Pasta Fagioli soup - a delicious one-pot meal!

I love this easy Pasta e Fagioli soup! It is full of tons of veggies and beans (think fiber) and has enough meat in it to make it the kind of soup you can have as a meal. I make this because I like that it tastes like the Pasta e Fagioli at the Olive Garden. I think it's pretty close to a copycat recipe! My kids called this the hamburger soup recipe when they were younger and it was one of our family's favorite soup recipes.

I just add a roll or a salad (or both!) and you have a full meal.

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/single dinner portions of soup.

Lots of hamburger meat and vegetables are the basis for this filling soup. This is a classic Italian soup and all kinds of substitutions are allowed!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil (or vegetable oil)
1 ½ lbs lean ground beef (ground turkey also works)
3 large carrots - diced
5 celery stalks - diced
½ large sweet onion (diced) or one small onion
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes (the large can)
1 30 oz beef broth (or chicken broth)
2 leaves Bay (optional but I love the flavor)
1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoon basil
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried garlic
1 15 oz can cannelloni beans (drain then rinse)(aka chick peas)
1 15voz can red kidney beans (rained then rinse)
1 cup ditalini pasta - uncooked (macaroni noodles also works!)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce (optional - I often add to beef based recipes)
(optional veggies to add - green beans, bell peppers, russet potatoes or red potatoes, fresh or canned diced tomatoes, frozen corn, zucchini)
(Adding salt and ground black pepper is optional. I find when using canned beans no extra salt is needed.)

Pro Tip

Try to chop/cut all your vegetables to a similar size. It's easier to eat and that's how the professionals do it!

Instructions for stovetop recipe

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 an easy boil then turn down to simmer (usually medium heat) and cook for approx. ½ hour stir occasionally.
Add beans and pasta. Cook until pasta is al dente. Approx. 10 minutes but check the pasta container directions, since cooking times may vary.
Remove bay leaves before serving or freezing.
Serve in a bowl and garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese and ground pepper if desired. If handy, add some fresh parsley as a garnish for color.
Serve with fresh crusty rolls or a salad to round out the meal.

How to Store and Freeze Leftovers

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.

Any airtight container appropriate for freezing food works. But I find the plastic ones stain from any tomato-based recipes.

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 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).