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Our Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Soup copycat recipe tastes just like the soup from the restaurant! The best part? This low-maintenance recipe slow cooks all day, allowing everything to simmer together for hours for maximum flavor!
This Pasta e Fagioli Soup is one of my 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 what you get at Olive Garden (maybe even better)!
What is Pasta e Fagioli Soup?
This popular 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 soup, but they are not the same. 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.
Notable Ingredients
Ground Beef – For this recipe I like to use lean ground beef (93%/7%). If the beef is too fatty, then it makes the soup very oily. You can also sub the beef for Italian sausage, bacon, or pancetta.
Onion, Carrots, and Celery – This combination of savory vegetables is often called a mirepoix. Together, they create a base of flavor for the soup. White onion or yellow onion both work great.
Red and White Kidney Beans – It wouldn’t be Pasta e Fagioli without the fagioli! As you might have guessed, fagioli means beans. I like to use dark red kidney beans and also white kidney beans, great northern beans, or cannellini beans.
Spices – The spice mix for this recipe includes oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper. If you want to expand on the flavor profile, then consider adding garlic powder, garlic cloves, basil, thyme, or a few bay leaves.
Ditalini Pasta – Ditalini pasta is the pasta that Olive Garden uses, but you can use other shapes like small shells, wagon wheels, or elbow macaroni noodles. Cook the pasta to just barely al dente, as it will soften in the soup.
How to Make Pasta Fagioli Soup
I love how easy this recipe is to make. It’s as easy as browning the beef then adding it with all the other ingredients to a Crock Pot and letting it slow cook all day. Here’s what to do:
- Brown the beef – If you want, you can add the chopped onions at this step too. The onions cook long enough to soften completely either way so it doesn’t really matter when you add them.
- Add remaining ingredients (except for the pasta) – Add the beef and all of the rest of the ingredients except for the pasta into the Crock Pot. If you add the pasta at this point it will get way too overcooked. Its best to add it at the end.
- Add the pasta – Cook the pasta only to al dente, drain, and then add it to the soup right before serving. That’s it! Add any toppings you like for garnish and serve.
Tips and Suggestions
This pasta Fagioli recipe makes a LOT of soup (approximately 20, 1 cup servings) so it’s a terrific recipe for feeding a crowd. I almost always have leftovers and they heat up great for lunches later in the week. You can also cut the recipe in half if you are just feeding a small family.
This soup freezes well. Store in freezer safe containers or Ziploc bags in the freezer for up to two months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! You will need a very large pot, or you will need to half the recipe. Brown and drain the beef, and add it, along with all other ingredients besides the pasta, to a large pot. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then turn heat to low bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender. Cook pasta according to package directions and add to soup before serving.
They are the same! Pasta Fazool is a nickname for pasta e fagioli that comes from New York Italians.
Make it a Meal
When we make Pasta e Fagioli soup we like to pretend that it’s unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks at Olive Garden. Try it with our copycat Olive Garden Salad and some warm bread such as our homemade breadtwists, garlic breadsticks, focaccia, or our delicious Italian Cheesy Bread recipe.
More Slow Cooker Soups to Try
Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Soup
Video
Equipment
- Crockpot Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 shredded carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 (16-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained
- 1 (16-ounce) can white kidney beans, drained
- 4 cups beef stock
- 3 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoons dried parsley, plus more for garnish
- 1 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
- 1 (24-ounce) bottle Prego Traditional pasta sauce
- 8 ounces ditalini pasta
- Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Brown ground beef in a large skillet. Drain fat.
- Add beef and all ingredients except the pasta and Parmesan cheese into a large slow cooker. 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 in bowls topped with Parmesan cheese and parsley if desired.
Perfect soup for cool days, just like Olive Gardens
Thank you, Ruth. I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
This was very yummy, especially on a cold night! I did modify some, due to what I had on hand or by mistake. I used 1/2 LB each ground beef and ground Italian sausage (1lb total was plenty of meat!), can of diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning, 3 tsp of basil instead of oregano (I grabbed the wrong jar), 1 tsp of pepper (not 2), and Classico sauce with basil. Served it with fresh shredded Parmigiano and italian bread. Thanks for the recipe, we will definitely make it again!
Great ideas!
Lovely. At our house, I cook a full pound of pasta and serve it on the side. Some of my crew like a little pasta in their soup, some like a little soup in their pasta and nobody likes the way the pasta soaks up the broth and gets mushy in the fridge. Because there will be leftovers and it’s almost better the second day.
