Copycat Olive Garden Minestrone recipe is a healthy and flavorful soup that is bursting with healthy vegetables and Italian flavor. This fresh-tasting soup is an easy way to fill up while keeping your calories or WW points low.
I have always been a big fan of soup recipes. Broth-based soups like this Olive Garden copycat is loaded with fresh vegetables and pack some great health benefits without adding a lot of calories. Use this soup as your main dish and you’ll still have room to enjoy with a slice of bread, breadsticks, or a flavorful salad. Or, serve this delicious soup as an appetizer and you’ll see have room for a light main meal.
Did you know that filling up on a broth-based soup as a starter is a research-proven way to eat fewer calories for the whole meal? This delicious soup is the perfect option because it’s full of hearty beans and vegetables that are low in calories but filling because of the additional fiber.
Weight Watchers Points in Olive Garden Minestrone
The actual Olive Garden Minestrone soup from the restaurant is 2 WW points per cup. Click here to track this even lower point recipe on the WW app.
Updated March 2023 for WW Points.
Olive Garden Minestrone Recipe
What is minestrone soup? Minestrone is a delicious Italian vegetable soup with pasta and beans. The wonderful thing about this recipe is that you can add or subtract ingredients to your liking and create something similar but unique to you.
What Kind Of Noodles Should I Use For This Soup?
Typically this soup is made with ditalini pasta, but since I was trying to keep the points value for this soup low, I used whole wheat pasta. You can use any type of whole wheat noodles that you like. I used rotini because I just love the spirals. I feel like the ridges in the spirals really hold onto flavor. You can use penne or even elbows.
What Kind Of Seasoning Should I Use?
Italian seasoning and garlic make up the seasonings in this soup. I used garlic powder to keep it easy, but feel free to add in 1 tsp fresh minced garlic when you are sautéing your vegetables for a bolder punch of flavor.
You can also add additional parsley or basil (1 tsp dried or 1 T fresh) if you want to up the seasoning in this Olive Garden Minestrone Soup recipe. You could also try adding dried or fresh dill for a unique variation.
Can I Use A Different Broth?
Absolutely! You can use chicken broth or beef broth if you’d like, just keep in mind that as written the soup is vegan, vegetarian, and plant-based.
Be sure to taste the soup as you go so that it has the salt and seasoning that you enjoy. No matter the broth, I recommend using low sodium broth.
Can I Leave The Spinach Out Of This Soup?
Yes! I know that not everyone loves spinach. Leaving out the spinach will not affect the flavor of the soup. But, I recommend giving the soup a try with the spinach in this Weight Watchers soup. It’s a great way to eat spinach and add nutrition since it takes on the flavors of the soup.
What Ingredients Do I Need For Copycat Olive Garden Minestrone Soup?
One of my favorite things about this Weight Watchers-friendly, easy minestrone soup recipe is that it’s pantry friendly. You most likely already have most of these ingredients on hand and may not even need to make a trip to the grocery store.
This is a forgiving recipe so feel free to make swaps for ingredients you have on hand.
- onion diced
- celery sliced
- carrots sliced
- zucchini medium, sliced
- diced tomatoes 14 oz, no salt added
- tomato paste 1/2 small can
- vegetable broth divided (1 32 ounce carton)
- cups water
- Italian seasoning
- garlic powder
- white beans 15 oz, rinsed and drained
- kidney beans 15 oz, rinsed and drained
- frozen green beans
- whole wheat pasta elbow or rotini, measured dry
- baby spinach
This recipe is also:
- Whole Food, Plant Based (WFPB) (Want more plant-based recipes? Click here for an easy plant-based meal plan.)
- Vegetarian and vegan
- dairy-free
- egg-free depending on the pasta that you use
- gluten-free if you use gluten-free pasta
Is Olive Garden Minestrone Soup Freezer Friendly?
Yes, you can freeze this Copycat Olive Garden soup recipe. Soup can be stored in freezer safe containers or freezer bags for up to three months in the freezer. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat and serve.
Helpful freezer tip – I freeze this soup without the pasta and then adding the pasta fresh when I reheat it. To make this easy, measure out the pasta into a zipper bag and label it with the recipe so you are sure to have it ready to go when it comes time to reheat it. (You can freeze minestrone with the pasta but it will be somewhat mushy when you reheat it.)
Can I Meal Prep This Soup Ahead?
