Beef & Bean Soup
An hearty and healthy soup packed with pasta, beef beans, vegetables and on the table in less than an hour.
About my beef & bean soup recipe:
Jump to RecipeToday, I offer you my healthy version of Pasta e Fagioli. It is merely a simple Beef & Bean soup packed with pasta, vegetables and a rich broth.
What makes this soup healthier?
I offer you a couple of swaps-
Swap #1 -use ground turkey as your protein instead of ground beef. But…if you have carnivores that want beef, drain the beef and wipe down your pot to reduce that fat.
Swap #2– use farro or bulgur instead of ditalini.
Ingredients in Beef & Bean Soup:
- lean ground beef or turkey
- olive oil
- carrots, celery, garlic, fresh spinach,lemon, onions
- dark red kidney beans
- bay leaf, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, oregano, black pepper, kosher salt
- canned chopped tomatoes
- fresh rosemary
- beef broth
- ditalini pasta* see healthier options above
Other cold weather comforting soup recipes to try:
How to select the best beef for this recipe:
- Seek out ethically raised, grass finished or pasture raised beef. HERE is a map of the grass fed beef farms (and chicken ) across the US. Most of these ranchers provide a mail order service.
- Stock up on these types of beef so you aren’t caught with an empty freezer.
- When buying meat at the local store ask a few questions- is the meat from a USDA approved processing facility? Is the beef local?
- Support your local butcher. He may know the best places to get high quality beef- not every rancher can afford a website and mail order program.
- Check out Facebook Marketplace- sometimes you can find ranchers that sell a portion of an entire steer.
- 3. The ASPCA also has a list of thier approved ranchers. Check it out HERE. There are many brands like Whole Foods 365 and Butcher Block that have ethically sourced and raised beef that are readily available.
What to serve with Beef and Bean Soup?
- Corn bread. Check out my recipe HERE.
- Winter salad of citrus, frisée or endive and walnuts
- Sourdough bread with French butter or olive oil
- Italian breadsticks and an Italian salad of romaine, purple onions, croutons, small tomatoes and a red wine vinaigrette
Frequently Asked Questions:
This soup freezes well as long as you do not add in the beans or the pasta (which will turn to a mushy mess). Thaw the soup. overnight in the fridge and bring to a low simmer for 20 minutes. Add in the beans and pasta or grains.TO FREEZE: Pour the cooled soup into a Freezer Proof zip top bag, Remove the air using a straw, seal completely and then place inside another freeze Zip top bag.
Yes- Impossible Burger makes a ground beef substitute that works fine. Look for a mushroom based broth to give you the same Unami qualities as beef broth.
Yes- any small size pasta will work well- bowties, elbow, ditalini, fusilli work great.