30-Minute Beef Minestrone

Preheat a large soup pot to medium heat with beef and olive oil. Cook beef for 5–7 minutes, crumbling it with a spoon as it browns.

Add onion, carrot, and celery with a sprinkle of salt and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute more.

Add tomatoes, stock, water, and oregano to soup pot. Cover and bring soup to a boil, then add pasta to pot. Cook pasta with pot covered, stirring every few minutes to be sure noodles don’t stick to the bottom of the pot.

Cook noodles directly in the soup for 10–15 minutes, about 2 minutes longer than the package directions. When noodles are tender, uncover pot and add green beans. Simmer soup for 5–10 minutes more until green beans are barely tender. Taste and add more salt to your preference until it is very flavorful.

Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Notes:
• If making in advance, stop before adding the pasta to prevent it from bloating or getting mushy, then cook the green beans and pasta in the soup right before serving. Alternatively, cook pasta separately and add to the soup as you serve.
• Can be made vegetarian by substituting 15 ounces canned beans (add at the same time as the green beans) for the beef and veggie stock for beef stock.