Beef or chicken broth base, lots of tomatoes and onions, rinse the chickpeas (better than kidney beans and hold up), small pasta but not orzo, add a dollop of pesto and lots of oregano, tomato paste, Parmesan on top at end. Just taste as you go.

I can't speak to whether this is actually a dupe for the Olive Garden but this minestrone is great -- https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/olive-garden-minestrone-soup/

If you want to do something fancier, both Ina and Giada do a winter minestrone.

I make a lot of homemade soups but strangely never minestrone. I thin I prefer the tinny taste of the canned version.

Toast some tomato paste once you are done w mirepoix and deglaze w wine
Parm rind for the summer
Rinse and drain your beans
Cook pasta separately so it doesn't soak up all the juice
Squeeze of lemon at the end (or teeny dash of red wine vinegar)

I’ve only made it once but used a buillion cube for flavor. Mine had small pasta shells in it too. Canned red kidney beans and veggies. We all liked it.

Anonymous wrote:Did you add basil? Soy sauce? Orzo or barley?

Just orzo and Italian seasoning. Soy sauce is an interesting choice.

Did you add basil? Soy sauce? Orzo or barley?

I make it with a bunch of veggies and canned beans. It’s ok but nothing spectacular.