Description
A hearty one-pot meal featuring lean ground beef, garden vegetables, and ditalini pasta in a robust tomato-herb broth. This nutrient-dense soup is a wholesome Italian favorite, perfect for a cozy family dinner.
Ingredients
For the Soup Base
- 1 lb lean ground beef, 1 cup diced onion
- 4 large carrots, 2 stalks celery (diced)
- 4 cloves minced garlic, 32 oz beef broth, 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 1.5 tbsp Italian seasoning, 2 tsp salt, pepper, 1-2 bay leaves
For the Texture & Finish
- 2 cups diced zucchini
- 3/4 cup ditalini pasta
- Grated parmesan cheese (for serving)
Instructions
Brown: Cook ground beef in a large pot until browned; drain excess grease.
Sauté: Add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Sauté 5–7 mins until softened.
Build: Stir in broth, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and bay leaves.
Simmer: Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 30 mins.
Finish: Add zucchini and ditalini. Simmer 10 mins until pasta is al dente. Remove bay leaves and serve with parmesan.
Notes
Storage Tip: Pasta absorbs liquid over time; add a splash of broth when reheating to restore consistency.
Freezer Tip: Freeze before adding pasta to prevent mushiness; add fresh pasta when reheating.
Vegetable Uniformity: Dice carrots and celery small and uniform to ensure they cook evenly and fit on the spoon.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 265
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 890
- Fat: 9
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Unsaturated Fat: 5
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 24
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 22
- Cholesterol: 45
Keywords: italian beef soup, vegetable beef soup, ditalini pasta soup, one pot italian soup, healthy beef soup