Minestrone soup brings back a lot of memories for me. I remember the first time I went to Olive Garden. I went with my mom and we ordered their minestrone and amazing salad. Then we ate. And ate. Their minestrone is so delicious.
After the delicious minestrone meal we went to see The Nutcracker ballet. It’s an amazing memory.
I can’t say that this recipe is a copycat of Olive Garden’s amazing soup, but it recreates those flavors without the pasta and with lots of delicious veggies. Mom and I ate bowl after bowl of this soup while we watched While You Were Sleeping, and I must say both the soup and that time with my mom was amazing.
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Shared at Fat Tuesday
Where to buy:
- ghee – 1 tablespoon
- onion – 1, chopped
- garlic – 4 cloves, minced
- carrots – 3, sliced
- celery ribs – 3, sliced
- fresh basil – handful, minced
- fresh oregano – handful, minced
- fresh parsley – handful, minced
- chicken broth – 4 cups
- water – 2 cups
- diced tomatoes – 15 oz. can
- tomato paste – 6 oz. can
- dry red wine – 1/3 cup
- mushrooms – 12 oz., sliced
- red cabbage – 1 cup sliced
- sweet bell peppers – 2/3 cup diced
- cooked protein of choice (sausage, chicken, beef, etc.) – 1-2 cups diced
- salt and pepper – to taste
- Heat the ghee in a large soup pot and add the onions, garlic, celery, carrots, herbs, and salt and pepper to taste. Saute until the onions are translucent.
- Add the remaining ingredients with some additional salt and pepper and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Serve garnished with fresh herbs and fresh grated parm if you do dairy.
This looks so delicious! I love veggie soups! Stopping in from Real Food Fridays. 🙂