Healthy Minestrone Soup – Olive Garden Copycat for the Crockpot

This Minestrone Soup is made with a mix of vegetables, kidney beans, cannellini beans, small pasta, and a tomato-based broth that gets better the longer it sits.

It’s the kind of soup you can throw together with whatever vegetables are in the fridge and still get something that tastes intentional.

I make a big pot of this on Sundays and eat off it through the week, since it holds up better than most soups do.

It’s a good vegetarian dinner on its own, or a starter before something heavier like pizza or pasta.

If you like a big pot of vegetable soup, these are worth trying too:

• Beef Barley Soup
• Traditional Spanish Lentil Soup with Chorizo
• White Bean Cannellini Soup With Ground Beef, And Kale
• Healthy Chicken Bean Soup

Ingredients You’ll Need

Two kinds of beans give this soup more texture than using just one, but you can use whatever beans you have on hand. Small pasta shapes like ditalini work best.

They’re easy to eat by the spoonful without needing to cut anything. Add the spinach at the very end so it just wilts instead of turning gray and mushy.

Important Recipe Notes

• Add the pasta close to serving time. Pasta keeps absorbing liquid the longer it sits in the pot. If you’re making this ahead, cook the pasta separately and add it to individual bowls.
• Use whatever vegetables you have. This soup is forgiving. Swap in green peas, chopped kale, or diced potatoes depending on what’s in the fridge.
• Storage. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Expect the pasta to soften more as it sits.

• Freezing. Freezes well if you leave the pasta out. Add freshly cooked pasta to each portion after thawing and reheating.
• Reheating. Warm gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of extra broth or water since the soup thickens as it sits.
• Make it vegan. Skip the Parmesan or use a plant-based alternative. Everything else in the recipe is already vegan.
• Boost the protein. Stir in cooked Italian sausage or ground beef along with the vegetables if you want a meatier version.

How to Serve, Store & Customize This Recipe

Serving:

Ladle into bowls and top with a generous amount of grated Parmesan and a drizzle of good olive oil.

Crusty bread on the side is almost required for scooping up the broth. I like serving it with a simple green salad if I want more of a full meal.

Storage:

Cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The pasta softens as it sits, so add extra broth when reheating if the soup looks too thick.

Customization:

Add cooked Italian sausage or ground beef for a meatier version, or swap in whatever vegetables you have on hand.

Use gluten-free pasta or skip the pasta entirely and add extra beans instead. Fresh herbs like basil or parsley stirred in at the end add a nice brightness.