This Olive Garden Copycat Pasta e Fagioli Soup is a one-pot soup inspired by Olive Garden! This soup is packed with vegetables, fresh herbs, beans, lean ground beef, and pasta-which makes for a rich and hearty Italian soup!

Makes 8 ( 1 1/2 cup) servings 

What does Fagioli mean?

The translation of Fagioli means “pasta and beans.” And that is exactly what this soup Pasta e Fagioli is loaded with!

What Ingredients do I need to make this Olive Garden Copycat Pasta e Fagioli Soup?

• Lean ground beef–  I like to use 96% Laura’s Lean ground beef. You can use ground turkey, if desired.
• Yellow onion– chopped 
• Celery-diced
• Carrots- diced
• Garlic cloves-minced 
• Low sodium beef broth- This soup will thicken as it cools and is meant to be a thick, more like a stew soup.  Feel free to add another 1-2 cups of broth to thin it out if it’s too thick once it’s cooled.
• Crushed or diced tomatoes– I like to use crushed tomatoes. Do not drain the juice.
• Tomato sauce 
• Apple cider vinegar- helps balance out the acidity of the tomatoes  
• Zero point white granulated sugar sweetener or regular sugar- balances out the the acidity of the tomatoes.
• Basil-fresh or dried. I love using fresh herbs in this soup.
• Oregano 
• Salt 
• Thyme- fresh or dried. I love using fresh herbs in this soup.
• Uncooked ditalini pasta
• Dark kidney beans-drained
• Cannellini beans or Northern white kidney beans- drained 
• Parmesan cheese- for garnish, if desired

Is this soup suppose to be thick?

This soup is meant to be a thick- more like a stew or chili type soup.

It will thicken quite a bit as it cools. Feel free to add another 1-2 cups of beef broth to thin it out if it’s too thick once it’s cooled.

How do I make this Olive Garden Copycat Pasta e Fagioli Soup?

This soup can be made on the stove top or Instant Pot.

Here are the step by step stove top directions:

Spray a large sauce pan or Dutch oven with non stick cooking spray. Add lean beef and cook for 5-7 minutes or until browned, stirring to break up meat.

Drain excess fat. Transfer meat to a bowl or plate. 

In the same pan or Dutch oven, spray the pan again with non stick cooking spray.

Add onion, carrots, and celery; cook and stir for 5 minutes or until veggies are tender.

Add garlic; cook and stir for another minute.

Add cooked beef.

Then the broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, vinegar, sugar, basil, salt, oregano, and thyme.

Broing to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Add pasta, kidney beans, cannellini beans; cook over medium heat for 10 minutes or until pasta is tender.

Stir frequently. 

Garnish with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

This soup will thicken as it cools and is meant to be very thick- more like a stew or chili-type soup. 

You can add another 1-2 cups of broth to thin it out if it’s too thick once it’s cooled. 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. 96% lean ground beef-  I like to use 96% Laura’s Lean ground beef
• 1 cup yellow onion, chopped 
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 3 medium carrots, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced 
• 4 cups low sodium beef broth 
• 1 ( 28 oz.) can crushed or diced tomatoes- do NOT drain the juice.
• 1 ( 15 oz.) can tomato sauce 
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar 
• 1 tsp sugar or zero point white granulated sugar sweetener 
• 1 1/2 tsp dried basil or 1 Tbsp fresh basil, finely diced
• 1 tsp dried oregano 
• 1 1/4 tsp salt 
• 1 tsp dried thyme or 2 tsp fresh thyme 
• 2 cups uncooked ditalini pasta
• 1 ( 15 oz.) can dark kidney beans, drained
• 1 ( 15 oz.) can cannellini or northern white kidney beans, drained 
• Garnish with Romano or Parmesan cheese, if desired

Stove Top Directions:

1. Spray a large sauce pan or Dutch oven with non stick cooking spray. Add lean beef and cook for 5-7 minutes or until browned, stirring to break up meat. Drain excess fat. Transfer meat to a bowl or plate. 
2. In the same pan or Dutch oven, spray the pan again with non stick cooking spray. Add onion, carrots, and celery; cook and stir for 5 minutes or until veggies are tender. Add garlic; cook and stir for another minute.
3. Add cooked beef, broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce,vinegar, sugar or sweetener, basil, salt, oregano, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer for at least 30 minutes.
4. Add pasta, kidney beans, cannellini beans; cook over medium heat for 10 minutes or until pasta is tender. Stir frequently. 
5. Serve warm. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and parsley, if desired.

Instant Pot Directions:

1. Turn your Instant Pot onto the “saute” function to the highest setting. When the pot is hot, add in the ground beef and brown. Break the beef up with a wooden spoon and let it brown.
2. Drain off excess grease. Add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic. Stir and sauté for about 1 minute until the onion softens a bit.
3. Add the remaining ingredients (EXCEPT for the pasta) to the instant pot and stir to combine
4. Close the lid. Cook on high pressure (Manual setting) set the timer to 5 minutes. Be sure the valve is set to “sealing.” 
5. Once the Instant Pot cycle is complete, wait until the natural release cycle is complete, this can take about 10 minutes.
6. When the timer beeps let the pot sit there for an additional 10 minutes and then release any remaining pressure by moving the valve to “venting.”
7. While the soup is pressure cooking cook the pasta according to directions on package. Drain and set aside.
8. Carefully unlock and remove the lid from the instant pot.
9. Serve warm.
10. Garnish with Parmesan and parsley, if desired.

 

Makes 8 ( 1 and 1/2 cup) servings

5 Points® per serving

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Author Notes:

• Store any leftover soup in the fridge for up to five days or freeze for up to a month.
• Thaw overnight in the fridge when ready to eat-reheat in the microwave or stove.