemon juice (to taste) and allow to cook until softened and wilted (about 4-5 minutes). Taste and add more seasoning as desired. Remove from heat and serve topped with fresh parsley and vegan parmesan on top.
Recipe FAQs:
The only top allergen in this dish is gluten from the noodles. You can use gluten free noodles in this recipe. We have found that it’s best to make the soup and gluten free noodles separately and add the noodles at the time of serving.
Yes. You can let it cool completely and then store it in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Feel free to portion it into individual containers so you have just enough each time. Note: If using gluten free noodles, we recommend adding the pasta when thawed.
Yes, this recipe can be made 4-5 days in advance. Some of the liquid may soak up, but you can add more stock as needed/desired.
Other Vegan Soup Recipes to Consider:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Did you make and love this recipe?
Click the 5 stars in the recipe card above or below in the comment section! This is a great way to support us so we can continue to bring great recipes!
The Best Minestrone Soup Recipe (Olive Garden Copycat)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, julienned or shredded
- 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
- 1 small to medium zucchini, sliced and quartered
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsps brewers yeast optional (or to taste)
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ tablespoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt, more or less to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, more or less to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 4 cups vegetable broth (960g)
- 2 cups water (480g)
- 28 oz canned diced tomatoes (910g)
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 15 oz canned Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed (260g)
- 15 oz canned Kidney beans, drained and rinsed (270g)
- 1 ½ cups small shells (225g)
- 2 cups collard greens, chopped
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, optional
- fresh parsley
- vegan Parmesan cheese, grated for topping
Instructions
- In a large heavy bottomed pot (we use a dutch oven), over medium heat, add the oil. Once heated, add in onions, celery, carrots, and zucchini. Saute for 3-5 minutes or until the vegetables are softened. Add garlic, stir, and cook for 30 more seconds.
- Add bay leaves, Brewers yeast (if adding), Italian seasoning, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if adding). Stir together and let cook for 30 seconds.
- Add vegetable broth, water, tomatoes, and tomato paste to the pot. Bring to a simmer. Add the white beans, kidney beans, and pasta. Allow to simmer for 12-15 minutes or until pasta is cooked. Add greens and lemon juice (to taste) and allow to cook until softened and wilted (about 4-5 minutes).
- Taste and add more seasoning as desired. Remove from heat and serve topped with fresh parsley and vegan parmesan on top.
Tracey Cook
I thought this was fantastic! It was easy to make and I have been eating it all week long. I have so many of your recipes printed off and ready to try! Thanks for all that you both do!
Larisha Bernard
So glad that you enjoyed it, I hope you continue to love the other recipes
Ashley Mumby
I’m having a hard time finding brewer yeast, what do you recommend as a substitution? Looking forward to making this tonight!
Larisha Bernard
It’s optional, you can just omit
Kathy
Looking forward to making this recipe. Can I substitute nutritional yeast for the brewers yeast?
Larisha Bernard
They aren’t the same and don’t play similar roles in this recipe. You can just omit the yeast as it’s optional
Jade
I thought I loved minestrone. I was right! I substituted the red pepper flakes with cayenne and paprika, cause I thought I had some (I was wrong), but it was perfect anyway. Thank you so much for what you do. I love to cook and this dairy free and mainly vegetable based lifestyle is so much more exciting with all these delicious recipes. Sweet potatoes stew is tonight’s go to.
Larisha Bernard
I Hope you enjoy the stew just as much as this!
Kathy
Super delish! Made very true to the recipe, except using my favorite aged balsamic at the end instead of lemon. Thanks for the great recipe and I really enjoy your videos! All the best to you!
Larisha Bernard
Love that, glad you enjoyed!
Liam
My wife looked at me in disbelief when I said I was making this (vegan) soup! Afterwards I was asked when I would be making it again? 🙂 Very delicious. Love the YouTube channel btw!
Larisha Bernard
Love that! And thank you
Tita
Hello. Can I use chicken broth if I don’t have vegetable broth?
Larisha Bernard
it’s the same consistency so it won’t change the recipe structure, but it could change the taste some. We’re vegan so we’ve never tried it.
Kat
This was so Yummy! My family enjoyed will definitely make again. Thank you for a great recipe 😋
Larisha Bernard
So happy you enjoyed it!
Erica
The soup came together easily and had a ton of flavor!
Larisha Bernard
yay!