Ground Beef Minestrone Soup: Quick Weeknight Dinner
This cozy Italian soup has savory ground beef, colorful veggies, tender pasta, and rich tomato broth. It's comfort food that makes everyone happy!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef 85% lean
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 can (28 oz)diced tomatoes, with juices
- 6 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup ditalini or elbow pasta
- 1 cup green beans trimmed and cut
- 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup zucchini diced
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the pot over medium-high heat and brown ground beef for 5-7 minutes until cooked through.
- Drain the extra fat, add the onion, and cook for 4 minutes until it gets soft.
- Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until it smells amazing and gets lightly golden.
- Pour in tomatoes, broth, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, and mix everything really well.
- Bring soup to a boil, then turn the heat down so it bubbles gently and steadily.
- Let the soup simmer for 10 minutes so all the flavors can blend together really nicely.
- Add zucchini, green beans, kidney beans, and pasta to the pot and stir it all in.
- Cook for 10-12 minutes until pasta is tender, and veggies are cooked just right.
- Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper if you think it needs it.
- Scoop hot soup into bowls and sprinkle Parmesan cheese and fresh basil on top.
Notes
- Cook pasta separately and add to bowls to keep leftovers from getting mushy overnight.
- Use ground turkey or chicken instead if you want a lighter soup option.
- Toss in spinach or kale during the last 2 minutes for extra healthy greens.
- Freeze soup without pasta for up to 3 months in sealed freezer containers.
- This soup tastes even better the next day after sitting in the fridge overnight.