Pasta Fagioli Soup

Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 3 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 lbs lean ground chuck
• 4 carrots, shredded
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped (about 12 oz.)
• 5 celery ribs, diced (i also add in some of the chopped celery leaves)
• 2 (24 ounce) cans diced tomatoes (i put one can in the processor and puree)
• 2 cups red kidney beans
• 2 cups kidney beans (or great northern beans)
• 88 ounces beef broth (see note at bottom) or 88 ounces stock (see note at bottom)
• 1 (12 ounce) can beef consomme
• 3 -4 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 1/2 teaspoons pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons tabasco sauce
• 48 ounces spaghetti sauce (i use prego)
• 8 ounces macaroni
• grated parmesan cheese

Recipe

• 1 saute beef in oil in a large pot until brown. if there is excess fat, drain beef and return to pot.
• 2 add carrots, onion, celery and tomatoes and simmer 10 minutes.
• 3 drain and rinse beans. add to pot along with stock, consume, oregano, basil, parsley, pepper, tabasco, and spaghetti sauce.
• 4 simmer until vegetables are tender -- about 45 minutes.
• 5 cook macaroni separately. place desired amount in a soup bowl and ladle soup over it. top with grated parmesan cheese.
• 6 this makes a lot of soup, but it freezes well. when freezing the soup, do not add the macaroni as it tends to swell and get soggy.
• 7 note: the beef stock i use comes in boxes and it is more like 94 oz. total, so i just use it all.