Bring a comforting restaurant favorite home with this delicious Copycat Carrabba’s Minestrone Soup recipe! It is the perfect soup to serve for a comforting dinner.
Carrabba’s minestrone soup is one of my family’s favorites and dare I say that I think it’s even better than the one at Olive Garden. This flavor packed minestrone soup is loaded with tons of delicious flavors. It is slow cooked and so warm and comforting.
I love sharing Copycat Recipes with my readers and one of my favorite restaurants to make copycats for is definitely Carrabbas. Be sure to also check out this Copycat Carrabba’s Alfredo, Copycat Carrabba’s Mashed Potatoes, and Copycat Carrabba’s Creamy Parmesan Salad Dressing.
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❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe
- Italian classic: Minestrone soup is a classic Italian recipe and this recipe is my take on Carrabba’s! I think it is pretty darn close to the real deal.
- Comforting: There’s nothing better than big bowl of warm soup.
- One pot recipe: While there are a lot of ingredients, this is essentially a one pot recipe with lots of chopping.
🥣 Ingredients needed
For this recipe, you will need:
- Canned Cannellini beans: Also called white kidney beans.
- Fresh garlic
- Bay leaf, hot red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper: The seasonings for the soup.
- Proscuittio and Pancetta: Select a piece that’s not too thin. I went to the deli counter and requested a ¼ inch slice of each.
- Olive oil: The base of a lot of my Italian recipes.
- Yellow onion, celery, and carrot: Also referred to as the “trinity” in Italian cooking.
- Leek
- Diced tomatoes in juice
- Tomato paste
- Chicken broth: I recommend using a low sodium version so you can control the amount of salt going into the recipe.
- The rind from a block of Parmesan cheese: Be sure to remove this after cooking.
- Frozen or fresh kale
This is just a high level overview of the ingredients and why we are using them. As always, the complete list of ingredients and the amounts needed for the recipe can be found in the printable recipe card further below in the post.
🔪 Equipment needed
You will need a large cooking pot.
⏲️ Recipe instructions (step by step guide)
Begin by finely dicing your pancetta and proscuitto or running it through a food processor.
Cook the proscuitto and pancetta on medium heat (image 1) until they are browned (about three minutes). Drain any excess fat.
Add in the olive oil, leak, garlic cloves, carrot, celery, onion, and zucchini (image 2). Cook until the zucchini begins to soften.
Rinse and drain your canned beans.
Add in the additional ingredients except the kale and bring to a low boil (image 3). Once it is boiling, quickly reduce to a simmer.
Simmer for at least one hour. Add in the kale (image 4) during the last 5 to 10 minutes of cooking.
Remove the bay leaf and Parmesan rind before serving. Serve with extra Parmesan cheese on top.
🥗 What to serve with this recipe
Make this an entire Carrabba’s themed meal, if you like! You could serve this soup with a fresh green salad topped with Copycat Carrabba’s Creamy Parmesan Salad Dressing and a side of Copycat Carrabba’s Bread and Olive Oil Dip.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- This soup may seem complicated due to the amount of ingredients but really it is a one pot recipe with a lot of chopping!
- I found it easier to get the proscuitto and pancetta from the deli counter at my grocery store.
🥡 How to store leftovers
Store any leftovers in an airtight food storage container within your refrigerator. Leftovers will be good for up to four days after making.
Other recipes you may like:
If you tried this Copycat Carrabba’s Minestrone Soup or any other recipe on my site, please leave a ⭐ rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I would love to hear from you and I’m always happy to try to answer any questions you may have!
Copycat Carrabba’s Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 1 can Cannellini beans also called white kidney beans (about 15 ounces)
- 1 slice pancetta about ¼ inch thick
- 1 slice proscuitto about ¼ inch thick
- 1 bay leaf remove before serving
- ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 leek white and pale green parts only. Cut into ½ inch pieces.
- 1 yellow onion finely diced
- 1 rib celery finely diced
- 1 carrot skin and top removed, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 zucchini ends removed, chopped into small pieces
- 1 can diced tomatoes in juice about 14.5 ounces – do not drain
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 cups chicken broth I recommend using low sodium
- rind from a wedge of Parmesan cheese remove before serving
- 1 cup frozen kale
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- additional Parmesan for serving
Instructions
- Begin by finely dicing your pancetta and proscuitto or running it through a food processor.1 slice pancetta, 1 slice proscuitto
- Cook the proscuitto and pancetta on medium heat until they are browned (about three minutes). Drain any excess fat.
- Add in the olive oil, leak, garlic cloves, carrot, celery, onion, and zucchini. Cook until the zucchini begins to soften.1 leek, 1 yellow onion, 1 rib celery, 1 carrot, 1 zucchini, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 4 cloves garlic
- Rinse and drain your canned beans.1 can Cannellini beans
- Add in the additional ingredients except the kale and bring to a low boil. Once it is boiling, quickly reduce to a simmer.1 bay leaf, ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 can diced tomatoes in juice, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 3 cups chicken broth, rind from a wedge of Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste, additional Parmesan for serving
- Simmer for at least one hour. Add in the kale during the last 5 to 10 minutes of cooking.1 cup frozen kale
- Remove the bay leaf and Parmesan rind before serving. Serve with extra Parmesan cheese on top.
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