Copycat Restaurant Recipes -

Olive Garden's Minestrone Soup recipe

Ingredients :

• 1 cup finely minced celery
• 1 cup finely minced onion
• 1 cup finely minced carrot
• ¼ cup butter
• ½ cup garbanzo beans
• ½ cup kidney beans
• ½ cup whole dried peas
• ½ cup white pea beans
• ¾ cup sliced carrots
• ¾ cup coarsely chopped onion
• ¾ cup sliced celery
• ¾ cup chopped bell pepper
• ½ cup rice or barley
• 1 cup shell macaroni
• 2 tbsp minced parsley
• 1 tspn oregano
• 1 tspn basil
• 2 tspn soy sauce
• black pepper, to taste
• Parmesan cheese

Preparation and Cooking Instructions :

1. Slowly sauté finely minced onion, celery and carrot in butter until very brown.
2. Add peas and beans and about 3 quarts of water.
3. Cook slowly until beans are almost done (check garbanzos - they will take the longest) about 2 to 2 ½ hours.
4. Add the remaining vegetables, rice and spices and more water if necessary and cook another hour.
5. About 20 minutes before serving time add the macaroni and more water if needed.
6. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.