4.5 from 237 votes
Easy 30-Minute Minestrone Soup (Better-Than-Olive-Garden-Copycat)
This minestrone soup cooks a variety of vegetables, beans, and small shell pasta in a savory vegetable broth infused with herbs. The soup blends diced onion, zucchini, carrots, celery, and garlic sautéed to soften, then combined with beans, tomatoes, pasta, and aromatic herbs. Fresh spinach and parsley are added just before serving for vibrancy and freshness.
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings:
12
Calories:
123 kcal
Course:
Soup
Cuisine:
Italian
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups sweet onion peeled and diced small (about 1 large onion, Vidalia or yellow onion
- 1 ½ cups zucchini diced small (about 1 small/medium zucchini)
- 1 ½ cups carrot peeled and sliced thin (about 1 1/2 large carrots
- 1 cup celery sliced thin (about 2 stalks)
- 4 garlic minced, cloves
- 64 ounces vegetable broth low-sodium, 8 cups
- 1 ½ cups small shell pasta or small macaroni shells
- petite diced tomatoes I use no-salt added, two 14.5-ounce cans
- red kidney beans drained and rinsed (I use no-salt added, one 15-ounce can
- Great Northern white beans drained and rinsed (I use no-salt added, or cannellini beans, canned 15-ounce
- green beans drained and rinsed (I use no-salt added, canned 15-ounce, cut
- 2 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons basil dried
- 1 teaspoon thyme dried
- 1 teaspoon oregano dried
- 1 teaspoon rosemary dried
- 1 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 2 ½ to 3 cups spinach tightly packed, fresh
- ¼ cup parsley finely chopped, fresh; flat-leaf leaves
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice optional
- salt to taste
- Parmesan Cheese optional and for garnishing, freshly grated
Instructions
- To a very large Dutch oven or stockpot, add the oil and heat over medium-high heat to warm.
- Add the onion, zucchini, carrots, celery, and sauté for about 10 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften. Stir intermittently.
- Add the garlic and sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the vegetable broth, macaroni, tomatoes and juice, kidney beans, white beans, green beans, bay leaves, basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, pepper, and bring to a boil.
- Allow mixture to boil gently for about 15 minutes or until macaroni is cooked through. At any time while making the soup, if the overall liquid level is lower than you like and you prefer more broth, adding a cup or two of water or additional vegetable broth is okay. At the end you will adjust the salt level.
- Add the spinach, parsley, optional lemon juice (brightens up the flavor), and boil 1 to 2 minutes, or until spinach and parsley are wilted and vibrant.
- Taste soup and add salt to taste. I added about 1 tablespoon but this will vary based on how salty the brand of vegetable broth, tomatoes, and the various beans are, and upon personal preference.
- Make any necessary seasoning adjustments (i.e. more salt, pepper, herbs, etc.), remove the bay leaves, optionally garnish with parmesan, and serve immediately.
Cup of Yum
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for 5 to 7 days refrigerated or freeze up to 4 months.
- Reheat gently in the microwave or on the stovetop to preserve texture and flavor.
Nutrition Information
Serving
1serving
Calories
123kcal
(6%)
Carbohydrates
18g
(6%)
Protein
5g
(10%)
Fat
4g
(6%)
Saturated Fat
1g
(5%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
1g
(6%)
Monounsaturated Fat
3g
(15%)
Sodium
117mg
(5%)
Potassium
309mg
(7%)
Fiber
4g
(16%)
Sugar
4g
(8%)
Vitamin A
3443IU
(69%)
Vitamin C
11mg
(12%)
Calcium
48mg
(5%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 12 Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 123
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1serving | |
| Calories | 123kcal | 6% |
| Carbohydrates | 18g | 6% |
| Protein | 5g | 10% |
| Fat | 4g | 6% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Sodium | 117mg | 5% |
| Potassium | 309mg | 7% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 3443IU | 69% |
| Vitamin C | 11mg | 12% |
| Calcium | 48mg | 5% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.