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Olive Garden Pasta E Fagioli Soup Copycat

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Olive Garden Pasta E Fagioli Soup Copycat Recipe tastes just like the original. This hearty, Italian-seasoned soup is easily made in a slow cooker.

Our Version of Olive Garden’s Pasta E Fagioli Soup in a square bowl on a plate with a spoon on the side.

Pasta E Fagioli Soup

This Pasta E Favioli Soup is one of our family’s most favorite cold weather meals. It reminds me of fall leaves, football season, sweaters and cozy fires. It’s my top choice at Olive Garden every time we go there to eat, so I decided to find a way to make it at home. This copycat recipe tastes exactly like the popular restaurant dish, but makes enough to serve a crowd and can be made right at home.

What is Pasta E Fagioli Soup?

This Italian soup literally means “pasta and beans” so that’s what you’ll find in this dish, along with ground beef, Italian seasonings in a rich tomato based broth. Pasta E Fagioli is very similar to another hearty favorite, minestrone. The difference between these two soups is minestrone uses several different veggies and Pasta E Fagioli features onion, celery and carrots for flavor, but no other vegetables.

Tips for Pasta E Fagioli Soup

  • This recipe makes a LOT of soup (approximately 12-15 servings) so it’s a terrific recipe for feeding a crowd or if you like leftovers for lunches. It’ll stay fresh in the refrigerator for about three days.
  • This soup also freezes well, so store in freezer safe containers or Ziploc bags in the freezer for up to two months.
  • Make sure to use a large crock pot, or feel free to cut the recipe in half.
  • Pasta E Fagioli is delicious served with some crusty bread, our delicious Hot Cheese Bread recipe, or one of my favorites, cornbread. Our Cake Mix Cornbread is goes perfectly with this soup.

More Slow Cooker Soups to Try

  • Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Soup:  Chicken and Rice Soup warms you up on cold fall and winter days. It is also ideal for busy days. The ingredients go into the Slow Cooker in the morning and a nice, hot meal awaits in the evening.
  • Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup: There are so many different vegetables in this Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup. It is very healthy and hearty.
  • Slow Cooker Cheese Tortellini Soup: This Cheese Tortellini Soup is a flavorful, easy slow cooker meal. Tortellini, sausage, and spinach in a creamy tomato soup and slow cooked to perfection.
  • Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup:  This is one of the easiest soups you will ever make. It is filled with flavorful meat and vegetables. Everyone loves it!
  • Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana Soup:  Many agree that this Zuppa Toscana Soup Olive Garden Copycat is actually better than the original! It has a creamy both base and is loaded with sausage and potatoes.

How to make Olive Garden Pasta E Fagioli Soup

Our Version of Olive Garden’s Pasta E Fagioli Soup in a square bowl on a plate with a spoon on the side.

Olive Garden Pasta E Fagioli Soup

Print Pin Rate
Olive Garden Pasta E Fagioli Soup Copycat Recipe tastes just like the original. This hearty, Italian-seasoned soup is easily made in a slow cooker.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 hours
Total: 5 hours 15 minutes
Serves: 12 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Brown ground beef in large skillet. Drain fat.  
  • Add beef and all ingredients except the pasta into a large crock pot.
  • Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
  • Before serving, cook pasta according to package directions. 
  • Drain and add to soup.  
  • Serve with crusty bread, breadsticks, or cornbread.

Equipment

  • Crockpot Slow Cooker

Nutrition

Calories: 405kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 492mg | Potassium: 1075mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2875IU | Vitamin C: 12.5mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 5.3mg
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Italian
pasta e fagioli
Recipe by: Elise Donovan
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Reader Interactions

131 Comments

  2. Liann says

    This is one my all-time favorite soups. My mom and I used to go to Olive Garden when I was a kid to get this soup, along with their salad and breadsticks of course. I can’t wait for Fall and cooler temps so I can add this one to my list of soup recipes I plan to make.

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  4. Emily says

    You could always do the recipe over the stove in a fraction of the time. But this recipe you can throw in a crock pot in the morning and have delicious dinner at night (where the flavors have been simmering together all day).

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  6. Christen says

    I made this last night! Absolutely delicious, my husband had 3rds! Make sure you use a very large crockpot! This made so much that I’m going to freeze some of the leftovers. My husband called this ‘the same or BETTER than Olive Garden’s!!!’

