A delicious and hearty slow cooker pasta, vegetable, and ground beef soup copycatting the famous “Olive Garden”
Ingredients:
- 1 pound extra lean ground beef, browned and drained
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- ½ cup chopped celery
- 1 can (14 to 15 ounces) diced tomatoes with juice
- 1 can (14 to 15 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can (14 to 15 ounces) white beans, rinsed and drained
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 jar (24 to 26 ounces) tomato-basil marinara or pasta sauce
- 1-1/2 teaspoons oregano
- ¾ teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1-1/4 cups dry pasta (I used fusilli, but shells or ditalini would work well), cooked separately according to the package directions.
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, optional for serving
- Grated Parmesan, optional for serving
Instructions:
- Stir together the cooked and drained ground beef, onion, carrots, celery, tomatoes, beans, broth, pasta sauce, oregano, hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper in a 6 to 7-quart slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 7 hours, or until the vegetables are as tender as you like them.
- When ready to serve, stir the cooked pasta into the soup. Taste the soup and adjust the salt and herbs to suit your tastes.
- Serve with grated parmesan and a sprinkling of fresh parsley if desired.
Source : http://pointsrecipes.com