Yes, that is a great idea to serve the pasta separately to allow people to control how much is in their bowl!
I have made this recipe many times over the years. It’s a fall favorite of the whole family. Hearty, healthy and filling. And makes a generous batch for days of leftovers (a lifesaver for our busy after school activities). Huge hit in our house!
Delicious!!!!
This taste is good or better than the restaurant soup. I like the Italian flavor.
This is my go to pasta soup recipe each winter. I make a bread machine egg bread to go with. Yummy!😋
Made it this morning for an after-funeral luncheon hosted at my church. We had a variety of soups, salads, rolls, brownies and cookies. I topped it with shaved parmesan and Italian Parsley. I used Italian ground sausage rather than ground beef, and chicken stock rather than beef. Everyone who tried it loved it and my huge pot of soup was emptied quickly.
It was beautiful. Wish I’d saved some for myself.
Simply delicious
Love this recipe.
I use Italian sausage instead of ground beef. So good
I was hoping this recipe was made in a crockpot! I wanted to make it while I was golfing. This way the house smells like you have a private chef who cooked all day.
Much better idea than a Dutch oven that has to be babysat.
This recipe is so easy and delicious. I used ground turkey instead of beef- I have a teen that does not eat red meat. It still turned out fantastic! Also made it both ways, Stovetop and crock pot. Thumbs up for both.
I make this every year for my annual Halloween Pumpkin Carving Party!! Great for kids and adults. A party favorite 🙂
Yummmmmy!!! Very Delicious! Oh boy!!
All recipes are highly recommend
The pasta makes it hearty & it’s packed with flavor! It tastes even better than Olive Garden’s!
One of my favorite soups to get at Olive Garden!! It tastes even better at home!!
Thank you so much for sharing this soup recipe! Really flavorful and really easy to make! Highly recommended!
This is an absolute favorite soup of mine. So hearty and full of delicious flavor!
I went to olive garden a few weeks ago and always get this soup. I was very disappointed. Watered down and no flavor. I am going to Make it tomorrow.
Made this last night. It was amazing. I love the soup at Olive garden and it tastes just like it.. but better bc its homemade!
I agree! Homemade is always better. I also love the soup at Olive Garden, but I think our homemade version has a richer taste. I’m so happy you like it!
Thank you, you did such a great job with this recipe! The spice is spot on. I have tried it a few times now but usually adjust to vegetarian and it still tastes just like (better!) than the restaurant. I use homemade veggie stock and instead of beef smart ground/beyond/etc. Since homemade stock is thick I add water or some of the drained pasta water and voila.
Do you use fresh herbs or can I use dry?
Either will work!
I don’t think it tasted like Olive Garden. The recipe also calls for way too much pepper in my opinion.
I’m sorry it didn’t turn out for you. I’ve always had great success with it.
Delish!!
I think any homemade version has to be better and this is definitely one of them! So tasty and hearty! We loved it!
I love copycat recipes just like this! Olive Garden has the best pasta e fagioli soup. Yours tastes just like restaurant recipe. Yum!
Awesome!
I love how hearty, flavorful, and my favorite, done in the slow cooker, this soup is! This is going to be a new family favorite for sure!!
This soup is fabulous! The flavors are incredible! I think it is even better than the original restaurant version.
I can confirm that this recipe tastes bang-on to the Olive Garden version. This is my favorite thing to get at the Olive Garden, so I’m beyond thrilled to be able to make it at home now. One thing I changed from the recipe though was to use navy beans instead of the white kidney beans. I am pretty sure that’s what they use at Olive Garden, but regardless, I really like navy beans, so that’s what I’m using. Thank you for such a great recipe post!
We love, love, love this recipe!! I’ve made it several times using ground chicken instead of beef. DELISH! Serve it with garlic bread sticks. We freeze some and take it with us when camping for those chilly nights. Just cook the pasta, bag it and add it when heating it up. Seriously our favorite! Thank you for sharing.
I used your recipe Turned out amazing .
My neighbor made this recipe and I couldn’t get enough of it. I like to cook and will place this recipe in a principle location in my personal recipe book. Thank you.
This recipe is fantastic! I have been making it for several years now and everyone always loves it. I usually make on the stovetop and simmer for several hours. I always use the Prego ( I like Prego 🤷🏼♀️) , always use crushed San Marzano tomatoes instead of diced tomatoes, always use matchstick carrots instead of shredding my own. Turns out fantastic every time! Thank you so much!
