When was the last time you woke up, looked out your window and it’s gloomy, rainy and you just want to pull the covers over your head and stay in bed. Well here is a dish that is a totally feel good kind of meal. It will have you cuddled up with your blanket, a movie or a book and a bowl of this soup.
I wouldn’t exactly call this a soup. It has the consistency of a goulash. Nice and thick, stick to your ribs kind of meal. It’s very easy. Throw on some music, pour a glass of wine and get busy.
It’s a good recipe to experiment with. Add spices, different vegetables, play and experiment. Cook the carrots a little ahead of time or slice them thin. That of course depends how you like your carrots.
I added cheddar instead of parmesan. It added a very rich flavor. You can freeze individual servings for a quick meal. Don’t thaw or reheat in the microwave. The pasta will get mushy. Thaw on the counter and heat in a sauce pan over low/medium heat.
Enjoy.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 1/2 cups frozen corn (optional)
- 1 1/4 cups (5.6 oz) dry small elbow pasta
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme (or 3/4 tsp dried)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram (or 1 tsp dried)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 cans (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes
- 2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
- 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/4 cups chopped yellow onion (1 small)
- 1 cup chopped carrots (2 medium)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Fresh chopped parsley and finely grated parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and carrots and saute 3 minutes then add garlic and saute 1 minute longer. Pour mixture onto a plate.
- Heat remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil in pot over medium-high heat, add beef, season with salt and pepper and cook until browned. Drain fat from beef.
- Return sautéed veggies to pot along with beef broth, tomato sauce, tomatoes, Worcestershire, marjoram, thyme, bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Add in pasta, cover and reduce heat to medium,. Boil stirring occasionally, until pasta has cooked through, about 15 – 20 minutes. If adding corn, stir in corn during last 3 minutes of cooking.
- Remove bay leaves, serve warm garnished with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese if desired.
Nutrition
