I love this easy Pasta Fagioli soup! It is full of tons of veggies and has enough meat in it to make it the kind of soup you can have as a meal. Just add a roll or a salad (or both!).
Just so you know, this recipe makes a nice big batch. I have found an easy and very effective way to freeze individual portions of this soup. I’m a mason jar addict and I’ll show you how I freeze lunch portions of soup.
Lots of hamburger meat and vegetables are the basis for this filling soup.
Make sure to look below this recipe for tips on storing and freezing. This recipe makes a big batch!
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PinIngredients
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
- 3 large carrots – diced
- 5 celery stalks – diced
- 1/2 large sweet onion (diced)
- 1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes (the large can)
- 1 30 oz beef broth
- 2 leaves Bay (optional but I love the flavor)
- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp basil
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 15 oz can cannelloni beans (drain then rinse)
- 1 15voz can red kidney beans (rained then rinse)
- 1 cup ditalini pasta – uncooked
Instructions
- Add oil to large skillet and brown ground beef. Set aside.
- In a large dutch oven or pot add all ingredients except beans and pasta.
- Bring to low boil and cook for approx. 1/2 hour.
- Add beans and pasta. Cook until pasta is al dante. Approx. 10 minutes.
- Remove bay leaves before serving or freezing.
- Serve with fresh crusty rolls.
How to Store and Freeze
As mentioned earlier, this recipe makes a large amount. I LOVE freezing soup in individual portions and have tried many different ways. Freeze soup in plastic bags is a great way to freeze individual portions. The frozen bags would lay flat but sometimes the bags got dinged by other items in the freezer. There would be a small hole (or three) poked into the bag and then it would leak or even be freezer burned.
Filling these 12 oz jars makes a perfect individual portion. Just let them thaw in the fridge overnight and you have a delicious homemade lunch!
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I’ve made and stored this many times. I’ll warn you that I have found that the pasta and the beans absorb the broth so sometimes you need to add a bit more so your soup so it has the right amount of liquid. If you don’t have broth, it’s flavorful enough that you probably won’t notice if you add a bit of water.
Below the recipe are the jars that I use. For some reason, they aren’t the popular ones sold in most of the stores I frequent. Amazon to the rescue. Also, I LOVE the plastic lids. I reuse them and they clean up great in the dishwasher. Oh, the Pioneer Woman dutch oven that I use and love is now also available at Amazon. (Know, that I make a tiny, tiny commission if you click through and decide to buy any of the items I recommend, below).
Hi Cathy! Thanks for trying this soup and for commenting. I love making this soup because it is filling and I have lots of leftovers that I can freeze for other meals!
I made this soup tonight and it is delicious and filling. Can’t wait to pack it for lunches this week. Thanks for sharing!
I like the idea of trying V-8 juice. That would add some different seasonings/flavors. Please let me know how that works!
I used half tomato juice and half beef broth and it turned out sooo good. Next time I will try V-8 juice instead of tomato juice.
I like having a hearty bowl of soup as a meal. Sometimes I make a big batch to freeze so we’ll have convenient dinners on busy days.
I love a good heart soup like this. We are just coming into Autumn so this will be perfect very soon 🙂
Such a hearty soup. Totally warming from the inside out.
cozy sunday night? pasta e fagioli of course! love your recipe, can’t wait to try it
Love soups – especially the kind that’s easy to make in big batches and freeze for later!
Looks so delicious. My husband is half Italian but I have never had this from anyone is his family. I’ll have to try it because I know he will like it. Pinning.