The weather turned quite brisk here this weekend and I have been so inspired to have soup, stew, and bread. So much for that five pounds I've lost!
Here's a recipe for the soup I made today - it's a copy cat version of Olive Garden's Pasta E Fagioli. It says it serves eight, but all six of us ate good portions and there's probably enough for six more.
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1 carrot, julienned or shredded (about 1 cup)
3 stalks celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (I mean really - I use at least 5!)
1 15-ounce can northern beans (with liquid)
1 15-ounce can kidney beans (with liquid)
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
12 ounces V-8
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (depends on your taste)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon basil (optional)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
8 oz cooked ditalini pasta (or some other small kind of pasta and yes, it needs to be cooked - otherwise it soaks up a ton of the liquid of the soup)
Brown meat, drain. Add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic and cook for about 10 minutes. Add everything except the pasta and simmer for at least an hour. About 15 minutes before serving, add the pasta and heat through. Yum!
If you'd like to make this a crock-pot meal, brown the meat and then toss everything except the pasta in the crock-pot. I would imagine keeping it on low all day would work.
Enjoy!!