Yes! Making a big pot of soup for the week’s lunches is one of my favorite weight loss hacks. You can make a big batch of this soup and then store in smaller containers. The flavors marry well together. I personally think that all soups taste better the second day.
Make this soup on Sunday or during the week and it will be ready to eat for dinner or lunches for the week. (Click here for more weight loss lunch meal prep recipes.)
What Should I Serve With This Soup?
Serve minestrone soup with a sandwich or a salad. On a chilly winter day, I will eat a hearty bowl of this soup by itself. It’s a filling and comforting meal that is low in points. Try it with breadsticks made with 2 ingredient dough for a real low-point and low calorie treat.
How Do You Make Minestrone?
Here are the steps to make this delicious, healthy soup that tastes just as good (or even better) than your restaurant favorite.
Step 1 – Gather Soup Ingredients
Gather all of the ingredients need to make your Olive Garden Minestrone Soup. It might look like a lot of ingredients, but once you have everything assembled, it comes together fairly quickly.
Step 2 – Sautee Vegetables
Chop the onions, celery, carrots and zucchini.
Sauté onion, celery, carrots, and zucchini in 2 T of vegetable broth for 3-5 minutes or until tender. Sauté right in the bottom of your soup pot to save on dishes.
Step 3 – Add Spices
Top with spices and sauté 1-2 minutes more or until fragrant. Sautéing the spices is a wonderful technique that just takes a minute or two and really brings out the flavors in your recipes.
Step 4 – Add Beans, Pasta, Tomatoes, and Broth
Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and remaining vegetable broth to the pot and cook over medium heat. Then, add white and kidney beans, green beans, and pasta to the pot. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until hot throughout and pasta is tender.
Step 5 – Add Spinach
The spinach will reduce a lot so don’t worry. You aren’t adding too much.
Step 6 – Serve
Stir in spinach leaves and cook just until leaves are wilted.
Serve and enjoy this Olive Garden Minestrone Soup, guilt-free. One of the best parts about this soup is that even though it’s so healthy, your family will love it, too.
It makes plenty, so enjoy it for dinner one night this week and use the left-overs for a healthy lunch.
The Best CopyCat Olive Garden Minestrone Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup onion diced
- 1/2 cup celery sliced
- 1/2 cup carrots sliced
- 1 item zucchini medium, sliced
- 1 can diced tomatoes 14 oz, no salt added
- 1/4 cup tomato paste 1/2 small can
- 4 cups vegetable broth  divided (1 32 ounce carton)
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 can white beans 15 oz, rinsed and drained
- 1 can kidney beans 15 oz, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup frozen green beans
- 1 cup whole wheat pasta elbow or rotini, measured dry
- 3 cups baby spinach
Instructions
- Sauté onion, celery, carrots, and zucchini in 2 T of vegetable broth for 3-5 minutes or until tender.
- Top with spices and sauté 1-2 minutes more or until fragrant.
- Add tomatoes, tomato paste, remaining vegetable broth to pot and cook over medium heat.
- Add white and kidney beans, green beans, and pasta to pot. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until hot throughout and pasta is tender.
- Stir in spinach leaves and cook just until leaves are wilted. Serve.
WW Changes November 2024
The WW program may be changing the Zero point food list. Stay tuned for updated recipe information. -Sara
Notes
Nutrition
The Points value of these recipes was calculated by this website and is provided for informational purposes only. This is not an endorsement, sponsorship, or approval of this website or its recipes by WW International, Inc.
This healthy Copycat Olive Garden Minestrone recipe is sure to become your next soup favorite. You’ll love how it’s jam-packed with healthy veggies, beans and pasta yet is low in calories.
What’s your favorite healthy soup recipe? Share about it in the comments below.
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I made this over the weekend and it turned out great. I do have a question regarding the whole wheat pasta. Is there a particular brand that is better? I generally don’t eat pasta, I’ve only eat 2x in the last 4 yrs. I’m willing to try the whole wheat pasta, just need some suggestions.
Glad you liked it! It’s one of our family’s favorites. I just buy Walmart brand generic whole wheat pasta.
This is awesome, Sara, we could eat soup 3x day, 24/7.. thanks so much. Plan to make a huge stock pot and freeze sans pasta. Also fill smaller containers for lunches during the week. Thanks, as always.. Bev
So glad you like the recipe! I love this one, too. It’s a favorite for my lunches.