Beef and Vegetable Minestrone and Vegetable Tortellini Soup

Ingredients

For the Base:

2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 small diced yellow onion
4 peeled and medium diced carrots
6 medium diced stalks of celery
4 finely minced cloves of garlic
1 sliced green zucchini
2 sliced yellow squash
1 pound of trimmed green beans, cut in half
2 28-ounce cans of diced tomatoes in juice
128 ounces of vegetable stock

For the Beef Minestrone:

2 15-ounce cans of dark kidney beans, rinsed
2 peeled and medium diced potatoes
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 pounds of medium diced beef stew meat
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh oregano
3 cups of packed baby spinach
1 pound of ditalini pasta, boiled and chilled
Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

For the Tortellini Soup:

5 cups of packed baby spinach
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh thyme
20-ounce bag of 4 or 5 cheese tortellini, boiled and chilled
Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Preparation

Base: Combine and divide all of the ingredients into 2 bowls.

In each large pot over high heat add the ingredients, except for the stock and tomatoes, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until the vegetables are slightly browned.

Beef Minestrone: Add the beans, potatoes, rosemary, oregano and spinach to 1 pot and simmer.

In a large saute pan over high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil add in the beef stew meat and cook until lightly browned and cooked through. Season with salt and pepper and add it to the pot with the beans and potatoes. Season the soup with salt and pepper.

Serve the soup with the cooked and chilled ditalini pasta.

Tortellini: Add the spinach, thyme and salt and pepper to the other pot and simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve the soup with the cooked and chilled tortellini. 

Recipe created by Chef Billy Parisi