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  7. Pam says

    I made this about noon today & we just just had it for dinner this evening. I only had 1 carrot on hand so wasn”t able to shred the 3 called for in the recipe. I also decided to add a can of drained & rinsed black beans that I wanted to use up to the white & red kidney beans. I had macaroni in the pantry so just fixed enough to put a small handful in the bottom of each bowl before adding the soup to the bowl & then added some shredded parmesean cheese to the top of the bowl. My husband & I both agreed that we liked this better than regular chili. Since we now have enough to freeze alot of “Italian Chili”, we’ll be enjoying this frequently. We’ll just add enough pasta each time that we heat it up instead of freezing the pasta with the soup. Next time I will try to half the recipe & also use less pepper & tobasco than listed & have enough shredded carrots. Thanks for posting this excellent recipe!

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    • sue piotrowski says

      I made this last night for 3 hungry men, and still have enough leftovers for them to eat again tonight. This makes a huge pot full! I did mine on the stovetop and added smokey bacon in with the hamburger for a added depth of flavor. I also added 2 minced garlic with the onion. I live in Switzerland and we don’t have Prego here, so I used a large jar (2 cups) of Italian herbed tomato sauce and 2 Tbls of Brown sugar with a generous handful of assorted Italian herbs. I cooked the pasta in the pot after adding all the liquids, but that meant I had to stand and stir frequently so they wouldn’t stick to the bottom. I will cook separately next time and then add to pot once cooked al dente and drained so it will soak up the flavors of the soup. It is a must to serve with a cut up a loaf of crusty bread with sweet butter. I set out a jar of homemade chili oil for those who like a bit more heat. I topped with fresh grated parmesan cheese and gouda. Loved this recipe!!!

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  8. Brooke says

    I made this for dinner tonight and it was awesome! I cut the recipe in half and there is still tons leftover for the week. Thank you and I’m looking forward to purchasing your new cook book! Congrats!!

    reply to comment

  10. Sarah Zink says

    This recipe is huge! I’m making it right now and it doesn’t even fit in my crockpot. I’m going to have to dump it all in a big bowl and separate it out into two pots.

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  11. Courtney says

    I’ve got this simmering away in the crockpot as I type this. It smells delicious! My only complaint is the large amount this recipe makes. I didn’t cook all 2lbs of ground beef and have not added the noodles yet and the crockpot is filled to the rim. I’ll follow up and let everyone know how it tastes 🙂

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  13. Vanessa says

    Made this for Sunday dinner after church, and it was a huge hit! Totally amazing 🙂 Super easy to make. A note of warning however, it makes A LOT! My 6 quart crock pot was full to the top and overflowing. I will probably half the recipe next time

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  16. Sandy says

    I made this soup yesterday, and it was delicious! I did it in a stock pot since I wasn’t sure it would fit in my crock pot. It does make a lot of soup, but when you work night shift and need to be able to just throw something in a container, it works well! The only thing I did different was instead of the separate veggies, I used 2 bags of frozen mirapoix blend that was pre-chopped. I also didn’t add the pasta to the whole pot as my dad doesn’t eat pasta. I just added it to the bowls so he didn’t have to pick around it. It was a hit with everybody. Will definitely make again!

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  18. Caryn P says

    Making this today…Had to transfer to my Nesco/roaster since I didn’t have room for the last 2 cups of beef stock…and I have a huge crock pot! Can’t wait to eat it tonight! (And tomorrow…and next month since we’ll be freezing 🙂

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  20. amy says

    I made this today and it is fabulous!! so easy and I agree with the other posts….it tastes just as good than olive garden!! Make sure you use a very large croc pot. it makes alot.

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  26. Janine says

    Made this tonight and it was GREAT! I didn’t have all 5 tsp of parsley, so I used italian seasoning and it still came out awesome – and I love that there’s no added salt – doesn’t even need it!

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  27. Donna says

    This soup was a huge hit when I served it earlier in the month. While it does make a lot, my crock pot was completely empty after 7 adults, two children and a teen enjoyed seconds. I’ll be making this again as soon as the weather turns chilly.

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  30. Amanda says

    Have this in the crockpot right now cooking on high so I can have it in time for lunch! I cut the recipie in half, I dont have a huge crockpot and even cut in half its almost overflowing. Looks delicious. I love soups and my husband is not a fan so I end up eating a whole pot of soup by myself. This will be perfect for lunches this week. I go to a lot of large potlucks where it would be perfect to make the full sized recipie, as soon as I get a bigger crockpot!