P.s. Don’t omit the parsley! It’s not the same without it! 😉
Best soup ever! Will make again!
What is the nutritional content for one cup of this soup. The content listed seems way high for one cup.Thanks! I love this soup recipe!
The nutrition facts are for 1/12 of the soup, since it makes 12 servings.
The recipe says it makes 20 servings. Is that wrong?
20 servings is correct!
Any suggestions on how to cook this on the stovetop in a Dutch oven instead?
Brown the meat in the dutch oven first, then add the vegetables and cook until soft. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the pasta, and simmer for at least 30 minutes. Cook pasta according to package directions and then add to the soup! Hope this helps!
I have made this soup several times and it is wonderful. I like to use half hamburger and half bulk Italian sausage if I have it on hand. I do use the crock pot because I like it to simmer for a few hours and add the beans in the last hour. Also, I serve the pasta separately so it doesn’t soak up the juice and get mushy. Also, that way everyone can add as much or little pasta as they like. This freezes well, but I recommend not adding the pasta if you’re going to freeze it. This recipe is approved by my Italian husband.
Wow, what a compliment! Love that it got a true Italian stamp of approval! That’s a “win” in my book!
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…
Oh no, what size Crock Pot do you have? You can also simmer it in a large stockpot over low heat if the Crock Pot isn’t cutting it. Hope this helps!
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 🙂
Thank you so much for this nice comment! We are so glad you like this recipe– it is one we make all the time too 🙂 It’s just so easy!
What size crock pot do you recommend for this recipe? You mentioned large. Mine is 6 qt. Is that large enough? Thank you.
Yes, 6qt should be big enough. 🙂 Hope this helps!
This soup was absolutely delicious, and, so easy to make. Tasted exactly like the Olive Gardens soup. Makes a large portion, and, worth every bit of it. Thanks so much for sharing.
So glad you liked it! Thanks so much for your comment!
Love love love this soup…thank you so much for sharing❤️❤️
I HAVE TRIED SEVERAL OTHERS PUT I LOVE THIS RECIPE THE BEST. I ALSO COOKED IT ON TOP OF THE STOVE .
Excellent except for the black pepper and tabasco. I make it all the time now and leave those two ingredients out unless you like fire!
I made this tonight, very good! Added garlic and did both ground beef and ground turkey. Definitely a keeper recipe!
Thank you for sharing your success Stephanie! I’m so glad you like the recipe.
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.
you should just be able to freeze them just fine. You can just cut them up and freeze them. 🙂 Hope this helps!
I love this soup. When I makr it I use V-8 juice. Am making for my BD company.
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!
Thanks so much for the comment– great idea using ground turkey– makes it even healthier!
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.
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.
Thank you for the great ideas! Sounds delicious!
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 🙂
Great idea on the substitutions! It does make a lot of soup!
Made the soup tonight for a group of friends for dinner. It was delicious and very hearty. Perfect fall soup!
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.
It is a good idea to add some salt or spices. Everyone has different tastes! Thank you for your comment!
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?
Yikes! If it were me I would add more broth and maybe some tomato sauce/juice… hopefully it will still work out! This is one of our favorite soups!
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.
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.
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. 🙂
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!
Forget cutting in half, I doubled it and cooked on the stove 4 hours. Served it with a salad and fresh baked baguettes, huge hit with entire family!
Made this today on the stovetop and it came out great. Cooked it about three hours.
This soup looks really good. I can’t wait to try it out.
If making this soup (1/2 recipe) in a stockpot on the stove, how long do I cook it for? Thanks
I would do it on low for at least an hour… you can really do it as long as you want though– as long as you add the pasta at the end!
Years ago OG had a wonderful meatloaf…does anyone have the recipe?
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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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!
I made this last night but I did 1 lb of Hamburger and 1 lb medium Italian sausage..it was WONDERFUL
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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?
I wouldn’t go any smaller than an 8 qt but that should be big enough.
I also found out that a six quart crockpot is not big enough had to cook it on the stove
I’ve learned through experience that you always leave noodles on the side and only put in your bowl not the soup unless it will all be eaten in one sitting
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.
When did you add the noodles? You should be adding the cooked noodles at the very end, right before serving, as per the recipe, or they will soak up too much and become soggy.
