OLIVE GARDEN ELKHART RECIPES

Steps:

• In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, brown the ground beef until no pink remains.
• Add onion, celery, and minced garlic to the pot and continue cooking over medium heat until onions are soft. (If there is not enough fat in the pan from cooking the ground beef, add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to aid in sauteeing the vegetables.)
• Drain the meat and vegetables of any excess fat.
• Add the carrots, beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, and Italian seasoning to the mixture and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a pot of salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
• Once the soup has simmered at least 15 minutes, remove from heat and stir in the cooked pasta.
• Serve with fresh herbs for garnish.
• Use diced tomatoes with jalapenos or chiles for a little spice in the soup.
• You can substitute chicken broth or even water for the beef broth, but I like the richness from the beef broth.
• If the soup is too acidic, add a teaspoon of granulated sugar.
• Add salt and pepper as needed to season.
• This is a nice, thick soup - almost chili consistency. You can add more broth if you’d like a runnier soup, but it’s really great as a thick, hearty soup.
• Try ground sausage, ground turkey, or ground chicken instead of the ground beef!
• Cooking the pasta separately allows you to adjust how much much pasta you’re adding without losing any of the liquid content and it also prevents the noodles from becoming soggy in the soup.
• Store in the refrigerator for 4-5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.