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  31. Chaz says

    This is fabulous! If you don’t want to make it in a crock pot, just throw it in a pot on the stove! I doubled the recipe and before adding the pasta halved it, so I could freeze part of it!

    reply to comment

  33. Grace says

    Just made this recipe for myself and my three roommates. Everyone loved it! Like others previously stated, this makes a HUGE amount of soup. I only used 1lb of beef. Next time I will cut the recipe in half for sure!

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  34. nancy says

    I make a version of this soup also-one I found online years ago. It calls for mostly the same ingredients-but in addition, a can of v8, and 1T of white vinegar. I worked at the OG for several years, and I love that soup! 🙂

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  35. Laura says

    Yeah this makes a TON! I have it cooking for dinner right now- had to transfer some of it to a second, smaller slow cooker because I had a little more than 2 lbs of meat to use, and it absolutely would have overflowed my 6 qt crockpot. Excited to try it!

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  36. Whitney says

    I didn’t have a big enough crockpot but I have a huge stockpot so I made this soup in that. I had to improvise a little because I didn’t have two cans of tomatoes on hand. I had one can of tomatoes and I had a can of tomato sauce so I used those instead. I cooked the pasta to al dente then I added all ingrediants to the stockpot and heated until boiling. Then I reduced heat to simmer and let the soup simmer for 30 minutes then served it. It was great this way because we were able to have it for lunch rather than waiting for dinner. It is amazing! I love that it makes a ton because I will be freezing individual servings to bring to work! Thanks, another great pinterest find!

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  37. Aurora H says

    This was fantastic! I made it tonight and my whole family was impressed. I found that garlic salt and parmesan were great additives. Try with a side of spinach and feta stuffed crescent rolls!

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  38. Barbara says

    I’ve used this recipe for many years, and it’s absolutely wonderful. I angle-cut my carrots though because our local Olive Garden manager had them done that way. She got promoted and the new manager shreds them, and he’s stingy, so try it with the carrot medallions; it’s prettier and holds up better to long cooking with the larger size. I do add minced garlic and a bit of sugar to offset the tomato’s acidity, also. I freeze large quantities of my soup in quart jars, and it is wonderful to have on hand. I make large amounts in a stock pot; not in my little crock pot. We like to let it sit in the refrigerator overnight for the flavors to meld better.

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  40. Valerie says

    I LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe!! I have make it several times for my family and its a hit every time. My husband is a meat and potatoes kind of guy and he loves it! Highly recommend trying it for yourself!

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  41. Joan says

    I made this soup last night for dinner. It turned out great. It’s been so long since Olive Gardens left Canada, I can’t remember how their Pasta e Fagoli soup tasted. But I do know that this was a really nice meal to leave cooking and come home to dinner ready. Thank you for sharing.

    reply to comment

  42. Paula says

    Made this soup a couple of weeks ago and loved it! Making it again tomorrow. Instead of 2 cans of diced tomatoes, I used a can of diced and a can of pureed (what I had in the pantry). The flavor was fabulous. Thanks for posting!

    reply to comment

  43. Nicole says

    I made this recipe tonight and it was perfect, tasted exactly like the real thing!! Just be prepared by how large a portion it really makes, it wouldn’t all fit in my crockpot (guess I have an excuse to get a new, bigger one ;).

    reply to comment

  44. Shirley says

    This is my husbands favorite soup to eat at Olive Garden.. Thank you so very much for sharing this recipe, I will definitely surprise him making it for dinner ! Also this will be a great hit with the large amount of company coming in for the holidays.

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  45. Aimee G says

    Made this tonight and loved it! I did cut it in half because I’m
    Only cooking for 2 people, my husband was concerned though that it wasn’t soupy enough.
    What should I add to make less chili and more soup?

    reply to comment

    • Shannon says

      I thought the same thing. It’s cooking now and it’s not very soupy. I’ve made it before (it’s DELICIOUS) and can’t remember if it creates more broth as it’s cooking or if I added something. I guess we’ll wait and see…

      reply to comment

  47. Kristin says

    Making this now! I’m excited for the final product. Didn’t realize how much it would make so will have to keep the posts separate. Should have enough to freeze for another night too. Serving with garlic bread yum!