That’s what the recipe says to do:
1. cook the soup WITHOUT pasta
2. cook the pasta
3. add the pasta to the soup
I made this a couple of weeks ago! I was YUM MEE! My fam keeps asking me when I’m going to make it again. Thanks for posting!
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!!!
Made it once exactly to the recipe. LOVE LOVE’d it! Tonight making it with Italian sausage/ground beef. Can’t wait to try it.
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?
It might have a strong flavor but will definitely still be edible. You could try diluting it with a little “plain” tomato sauce. Good luck!
Thanks so much!! Just took a pre bite & it tastes great!! Might even make the same way next time 🙂 Thank you!!
oh my goodness, i just did the same thing! i will try diluting with tomato sauce…fingers crossed!
I have this in the Crock pot cooking now. Sure smells good, I’ll let you know how it taste later.
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!
I always make it with ground turkey and it is so good. Definitely recommend with turkey.
Do you use beef broth or different broth if making it with turkey?
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!
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!
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?
I am looking so forward to making this because of all the post. All your post are so helpful too. I will cut the recipe in half. THANKS
Anyone know how long it will take to heat in a 6 quart crockpot after it has been refrigerated? Want to make it a day early. Thanks
I made halfed the recipe. Does that mean I should half the cooking time in the crock pot? Thank you! 🙂
No, don’t cut the time in half, but maybe check it an hour to half hour earlier.
I dont care for celery so I omitted that and added zuccini! yum!
LOVED this recipe! It made a ton of soup that tasted fantastic! This recipe will be made in this house over and over
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!
I made this today & OMGosh….it is excellent! It does fill the crock pot to the top & makes a lot.
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?
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…
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.
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 ;).
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!
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.
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!
WOW, this is fantastic. I will definitly make it again. My husband loved it too.
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.
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!
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!
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!
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! 🙂
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!
Thank you for posting this. Made this for dinner tonight. Even my kid (who is picky) loved this.
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!
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!
Wow, we loved it! It’s still hot in October in the Bay Area but I went ahead and made this soup today. We will definitely make this soup again.
A generous Tablespoon of white vinegar brings out the flavors, much as salt would, and adds a spark to this soup.
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.
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!
Love love love this just wish there was done nutrient facts posted…
Does this need any added salt? I don’t see salt on the ingredient list. I am making this tonight.
You can add some salt to taste if you think it needs it.
Made this minus the meet and fell in love all over again!!! 🙂
This is by far the best soup that I have ever made! Thanks for the simple crockpot recipe…..
This looks terrific! I love Olive Garden’s soup. Guess what’s on the menu this week? Thanks!
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.
I’m going to make this this weekend only with ground turkey! It looks delicious!
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 🙂
I have it all prepped and in the fridge so I can put in on in the morning, can’t wait to try it tomorrow night. Thank you for the recipe.
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!
This recipe sounds so good. I can’t wait to make it. I am going to buy everything I need to make it this weekend at the store. Thanks for posting it 🙂
I made this tonight was so good hubby really liked to made it in my crock pot i will be sure to make again and pass it on thank you
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
Are the amounts for the oregano and parsley based on fresh or dried? Just want to make sure I don’t over do it. 🙂
Dried
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 🙂
Turned out absolutely delicious!
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.
My husband loves this soup. It’s probably the best offering at Olive Garden. Think I’ll surprise him with this next week
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!!
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!
I just made this and was out of canned kidney beans so I sustituted a can of pintos and a can of navy beans. It was still delicious! =)
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!!!
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!!!’
This is my favorite Olive Garden soup, I can’t wait to try it. Thank you.
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).
I am making this in a stock pot, my 6 qt crockpot wouldn’t hold all of the ingredients. Excited to try it tonight.
Hi Pat– what size slow cooker did you use? I use a 6 qt and it BARELY fits.
Sounds delicious! I can’t wait for San Diego to cool down so I can try this.
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.
Thank you for posting this! This is my husband’s favorite soup! Can’t wait to try!
MY question is, “WHY would you use all if these wonderful, fresh ingredients and then add a jar of PREGO????…UGH
Here is a link to our homemade sauce that you can use instead if you would like! https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/homemade-spaghetti-sauce-with-fresh-tomatoes/
Yeah, that’s messed up. That’s why you make batches of sauce and then use the freezer. In fact, that’s why I bought a vacuum sealer system, so I can make up to a years worth at a time. It’s just as easy to make triple batch if you have a big enough pot.
And Olive Garden uses homemade sauce? Lmfao!