Pasta e Fagioli Soup

The added ground beef makes for a very satisfying dinner. This is a recipe that dreams are made of.

Now that I’m done gushing over this soup, check out the full ingredients below!

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 25-30 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients:

1 ½ lb. Ground beef

1 medium onion chopped

1 C. Chopped carrots

1 C. Finely chopped celery

4 C. Chicken broth

3 C. Tomato sauce

1 C. Dry small pasta cooked to your liking (any small pasta will do)

1 Can Diced tomatoes undrained

2 tsp. Basil

1 tsp. Oregano

½ tsp. Thyme

2 tsp. Granulated sugar

1 Can Kidney beans drained and rinsed

1 Can Northern beans drained and rinsed

3 tsp. Minced garlic

Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley for garnish if desired

Salt and pepper to taste

Scroll to bottom for printable recipe card.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• This is a hearty, wholesome soup meal that can be served for lunch, dinner, or throughout the entire weekend.
• This simple pasta e fagioli soup meal includes basic ingredients that are found in the pantry. While there are more ingredients, this soup can be served on its own. It’s that savory and filling!
• This healthy pasta e fagioli soup version is not just healthy, it’s also a family friendly pasta e fagioli soup–perfect for kids, too!
• This is definitely a repeatable recipe. After you make it once, you’ll likely want to add it to your rotation on a bi-weekly or monthly basis!

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Chopped carrots: If you don’t have fresh carrots available or you prefer canned, you can swap them for canned versions.

Granulated sugar: Omit the sugar if you prefer a meatier taste. You can also swap the traditional white sugar for a replacement, such as monk fruit sugar or stevia (for a zero-calorie addition).

Onion: Dislike the texture and taste of chopped onions? Simply replace the onion with a bit of onion powder for the onion taste without the actual onion itself.

Ground beef: Although this soup is typically made with ground beef, you can swap it for lean beef (90/10), for a reduced fat, healthier version. You can also swap the ground beef completely with ground turkey, if you prefer.

Small pasta: Try elbows or shells for this dish for maximum flavor and absorption.

Minced garlic: If you don’t have fresh garlic available, try garlic paste, canned garlic, or even garlic powder as suitable substitutions.

How to Make It

Step 1. Place the ground beef into a large deep sized pot over medium-high heat and begin to brown. Browing the meat adds irreplaceable flavor in this quick pasta e fagioli soup recipe.

Step 2. Mix in the onion, carrots, and celery into the skillet (once the beef is browning) and cook until the meat is browned completely and the vegetables are beginning to soften. Drain any excess grease. Always drain excess grease when making soups to prevent an oily texture from forming.

Step 3. Mix in salt and pepper to taste, as well as the basil, oregano and thyme and minced garlic. Sauté for another 30 seconds.

a. Add basil

b. Next, add oregano 

c. Finally, add the minced garlic (or garlic powder)

Step 4. Reduce the skillet’s heat to a simmer, and pour in the chicken broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and sugar. Stir to combine. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.

a. Adding chicken broth

b. Adding tomato sauce

c. Adding sugar

Step 5. Add the beans and cooked pasta to the pot. Stir to combine. Cook for 5 minutes longer and serve. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and Parmesan cheese if desired.

a. Adding beans 

b. Adding pasta 

c. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and Parmesan cheese if desired.

Enjoy!

Now, remember to save this recipe on Pinterest for later 🙂

Tips for Success

When it comes to homemade pasta e fagioli soup ideas, there are plenty of tips to go around:

Use freshly grated Parmesan to bring out the authentic flavors of this soup, similar to when ordering the pasta e fagioli at Olive Garden.

Chop all of your veggies and add-ins ahead of time. This will reduce your prep time as you’re browning your meat.

Storage & Reheating

Storing this soup is possible in both the refrigerator and freezer. To refrigerate, add the soup into airtight containers (or Tupperware that is safe for refrigeration and/or freezing) and place in your refrigerator for up to 4 days. If freezing, use a proper container and store for up to 2 to 3 months.

Reheat this soup by removing it from the refrigerator or freezer. Allow the soup to thaw or come to room temperature. Reheat on the stove over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it reaches your desired temperature. You can also microwave single servings of this pasta e fagioli for 2 to 3 minutes each.

Serving Suggestions

We highly recommend serving this soup with some type of breadsticks! Our homemade cheesy garlic breadsticks just might do the trick! You can also try our insanely delicious cheesy zucchini breadsticks if you want to reduce the carbohydrates in your meal.

Pairing this soup with a garden or Italian salad is also ideal, as it mimics eating at Olive Garden!

Notes

This Olive Garden soup is extremely comforting, hearty, warm, and satisfying. Serve it up on a cold day or after school or work!

Pasta e Fagioli Soup

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

The added ground beef makes for a very satisfying dinner 🙂 I was scrolling and in fact had passed this, when I realized I had to go back up and look at what I'd missed. This is the stuff dreams are made of.

4.24 from 17 votes

Review Recipe

Ingredients 

• 1 ½ lb. Ground beef
• 1 Medium onion chopped
• 1 C. Chopped carrots
• 1 C. Finely chopped celery
• 4 C. Chicken broth
• 3 C. Tomato sauce
• 1 C. Dry small pasta cooked to your liking, any small pasta will do
• 1 Can Diced tomatoes undrained
• 2 tsp. Basil
• 1 tsp. Oregano
• ½ tsp. Thyme
• 2 tsp. Granulated sugar
• 1 Can Kidney beans drained and rinsed
• 1 Can Northern beans drained and rinsed
• 3 tsp. Minced garlic
• Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley for garnish if desired
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Place the ground beef into a large deep sized pot over medium high heat and begin to brown.
• Mix in the onion, carrots and celery, and cook until the meat is browned completely and the vegetables are beginning to soften. Drain any excess grease.
• Mix in salt and pepper to taste as well as the basil, oregano and thyme and minced garlic. Saute another 30 seconds.
• Reduce heat to simmer, and pour in the chicken broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and sugar. Stir to combine, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
• Add the beans and cooked pasta to the pot, stir to combine, cook for 5 minutes longer and serve. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and parmesan cheese if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 386kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 1175mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 7g

Author: Laura