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  53. Sue says

    I have looked at a lot of Pasta Fagoli soups online and all are very similiar and I was curious has anyone every tired adding cumin to it. I thought I always detected a bit of that when I at this soup at olive garden or was it chili powder?

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  54. Liz says

    I am making this tonight! I didn’t thaw out the hamburger meat in time to use the crock pot this morning so I’m thawing it out now and will be making it in a big pot on the stove. My husband is working nights right now so I think this will be a good family friendly meal, especially with this crazy cool weather we’re having in Texas. Need something to warm us up! I don’t have a few of the things on hand…and I despise the grocery store, I go as little as possible. 🙂 So, I’ll be using marge butter beans or great northern beans instead of white kidney beans also Italian seasoning to sub for some of the others.
    Hoping for a successful meal! Thanks for sharing!

    reply to comment

  55. Sandy says

    Made this up this weekend and there was definately a lot of it. If I try it again will use a 1 can of crushed tomatoes and 1 can diced instead of two diced. Also I would cut way back on the oregano and parsley. Was definately too strong for my and my husbands taste. Always good to try something new!

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  56. Barbara says

    I am wondering if anyone has tried this with turkey rather than beef and if it makes a huge difference? I made it once according to the original recipe and it was great but I have a daughter who does not eat beef and, since it makes so much, I can’t share it with her. Thanks!

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  58. Bethany says

    OOPS! I halfed the recipe because i am only cooking for three, but forgot to half the spices (full amount of parsley, oregano, pepper)- i just started cooking it- anyway to fix? Will it taste terrible now?

    Hope i didn’t mess it up too bad!! ANY THOUGHTS?

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  60. Laurie says

    I’m making half the recipe right now in a stock pot. I simmer on low for a couple hours before adding the beans. I’m going to serve it with the Olive Garden salad and breadsticks for the Super Bowl tomorrow. We can’t wait!!!

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  62. Sarah says

    This recipe is very good. The only problem I came across is that after adding the pasta it soaked up all the juices. So the soup became very thick. I think next time I try this, I’m going to add the pasta as I make the bowls. Seems like it would freeze well, which is a great thing because this makes a lot of soup.

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  65. Kathie says

    I’m going to make this tomorrow night. My biggest crock pot is 6 qt. It sounds like that won’t be big enough. Is an 8 qt stove top pan big enough or do I need to get my roaster out?

    reply to comment

  66. Laurie Lush says

    This is good soup. I have also made it adding zucchini and summer squash slices . My daughter is a vegan , so I did this and cut out the meat, I also used broken pieces of spagetti for the pasta as it does not seem to soak up so much of the liquid.

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  67. Tori says

    I just made this recipe tonight, but halved it based on the comments. It was fantastic! My husband ate thirds and said it was just as good as the Olive Garden’s. Thanks for posting!

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  68. Carol says

    I’ve made this twice now – I use the sodium-free beef broth granules, and instead of the water, I use low sodium V8 – and a lot of it. I also use tomato puree instead of the diced tomatoes. The ditalini pasta is perfect for this, and has a nice “bounce” when you bite it. I have a huge batch in the stockpot and plan on freezing most of it. Tastes great.

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  69. Debra says

    This is an excellent copycat recipe. This is my favorite soup at OG and you’ve nailed it. The only thing I changed is I added a little bit of crushed red pepper and sugar, I sautéed the onions and celery and garnished with grated Parmesan. It does make a lot so everyone at the office should be happy tomorrow along with what I’ll put in the freezer. I’ll leave out the pasta in the freezer batch and add it when I reheat. Thank you for sharing this recipe. Nice work.

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  70. Vivian Warfield says

    I just made this today, my husband said it was better than Olive Garden’s. he is on a low carb diet so I am adding the cooked pasta to only the bowls of the people that want it. Perfect!

    reply to comment

  72. Jaime Boyd says

    All I would say is have a HUGE crockpot! 🙂 I think it needed a little salt. Next time I will add the noodles as we serve it. I added it to the crockpot and the noodles sucked up all the juice, but it was still delicious!

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  74. jennie says

    This was outstanding. I actually followed the recipe 100%, which is rare for me and I am really happy I did. It’s fantastic. I nearly substituted the Prego Spaghetti Sauce for plain tomato sauce and some additional herbs, but I’m sure glad I didn’t. That Prego really makes the flavor. I will for sure be making this again!

