CopyCat Carrabba’s Italian Grill Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 large stalk celery diced small
2 large carrots sliced
1/2 small onion diced
4 cloves garlic minced
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/8 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
1/2 cup green beans snapped in 1 inch pieces
1 small yellow (summer) squash quartered and sliced
1 small zucchini squash quartered and sliced
4 cups green cabbage diced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
1/2 tablespoon basil (dried)
2 bay leaves
1 32-oz box vegetable broth low sodium, or low sodium chicken broth 4 cups water
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
1.5 cups red potatoes diced
1 inch Parmesan cheese rind, or 2 T Parmesan shavings
1 14-oz can garbanzo beans rinsed and drained
1 14-oz can cannellini beans (white kidney beans) rinsed and drained
1 14-oz can kidney beans rinsed and drained

Directions

Dice all vegetables; rinse and drain beans.

In a large pan, over medium heat, sauté celery, carrots, onion, garlic, salt and pepper in olive oil. Cook until soft – about 5 minutes.

Add green beans, cabbage, zucchini, squash, parsley and basil and cook until soft. About 5 more minutes.

Puree half cannelloni beans and half garbanzo beans in a blender.

Add vegetable or chicken stock, water, bay leaves, diced tomatoes, beans (including bean puree), Parmesan rind and potatoes. Allow soup to boil and immediately reduce to low. Simmer for 30-40 minutes until potatoes are soft.

Remove Parmesan rind–if there’s any left. Serve warm.