Copycat Olive Garden Minestrone Soup

Copycat Olive Garden Minestrone Soup

Soup, steaming on the table, filled with colorful vegetables ....what a wonderful way to start my first post.  I have this feeling, I should be saying, "Soup again?" We have had several soups, over the past two weeks since the cold weather has settled, in New York.

Now that I have tasted this soup, I have to proclaim that it is better than all the soups, we have had this month and they were just fine.  This was spectacular.  It was so rich and filling.  I had one bowl and could not eat more.  It is more like a meal than soup and with the little, I had left over, I am serving it as a side dish. 


Copycat Olive Garden Minestrone Soup  adapted from Todd Wilbur

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time:  35 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

    • 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 cup minced white onions ( about 1 medium onion)
    • 1/2 cup chopped zucchini
    • 1/2 cup frozen cut Italian green beans (I was out of beans)
    • 1/4 cup minced celery ( about 1/2 stalk)
    • 4 cups vegetable broth
    • 1 (15 ounce) cans small white kidney beans
    • 1 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
    • 1/2 cup carrots, julienned or shredded
    • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
    • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
    • 3 cups hot water
    • frozen cups  baby spinach
    • 1/2 cup small shell pasta

Directions:

  • Heat three tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot.
  • Saute onion, celery, garlic, green beans, and zucchini in the oil for 5 minutes or until onions begin to turn translucent.
  • Add vegetable broth to pot, plus drained tomatoes, beans, carrot, hot water, and spices.

  • Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
  • Add spinach leaves and pasta and cook for an additional 20 minutes or until desired consistency.
Makes about eight 1 1/2 cup servings. 

Tips for saving time:

This is a double recipe for the two of us.  I had planned to freeze half of this for another meal on a night, where I do not have the time to cook.  Since we ate almost all of it, this is not going to work.
MyMeatlessMondays

Posted by Bizzy B. Bakes at 4:55 PM 8 comments
Sunday Night Soup

Comments

  1. AnonymousDecember 5, 2011 at 2:06 PM

    This looks really good, I love a heart minestrone! Thanks for sharing this with Sunday Night Soup Night, look forward to seeing you again soon!

    ReplyDelete

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