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  79. Kathy says

    Made this today; halved the recipe. Italian sausage instead of hamburg, 3 1/2 c. broth, elbows, only kidney beans, a few red pepper flakes in place of the Tabasco. NO, no, no to Prego! Barilla pasta sauce with garlic and basil. A little sugar to cut the acidity. Cooked in the oven at 225 for about 5 hrs. EXCELLENT!

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  80. Monica M. says

    Made this today. I will say it tastes a lot like Olive Gardens soup. A slight difference though. I’m surprised that the recipe didn’t call for any garlic or salt. I will add both next time. I will say this makes a TON. Almost didn’t fit my 6qt crock pot. I might scale back a bit next time too. Its delicious and I will be keeping this recipe. Thank you! I notice on some of these comments how people comment on how good this sounds but never have made it. I guess I dont understand why you would comment if you haven’t even made it yet. I notice that on a lot of websites though. Just kinda strange. 🙂

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  81. Ruth says

    I always cook this in a large stock pot on the stove. I cook the noodles and add only what I need to each bowl. If you add the noodles to the soup they suck up all the liquid and get really squishy. I also use half hamburger and half Italian sausage. And I use either chicken or vegetable broth instead of beef. Still always turns out well.

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  82. Karen says

    Delicious!! I cooked pasta separate and drained with cold water and once soup cooled enough to put in freezer bags (takes up less room than containers) I added the al dente cooked ditalini pasta. The pasta doesn’t keep cooking and I can freeze with pasta in the soup and the texture is not mushy.

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  83. robin says

    I put this all together ys & 1/2 the recipe will still feed an army, it filled my 5 qt crock pot. I got up in the middle of the nite so at 3:30 a.m I put it on. when we woke up it smelled amazing. I added the dilitini but made the mistake of adding it uncooked now all juices r used up. its no longer a soup! do u think adding more beef broth would do the trick?

    reply to comment

  84. Wendy k says

    i thought this was incredibly bland. I added a ton of spices to make it even worth it. I can’t believe it doesn’t even call for salt. Once it actually had some taste from the added spice, it was good. This is a nice base recipe but I’m surprised so many like it as is.

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  86. Cassandra says

    This recipe is currently simmering away in our crockpot. I’ve got abother hour to go!
    I subbed the beef for Italian chicken sausage, and the beef stock got chicken stock.
    I also halfed the recipe and my crockpot is full!
    So excited to eat this. It smells so good 🙂

    reply to comment

  87. Jeanne says


    This is my second go at this, making it with ground venison this time, for my husband to take to hunting camp. I added a little V-8 to it, as this does tend to become quite thick, and I also added 1 tbsp. of white vinegar. Was a huge hit the first time I made it (I used sweet Italian sausage and ground turkey mixed together) and I’m sure it will be again with the guys. so easy, just labor intensive, but very delicious.

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  88. Anticatrattoria.com says

    A hearty and healthy pasta e fagioli soup that’s you have share with good for your veggies like carrots, and tomatoes, and celery, and my personal favorite – garlic.

    reply to comment

  89. BeckyRaZ says

    This recipe is awesome. I’ve made it several times and it’s become a family favorite. It’s SO easy and versatile! I use ground turkey instead of beef, but still use the beef stock and you can’t tell any difference. I do like the idea of adding rinsed black beans. We freeze the leftovers, but it doesn’t last very long in the freezer (but that’s only because it calls to us and then we just HAVE to have it)! Thanks for a great recipe!

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  91. Brownie95 says

    I made this soup and it was fantastic.

    Question: I have left over vegetables (celery, carrots etc.) Can I cut them up and freeze them, then thaw and use them in another batch of this soup at a later time? If yes, do I have to blanch them or can I just cut them up and put them in a freezer zip lock bag or container? Then when I have the rest of the ingredients at a later time just unfreeze and drop them in the soup?

    The reason why I am asking is I only have extra vegetables. I do not have extra beans, tomatoes etc., to make the soup and then freeze accordingly.

    reply to comment

  98. Heather says


    I’ve been making your recipe for this soup for a few years now and we still love it! I only make a half batch and I still have plenty of leftovers for the next day or so. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us 🙂

    reply to comment

  99. Kim Weaver says

    My stockpot is so full, I don’t have room for the Prego spaghetti sauce! Wow…lot of soup! So I added all the spices I would put in spaghetti sauce & hope it comes out ok…

    reply to comment

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