Pasta E Fagioli Soup (Pasta n' Beans)

This soup is similar to the soup you might get at Olive Garden, it has a nice zesty broth, lots of veggies and tasty ground beef. If you'd prefer a vegetarian style soup, you can leave out the beef for a minestrone. Suit your tastes by leaving out veggies you don't prefer and adding your favorites. Use 1 Tbsp. fresh chopped herbs instead of dried.

What you're gonna need:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 medium sweet yellow onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves (minced or put through a press)

1 lb extra lean ground beef

2-3 good size carrots, coarsely chopped

3-4 celery stalks, chopped (use the leaves too!)

1 small bell pepper (any color), chopped

2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes (plain, garlic roasted or italian style)

1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)

1 (15 oz) can great northern beans (drained and rinsed)

1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce

2 cups organic beef broth

1 (12 oz) can low-sodium V-8 juice

1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1 tsp of dried oregano

1 tsp of dried basil

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 lb. ditali pasta (or any small size pasta) - cooked to al dente, tossed lightly in olive oil and kept warm

Heat olive oil over med-high heat in a large pot. Saute onion and garlic for a few minutes until soft, add beef. Brown beef, crumbling until cooked through. 

Add carrots, celery and bell pepper and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Add diced tomatoes and next 11 ingredients (tomatoes - thyme). 

Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer, cook 30 minutes. Cook the pasta during the last 15 minutes of simmer time, but keep it separate.

To serve: Scoop a spoon of pasta into bowl and top with soup, serve with a nice bread to soak up the juices!

I like to store my leftover soup and pasta separately so that the pasta doesn't soak up all the juice and bloat. When re-heating you may want to add a little water or broth to the soup.

Now grab a wooden spoon and get cookin! :)