Description
This soup is one of my all-time favorite meals to enjoy when it's cold out. It is extremely satisfying. Take your time with this one as it needs a little extra TLC to ensure all of the flavors come together.
Ingredients
For the soup
¾ pound ground beef
½ cup onion, chopped
2 gloves garlic, minced
½ cup casarecce (or similar) pasta
1 can crushed tomatoes (I prefer the fire roasted ones from Muir Glen)
2 cups chicken broth
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons basil, chopped
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried basil
½ tsp granulated garlic
salt and pepper to taste
For the cheese topping
4 oz cream cheese
¼ cup cheddar cheese
¼ cup parmesan/asiago cheese blend
Instructions
1.Combine cream cheese and shredded cheeses in a bowl. Using a fork, incorporate shredded cheeses into cream cheese. Set aside for later.
2. Saute onions until translucent. Add beef and cook until meat has browned, using a spoon to break apart larger pieces.
3. Add chicken broth, dried seasonings, bay leaves, minced garlic, crushed tomatoes and basil. Simmer on low heat for 1 hour.
4. Add pasta to soup and continue to simmer on low heat until pasta is al dente (about 10 minutes)
5. Serve and add cheese stopping to individual bowls (don't forget to remove the bay leaves!)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour