It’s the week of the holidays, and I’m in the mood for something cozy. Let’s be honest, I’m always in the mood for something cozy! Florida heat or not, it’s always soup season in my kitchen. It’s the ultimate way to clean out the fridge and pantry, and have a delicious bowl of something easy in no time.
If you think soup making takes years of time, I’m just going to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way. We can take help from store bought stock, lots of spices from the pantry, and even a jar of marinara! If you’re anything like me, you always have half a jar of marinara in the fridge, and always looking for crafty ways to repurpose it! Using marinara sauce in a soup adds worlds of flavor since someone already did the heavy simmering for you!
I grabbed a few other ingredients from the pantry, chicken stock, kidney and cannellini beans, some veggies, dry spices, and a pasta shape of your preference- I used orzo. While this recipe is traditionally made with ground beef, I used ground chicken to lighten it up, and also because that’s just what I prefer. You could add ground turkey, or even an Italian sausage as well! I’ve also been known to add in several handfuls of kale or spinach at the end, it just depends on how I’m feeling- so do as you please! All you need is a big soup pot for this recipe and about thirty minutes, so let’s dig in!
Pasta Fagioli Soup, Weeknight Style.
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground meat (chicken or preference)
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 6–8 cups chicken broth
- 1 can kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
- 1 can cannellini beans (rinsed and drained)
- 1.5 cups carrots (diced)
- 1.5 cups celery (diced)
- .5 cups onion (diced)
- 1 cup orzo (uncooked)
- .5 cup parmesan or pecorino cheese (grated)
- 2 T olive oil
- 1 T dried oregano
- 1 T garlic powder
- 1 T dried parsley
- 2 tsp dried chili flake or chili paste (optional)
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat soup pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Drizzle in olive oil and add ground meat, breaking up with a wooden spoon, and cooking through, about 5-6 minutes.
- Add chopped celery, carrots, and onion, and reduce heat to medium, letting cook about 5 minutes to soften.
- Next, add your dried spices; the garlic, pepper, parsley, chili, oregano, and hefty pinches of salt and pepper. Stir and pour in stock, grated cheese, and marinara. Bring to a bubble, about 5 minutes.
- Finally, stir in the beans and pasta, turn heat to medium-low, and partially cover. Stir occasionally while pasta cooks, and soup thickens. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of cheese. This is perfect with crusty bread and a side salad, a soup-er hearty meal! Stores best in fridge for up to 6 days, or freeze leftovers for 3-5 months.
Find it online: https://thatswhatsheeats.com/pasta-fagioli-soup/
This soup was such a hit, and I actually made an extra batch and dropped it off to my parents, and my dad has not stopped raving about it since. He even said it didn’t need salt, which is like, the ultimate compliment from my father haha. I really hope you love this recipe, and be sure to tag me on instagram, @thatswhatsheeats, when you recreate it in your kitchen! Can’t wait to see what you think!
Thanks for reading, friends!
-Aubrey
#thatswhatsheeats