Gina from Skinnytaste said her family devoured this soup, and it got an equally positive reception at my house. Easy to make , although it does need a long simmer time. Acini di Pepe is a tiny pasta which is a bit hard to find; I would use any small pasta shape on hand. Gina described this as “warm and comforting, like a great big hug on a cold winter day.”
If you don’t plan on eating it all at one sitting, it makes sense to only add the pasta to the soup you will eat that night, and refrigerate or freeze the rest. Otherwise the pasta soaks up the liquid overnight. The additions I made and will do again, were to add some garlic to the onion and celery saute, and a good amount of Italian seasoning. If you have a Parmesan rind hanging around, go ahead and toss that in for even more flavor. I got the eye contact and pointing finger from my husband as he told me “This is really good soup!”
If you wish instructions for making this in the Instant Pot or Slow cooker; go to the Skinnytaste.com website.
1 pound 90 per cent lean ground beef
1 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced carrot
28 oz. can crushed or diced tomatoes (prefer crushed)
32 oz. beef stock
2 bay leaves
4 oz. small pasta such as Acini di pepe
grated Parmesan cheese and ricotta (optional)
In a large pot or Dutch oven, saute the beef and salt on high heat until browned, breaking the meat up into small pieces as it cooks. When browned, add the onion, celery and carrots and saute 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, beef stock, and bay leaves, cover and cook on low until the beef and vegetables are tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours (you may need to add more broth or water if it evaporates too much.) Add the pasta, stir, and cook according to package directions. Serves 4-6.
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